World leaders urged Barack Obama to seize on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to intensify his diplomatic efforts to forge peace in the gloK'N't rouble spots. 1 ~

The prize marks "America's return to the hearts of the world's peoples." French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

But the surprise announcement by the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Oslo was interpreted more as a bid to encourage the US president's bold diplomatic over- tures to Washington's enemies, rather than a recognition of the achievement of peace by a leader in office for only nine months.

"We do not yet have peace in the Middle East... this time it was very clear that they wanted to encourage Obama to move on these issues..." said the 2008 winner, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.

Neither did key US newspaper The Wall Street Journal mince its words, describing the choice of Obama as "completely bizarre."

"It is unclear why. For making peace, of a kind, with

Hillary Clinton? For giving up the missile shield and cheering up the Iranians? For preparing a surge of troops and weaponry- in Afghanistan?" said the paper in an editorial.

"Of course, traditionally it has been standard procedure that winners of the prize do their peacemaking first... But this innovation sweeps aside such old-fashioned notions of reward following effort."

Arch foe Iran said it would provide Obama with an "incentive to walk in the path of bringing justice to the world order."