CORNEL WEST WEIGHS IN ON OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE:

'You know, you already sent 21,000 troops. You might send 65,000 troops. That’s not a Peace Prize-acting activity.'

*In the days following Barack Obama's unexpected awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, reaction has been mixed among the public.

The President's latest accomplishment was topic of conversation for Dr. Cornel West, a longtime supporter of Obama, who addressed the situation while promoting his new memoir, "Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud."

Although he expressed his joy over Obama receiving the Prize, the activist was left wondering what factors contributed to his friend receiving the honor.

"I don't understand the criteria of the Nobel Prize committee," West told EUR's Lee Bailey. "They give it to Martin King, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu. I can understand that. They give it to Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Kissinger, two of the most pro-war people in the 20th Century. They give them the Peace prize. I say well ... I don't know.

"I celebrate with the brother. I congratulate him. I wish that his loving mother ... I wish his brilliant father were alive to see him get it. No doubt about it," the educator/author continued, as he noted how the award could become a double-edged sword for the president. "But I think that it puts brother Barack in a very tough situation because if you got a Peace prize and you end up being a war president in Afghanistan, if you got a Peace prize and you don't want to investigate and prosecute people who have been torturing people, turn your back, it doesn't look good."

West's comments join various opinions regarding the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to award Obama the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (Oct. 9). The news reportedly came as an unexpected development for the Commander in Chief, who admitted he was "surprised and deeply humbled" by the Committee's decision.

"This award is not simply about my administration," Obama told reporters on Friday. It "must be shared" with everyone who strives for "justice and dignity."

Obama is the fourth U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize as well as the third sitting president to receive the award. In addition to the award, recipients receive a prize of roughly $1.4 million. According to a White House spokesman, Obama will donate the money to charity.

The president's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" served as the reason behind the committee's honoring of the president. Despite the recognition, Obama saw the honor as "call to action" rather than acknowledgement of his own accomplishments.

West indirectly echoed Obama, as he believes the Nobel Prize should also take into account those he feels have "sacrificed" for the president to become who he is today.

"I just wish his parents were alive because, for me, these kind of awards are not so much for the recipients but they're for the people who sacrificed for you," the philosopher shared." So I just want to say it's a family affair. And I wish his family were here to be able to see that kind of magnificent award. "

Despite being proud of Obama, West believes recent overseas activity could put a damper on the impact of the president receiving the honor.

"I just think it's gonna really put him in a limelight because ... you know, you already sent 21,000 troops. You might send 65,000 troops. That's not a Peace Prize-acting activity. You see what I mean," the activist said. while referencing efforts to address the recent death of Chicago honor student Derrion Albert.

Albert was beaten to death after he was caught in the middle of a street fight between two groups of students from Christian Fenger Academy High School on September 24. Four suspects have been charged in the videotaped killing, which exploded onto the Internet.

Authorities are currently looking for more people in connection with the beating. Last week, U.S. Cabinet officials met with Chicago's mayor and community leaders to address youth crime.

A funeral for Derrion Albert was held October 3.

"And so, for me, another thing is that peace is not the absence of conflict. That's what brother Martin used to say. Peace is the presence of justice," West said. "So if you can take a jet to Copenhagen and can't meet with sister Albert in Chicago to deal with peace in the hood, it doesn't look good. It doesn't look good at all."