Scanpix Norway / AP Photo
President Obama, with the first lady at his side, accepted his Nobel medal and $1.4 million winnings in Oslo Thursday "with deep gratitude and humility." He added the "hard truth" is that war can be necessary to achieve peace. He also acknowledged the controversy surrounding his win, with critics saying a wartime president just months into his administration doesn't deserve the medal, by modestly pointing out that his accomplishments are "slight" compared to other prize recipients. Obama said that that the most "profound" issue surrounding his win is that he's the head of a country in the midst of two wars, adding that because of this "I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict—filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace." He cited his closure of Guantanamo Bay prison and his prohibition of torture, arguing that the U.S. "must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war" because "we lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals we fight to defend." The ceremony has created a host of problems for Obama, who offended his Norwegian hosts by blowing off events planned in his honor, although he will attend an awards banquet this evening.