Final Word from Tuesday, October 7, 2003
The Czech media were full of reports over the weekend that Václav Havel is one of three favorites, along with Pope John Paul II and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This would be a tremendous honor for Havel and the Czech Republic. At the same time, it would put the country back into the spotlight regarding Iraq. The CR was briefly famous when Havel signed the pro-U.S. "letter of eight" in Jan., which helped pave the way for the war in Iraq. Havel has since backpedaled on his position somewhat, but he'll never shed the image of a war hawk. Signing the letter was probably the most significant political act Havel ever undertook during his later years in office. By giving the Peace Prize to him, the Nobel committee would be condoning the war in Iraq and would contribute to a worsening of the CR's relations with the Arab world. gang