Sky News Lands Dalai Lama Exclusive

In a UK exclusive the Dalai Lama has spoken to Sky News Correspondent Ian Woods in Australia. As President Obama makes his way to Oslo to receive his prize, the Dalai Lama responds, as a Nobel Peace Laureate, to Ian’s questions about the US president receiving the Nobel Peace Prize yet increasing troop numbers in Afghanistan. He also critcised President Bush for relying on the wrong kind of advisors.

The full interview in which the Dalai Lama speaks about his thoughts on climate change will be shown in a half hour special programme, at 20:30 GMT on Thursday, as part of Sky News’ Turning Up the Heat to coincide with the Copenhagen Summit.

The Dalai Lama on the Nobel Peace Prize:

IAN WOODS: You are a Nobel Peace Prize winner, what do you think of Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, if I can ask you that?

DALAI LAMA: When the Peace Prize was announced, American young president, a very energetic president, everybody feels very, very happy. However, when this was announced, announcement come that they choose the Nobel Peace Prize this year and there is some opinion that it is a little too early but there is also some reason so we have to wait.

IAN WOODS: Is that your opinion, that it is a little too early?

DALAI LAMA: I think if you are realistic, it may have been a little early but it doesn’t matter, I know Obama is a very able person, sometimes these individual persons rely on different advice from different people so like former President Bush junior, as a human being I really love him, really wonderful person, very honest, very truthful but I think due to his advisors views, some of his policies have been a disaster, so it happens.