The United Nations and its Secretary-General Kofi Annan won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for “their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.”

The Nobel Committee cited the United Nations for being at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world. Annan, who has devoted almost his entire working life to the world body, was lauded for “bringing new life to the organization.”

Geir Lundestad, the committee’s secretary, noted that the winner was picked Sept. 28 — 17 days after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and almost a week into the U.S. military response. As the Nobel Committee made its announcement, US and Britain jets and bombers continued to pound Afghanistan, wrapping themselves in the alleged mandate of the organization the Bush Administration had spurned just weeks ago.

Guest:

• Phyllis Bennis, senior fellow, Institute for Policy Analysis and author of Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today’s UN.