Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

[spartan]

A surprise visit by US President George Bush to Iraq has been overshadowed by an incident in which two shoes were thrown at him during a news conference.

An Iraqi journalist was wrestled to the floor by security guards after he called Mr Bush "a dog" and threw his footwear, just missing the president.

The soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture.

During the trip, Mr Bush and Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki signed the new security agreement between their countries.

The pact calls for US troops to leave Iraq in 2011 - eight years after the 2003 invasion that has in part defined the Bush presidency.

Speaking just over five weeks before he hands over power to Barack Obama, Mr Bush also said the war in Iraq was not over and more work remained to be done.

His previously unannounced visit came a day after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told US troops the Iraq mission was in its "endgame".

'Size 10'
In the middle of the news conference with Mr Maliki, a reporter stood up and shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," before hurtling his shoes at Mr Bush, narrowly missing him.

"All I can report is a size 10," Mr Bush said according to the Associated Press news agency.

The shoe thrower was taken away by security guards and the news conference continued.

Correspondents called it a symbolic incident. Iraqis threw shoes and used them to beat Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad after his overthrow.

'American security'
Mr Bush's first stop upon arriving in Baghdad was the Iraqi presidential palace in the heavily-fortified Green Zone, where he held talks with President Jalal Talabani.

"The work hasn't been easy but it's been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace," Mr Bush said during his talks with Mr Talabani.

The Iraqi president called Mr Bush "a great friend for the Iraqi people, who helped us liberate our country".

The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley, in Baghdad, says the key issue at present is exactly how American troops will withdraw within the next three years and what sort of Iraq they will leave behind.

The US media has just published details of a US government report saying that post invasion reconstruction of Iraq was crippled by bureaucratic turf wars and an ignorance of the basic elements of Iraqi society.

The report is circulating among US officials in draft form, says the New York Times.

It reveals details of a reconstruction effort that cost more than $100bn (£67bn) and only succeeded in restoring what was destroyed in the invasion and the widespread looting that followed it, the newspaper said.

Troop promises
Mr Bush's visit, unannounced in advance and conducted under tight security, follows the approval last month of a security pact between Washington and Baghdad that calls for US troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011.

US troops are first to withdraw from Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, by June next year.

Defence Secretary Gates said on Saturday that "the process of the drawdown" had begun.

"We are, I believe, in terms of the American commitment, in the endgame here in Iraq," he told US troops at an airbase near Baghdad.

Mr Gates has been picked to stay on as defence secretary by President-elect Barack Obama.

President Bush leaves the White House in less than six weeks. He said in a recent interview with ABC News that the biggest regret of his presidency was the false intelligence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

Finding these was one of the key justifications for the invasion. None were ever found.

Mr Obama has promised to bring home US combat troops from Iraq in a little over a year from when he takes office in January.

More than 4,200 US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians and security personnel have been killed since the invasion in 2003.

There are currently about 149,000 US soldiers in Iraq, down from last year's peak of 170,000 after extra troops were poured in to deal with a worsening security situation.

As Mr Bush arrived in Baghdad, Gen David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command, which includes Iraq, said attacks in the country had dropped from 180 a day in June 2007 to 10 a day now.

In a sign of modest security gains in Iraq, Mr Bush was welcomed with a formal arrival ceremony - a flourish that was not part of his previous three visits.

He arrived in the country on Air Force One, which landed at Baghdad International Airport in the afternoon, after a secretive Saturday night departure from Washington on an 11-hour flight.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7782422.stm

A video showing the incident:lol::

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7782774.stm

[lombas]

A true revolutionary act, but even Reagan got shot at.

[butterfly]

A true victory for the revolutionary left

[Sankofa]

I was just about to post this. :lol:

That was hilarious, he threw them pretty hard too.

[Oneironaut]

I smiled real big after watching that.

[Sankofa]

I smiled real big after watching that.

Only a smile? My penis got hard. :p

[Oneironaut]

Hahaha I guess that happened to me too

[Labor Shall Rule]

I like Maliki's weak reaction to the second shoe lol.

[Sean]

_RFH7C3vkK4
Good on him. He fucked up Bush's little glory lap of smiles and shaking hands they want written into history books instead of what we remember. That man deserves solid gold boots. Not as an award, just for something heavier to throw when Obama comes over with the same bullshit next year.

[Lumpen Bourgeois]

"Who throws a shoe, honestly?"





-Austin Powers

[mykittyhasaboner]

Too bad it didn't hit him right on the forehead.

[BlackCapital]

EXCELLENT. Heard about it but the video is much better. Impressive throw, even more impressive dodge unfortunately.

[Guerrilla22]

Too bad it didn't hit him right on the forehead.

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. Actually it's too bad the journalist didn't run up, unzip his pants and piss all over Bush.

[lombas]

I also hope they're not too hard on the guy...

[Led Zeppelin]

LOL he has some good reflexes for a dumbass.

[GPDP]

Oh god, had he hit him, I would have come so hard.

[BlackCapital]

I wonder if he would have been nailed directly in the face if this video would have been allowed to surface/be reported?

[Drace]

Not hitting him is such a turnoff

[fabiansocialist]

This is incontrovertible proof of Iraqi WMD. And suppose these two shoes had been launched at New York City -- the havoc they would have wreaked.

Anyway, the Iraqi people bid adieu to one of the great statesmen of the era.

[S.O.I]

i dont think this is funny... and i dont think the guy throwing the shoes did either.

but bush ceirtanly did find amusing when the secret service agents bashed in his head, and propably flied him off him to wherever the fuck charged with conspiracy to terrorism

[Sean]

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/081215-iraq-protest-hmed-350a.h2.jpg
I love how while Bush likes to show how that while that was a display of freedom and progress, they guy's been locked up.
A raised fist and a size 10 needs made into a poster. Also lol WUNT

[Guerrilla22]

Yeah they need to release the journalist, apparently thousands have taken to the streets demanding his release.

[Sasha]

damn that guy had an good aim, too bad bush managed to duck, its clear that bush his draft dodging during vietnam got him some good training.

freedom for zaidi!!

[Led Zeppelin]

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/081215-iraq-protest-hmed-350a.h2.jpg
I love how while Bush likes to show how that while that was a display of freedom and progress, they guy's been locked up.
A raised fist and a size 10 needs made into a poster. Also lol WUNT

Lol ya those stupid a-rabs cant even spell English! that iz so funneh lolz

[Sean]

Lol ya those stupid a-rabs cant even spell English! that iz so funneh lolzCalm down dear. Spelling errors are always funny. I should be able to laugh at funny spellings of words (and I know I make more than my fair share) without being heckled as a racist by the patronisingly overprotective.

[Led Zeppelin]

Yeah, they're also funny when people whose first language isn't English make them at anti-American imperialism demonstrations.

We should make fun of those dumb a-rabs who never bothered to learn English.

I'd expect morons on youtube or 4chan to write the same garbage as you did, but when I see it on Revleft I will call you out on it whether your chauvinist ass likes it or not. Deal with it.

Oh, yeah, and I'd like to see you try and write Arabic, you chauvinist douche.

[Sean]

Yeah, they're also funny when people whose first language isn't English make them at anti-American imperialism demonstrations.

We should make fun of those dumb a-rabs who never bothered to learn English.

I'd expect morons on youtube or 4chan to write the same garbage as you did, but when I see it on Revleft I will call you out on it whether your chauvinist ass likes it or not. Deal with it.

Oh, yeah, and I'd like to see you try and write Arabic, you chauvinist douche.
Ok, perhaps this isn't the thread to laugh at spelling mistakes because this is a serious matter (I notice now that there is a more lighthearted version of the thread in General). It might appear to you that I'm laughing at their inferior use of the English language from the position of some evil white man, but I was just laughing at a funny word that caught my eye just before I posted. If it has offended anyone else then I apologise.

[Dimentio]

He must be incredbly thick.

"Draw attention to themselves."

[Nakidana]

Release the journalist and jail Bush!

[Comrade B]

So what are they holding the guy in prison for?
And for how long?

Bush tried to pass this off as nothing more than anger in symbolism like someone giving you the finger... but we don't arrest people for that...

[Dóchas]

that guy is gonna have a very painfull, slow and coincidential death

[Rosa Provokateur]

"Who throws a shoe, honestly."--Austin Powers

[BIG BROTHER]

The only real crime here, was that the guy missed...

[KurtFF8]

Iraqi shoe-throwing reporter becomes the talk of Iraq

Source (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081215/ts_nm/us_iraq_bush_shoes)




BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush has become the talk of Iraq, hailed by marchers as a national hero but blasted by the government as a barbarian.

The little-known Shi'ite reporter, said to have harbored anger against Bush for the thousands of Iraqis who died after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, had previously made headlines only once, when he was briefly kidnapped by gunmen in 2007.

TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric act." He would be sent for trial on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the prime minister's media adviser, Yasin Majeed.

His employer, independent al-Baghdadiya television, demanded his release and demonstrators rallied for him in Baghdad's Sadr City, in the southern Shi'ite stronghold of Basra and in the holy city of Najaf, where some threw shoes at a U.S. convoy.

"Thanks be to God, Muntazer's act fills Iraqi hearts with pride," his brother, Udai al-Zaidi, told Reuters Television.

"I'm sure many Iraqis want to do what Muntazer did. Muntazer used to say all the orphans whose fathers were killed are because of Bush."

Zaidi shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," at Bush in a news conference he held with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a farewell visit to Baghdad on Sunday.

The journalist then flung one shoe at Bush, forcing him to duck, followed by another, which sailed over Bush's head and slammed into the wall behind him. Throwing shoes at someone is the worst possible insult in the Arab world.

Zaidi was dragged struggling and screaming from the room by security guards and could be heard shouting outside while the news conference continued after momentary mayhem.

'BARBARIC'

The government said Zaidi had carried out "a barbaric and ignominious act" that was not fitting of the media's role and demanded an apology from his television station.

Al-Baghdadiya television played endless patriotic music, with Zaidi's face plastered across the screen.

A newscaster solemnly read out a statement calling for his release, "in accordance with the democratic era and the freedom of expression that Iraqis were promised by U.S. authorities."

It said that any harsh measures taken against the reporter would be reminders of the "dictatorial era."

The Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate said Zaidi's "far from professional" and irresponsible conduct had placed it in an "embarrassing and critical" situation. Nevertheless, it called on Maliki to release him for humanitarian reasons.

"It was the throw of the century. I believe Bush deserves what happened to him because he has not kept his promises to Iraqis," said Baghdad resident Abu Hussein, 48.

Parliamentary reaction was mixed, with some saying Zaidi chose the wrong venue for his protest. Others cheered.

"Al-Zaidi's shoe is the most famous shoe in the whole world," said Fawzi Akram, a Turkman lawmaker loyal to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

A Libyan charity group chaired by leader Muammar Gaddafi's daughter, Aicha Gaddafi, gave Zaidi an award for bravery.

Zaidi, now in his late 20s, spent more than two days blindfolded, after armed men kidnapped him in November 2007. He said at the time that the kidnappers had beaten him until he lost consciousness, and used his necktie to blindfold him.

He never learned the identity of the kidnappers, who questioned him about his work but did not demand a ransom.

Colleagues say Zaidi resented Bush, blaming him for the bloodshed that ravaged Iraq. It did not appear that he had lost any close family members during the sectarian killings and insurgency, which in recent months have finally begun to wane.

(Additional reporting by Haidar Kadhim and Wissam Mohammed; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Dominic Evans)

I wonder if he still believes that history will look on him in a positive light.

[Comrade B]

charges of insulting the Iraqi state
freedom of speech?...

[Wild_Fire]

Funniest political video ever!

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

His pathetic "talk about the guy throwing the shoe" is clearly a formulaic reply designed to dismiss verbal attacks. How can he say that a physical attack against him is legitimate free expression and doesn't threaten him? He's stupider than I thought. If shoes don't bother him, maybe someone should try bullets.

[TC]

People might make it out as a joke, but what he did was incredibly brave. He sacrificed his career and risked his life to show that even in a room full of pre-screened hand picked press Bush couldn't be secure. The press is putting a great deal of emphasis on the fact that it was a shoe and supposedly a symbolic insult in arab culture but really part of it has to be the fact that Bush wont even allow US soldiers to have loaded weapons in a room with him; there was no way he or anyone else could get a viable weapon close to Bush (needless to say, if this were possible, he would be dead) but despite the utter harmlessness of his gesture, that brave Iraqi journalist still made it. That was daring. And thats why there are mass demonstrations in his support going on right now.

[Queen_(of)_the_revolution]

The only real crime here, was that the guy missed...
hysterical comment! cudos comrade! :D it really is to bad he missed.

[Comrade B]

People might make it out as a joke, but what he did was incredibly brave. He sacrificed his career and risked his life
I definitely think it is funny to watch, but I wouldn't call it a joke. It is an extraordinarily brave thing that he did, and something unheard of in western society. I don't know that if I were in the man's situation I would have the balls to do something like that.

I heard to day that the Iraqi puppet leader is trying to lock the journalist up for 7-8 years. These evil wealthy pigs disgust me, they show nothing but cowardice and cannot see any bravery in the actions of their opponents. It is shameful.

[h0lmes]

I definitely think it is funny to watch, but I wouldn't call it a joke. It is an extraordinarily brave thing that he did, and something unheard of in western society. I don't know that if I were in the man's situation I would have the balls to do something like that.

I heard to day that the Iraqi puppet leader is trying to lock the journalist up for 7-8 years. These evil wealthy pigs disgust me, they show nothing but cowardice and cannot see any bravery in the actions of their opponents. It is shameful.


Are you kidding me? This kind of stuff happens all the time in the Western world with pies, middle fingers, etc. In fact, it is unheard of in Middle Eastern countries because a large portion of them are ruled by ruthless dictators under sharia law. I am no fan of Bush but if this guy would have done this under Saddam he would probably have his limbs cut off. Also, it could very well have been something other than a shoe that was thrown so the secret service acted in a just manner by kicking the shit out of him.

If you guys want to call this a "revolutionary act" that's fine but it's pretty pathetic excuse for such.

[Comrade B]

This kind of stuff happens all the time in the Western world with pies, middle fingers, etc.
Closest thing I can remember to this is a random guy on the street yelling "fuck you mr. Cheney" in New Orleans. A reporter has never done something like this as far as I know.


If you guys want to call this a "revolutionary act" that's fine but it's pretty pathetic excuse for such.
I never called it that, but is certainly a ballsy move. He is in prison right now. Could be there for a long time.

He got himself locked up in the name of something he believes in, and it rallied a shit load of angry people. He also brought the anger at Bush straight to up to his face. Bush certainly hears a lot about people disliking him, but I doubt he goes out enough to actually ever see someone who has nothing but hate for him.

[KurtFF8]

Are you kidding me? This kind of stuff happens all the time in the Western world with pies, middle fingers, etc. In fact, it is unheard of in Middle Eastern countries because a large portion of them are ruled by ruthless dictators under sharia law. I am no fan of Bush but if this guy would have done this under Saddam he would probably have his limbs cut off. Also, it could very well have been something other than a shoe that was thrown so the secret service acted in a just manner by kicking the shit out of him.

If you guys want to call this a "revolutionary act" that's fine but it's pretty pathetic excuse for such.

I think you're ignoring the cultural significance of the act itself. It's been explained many times as a deep insult, that is an insult with cultural significance that goes beyond "he just threw something at me!". Hence the mass marches to release this guy/support what he did and how many average Iraqis have started to throw their shoes at passing by American convoys.

[TC]

Are you kidding me? This kind of stuff happens all the time in the Western world with pies, middle fingers, etc.

Not to serving heads of state its not: if that had happened with an unscreened audience and not a pool of journalists he'd almost certainly have been shot. Repeatedly.

I mean, ask yourself, why hasn't it happened before with Bush.

[Sean]

Not to serving heads of state its not: if that had happened with an unscreened audience and not a pool of journalists he'd almost certainly have been shot. Repeatedly.

I mean, ask yourself, why hasn't it happened before with Bush.

True, even mentioning killing a head of state in public is illegal. Pat Robertson got off on that one though with Chavez, so its good that America and its colonies are consistent in their attitude to this.

[Junius]

Actually, a man threw an inactive grenade covered in cloth at Bush (well, within 30 meters of him and behind bullet proof glass) whilst he was in Georgia. When he was captured two months later he killed a police officer and was wounded. He received a life sentence.

[Prisoner#69]

He did it for the lulz:laugh:

What a pity it didn't smack Bushy right in the face taking out an eye :cursing:

[butterfly]

You know how there are certain political landmarks that are forever retained as a symbolic representation in the mass media.
Like the Tank man, a symbol of Tienamen square, or the twin tower's imperialist backlash.
I hope this turns out to be one of them.

[Sean]

I just got the following chain email (im not american):


HEY! this would be fun ~ let's all give Bush the 'boot'. What if everyone got the word out to inundate the White House for the next 35 days with old, stAAAnky, ugly shoes! "This is a farewell kiss, you dog" Show solidarity with the Iraqi journalist that almost beaned GW yesterday?? tell your friends, pass this on... I'm sure this is more a thing for the kind of people who cried tears of joy after obama got in.:rolleyes: But still, I'm glad its at least kind of in the public mind instead of down the memory hole as they'd have wanted. Your liberal grandmother is probably forwarding this to you as we speak.

[Comrade B]

Actually, a man threw an inactive grenade covered in cloth at Bush (well, within 30 meters of him and behind bullet proof glass) whilst he was in Georgia. When he was captured two months later he killed a police officer and was wounded. He received a life sentence.
The target of this attack was the Georgian president (who was on the same stage) though, from what I have heard.

[J.Yuan]

Brave young man.

[gewehr_3]

Apparently he was beaten in prison, although the link doesn't exist on BBC anymore:confused:

[fabiansocialist]

Also, it could very well have been something other than a shoe that was thrown so the secret service acted in a just manner by kicking the shit out of him.

The journalists were searched several times at different checkpoints. I doubt he had anything more lethal. Maybe they'll ban shoes as well in the future for foreign journalists.

As for just, I hear the journalist now has some broken ribs, can't use his right arm anymore, and show signs of torture.

[fabiansocialist]

Apparently he was beaten in prison, although the link doesn't exist on BBC anymore

Try this (http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2008/12/16/urgent-just-reported-al-zaidi-in-us-run-camp-cropper-prison/). It's the best I have at the moment. And this (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/12/2008121618330140949.html) at Al-Jazeers. In the Western media, the man is now an unperson -- he never existed. There will be no more mention of the "unfortunate incident" -- what incident?

[GPDP]

Such is the way the media works.

Seriously, what a tragedy for this man. I hope they release him.

[RainingSkies]

I can't be much happier when I heard and first saw the video. Gotta respect that brave journalist^^

[Prisoner#69]

He needs to be released from his captors. :sneaky:

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Well, you can now play the game here:

http://www.shoebushworldwide.com/

Click on various parts of the screen to change the shoe, or to aim, and click on the shoe to throw it, or on other icons to alter the parameters.

My best score is 500 -- beat that!

Don't forget to have your speakers on!

[Leo]

He sacrificed his career

Actually if he manages to get out, he's been offered quite good jobs by media companies in several Arab companies, some who declared that if he accepts the job he will be paid from the moment the first shoe was thrown.

That is of course not to say that he did it as a career move, considering he was horribly tortured, still is in prison, and would have been murdered immediately by the Maliki's thugs on the spot if the Americans didn't stop them.

[Guerrilla22]

Someone will hire him if he gets out, that is if he still is breathing when he gets out. Apparently Maliki's security personel broke his arm and several of his ribs. :(

[Hit The North]

Thanks for the link, Rosa.

I have a streaming cold and hurling shoes at W is cheering me up no end.

[Prisoner#69]

From an AP article:
The White House said on Tuesday it was for Iraqi leaders to decide whether to punish Zaidi, who relatives said had been arrested at the beginning of the year by US forces and was once kidnapped by militants and held for days.


"I think the president believes that Iraq is a sovereign country, a democratic country, and they will have a process that they follow on this," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.


"The president harbours no hard feelings about the incident. We've really moved on."


Perino, who herself was sporting a bruise on her face from the shoe throwing, sought to downplay the incident. "I don't think that you can take one guy throwing his shoe as representative of the people of Iraq," she said.


Really, Bush believes Iraq is a sovereign country?

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

BTB, yes it had me in stitches.:lol:

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

There's another, slightly more difficult game in the Websites section.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1312135&postcount=2

[Wanted Man]

According to the journalist's brother, he has already been severely beaten.

[h0lmes]

Someone will hire him if he gets out, that is if he still is breathing when he gets out. Apparently Maliki's security personel broke his arm and several of his ribs. :(

Where do you get this crap? There is absolutely no evidence that this man has any broken bones.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

^^^Try here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article5352043.ece

[Kassad]

From what I've heard, there was a "trail of blood" from where the Iraqi guards dragged the journalist outside and his screams could continually be heard during the remainder of the news conference.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/14/international/i050219S87.DTL

I've also heard rumors that al-Zaidi lost some friends/family members due to the occupation. Have yet to find clarification on that, but I wouldn't be surprised. In all honesty, this is probably one of the most inspirational things I've ever seen, as al-Zaidi realized he could be facing up to 15 years in jail and he still expressed his dismay with Bush who, as usual, showed himself to be incredibly out of touch and unresponsive to the will of the masses. If I never see this man's face again, it will be too soon.

Maybe next time the thrower will have better aim.

[Comrade B]

I heard that he has several broken ribs, a broken leg, and internal bleeding on I think it was MSNBC (yeah, its an American democrat TV station, but its better than CNN or Fox....)

[Shadowed Intent]

From what I've heard, there was a "trail of blood" from where the Iraqi guards dragged the journalist outside and his screams could continually be heard during the remainder of the news conference.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/14/international/i050219S87.DTL

I've also heard rumors that al-Zaidi lost some friends/family members due to the occupation. Have yet to find clarification on that, but I wouldn't be surprised. In all honesty, this is probably one of the most inspirational things I've ever seen, as al-Zaidi realized he could be facing up to 15 years in jail and he still expressed his dismay with Bush who, as usual, showed himself to be incredibly out of touch and unresponsive to the will of the masses. If I never see this man's face again, it will be too soon.

Maybe next time the thrower will have better aim.

What I found worst about Bush's reaction is that he showed no respect towards Iraq's culture, by simply saying he only threw a shoe at me, it is an obvious show that he believes only "western" culture matters.

[fabiansocialist]

Really, Bush believes Iraq is a sovereign country?

That's the official line. From the AP article:


The White House said on Tuesday it was for Iraqi leaders to decide whether to punish Zaidi, who relatives said had been arrested at the beginning of the year by US forces and was once kidnapped by militants and held for days.

That is, it's for Iraqi stooges to obey the dicates of their American overlords and give the man a good beating, break his ribs, throw him in some hole, and throw the key away.


"The president harbours no hard feelings about the incident. We've really moved on."

GWB is vindictive as hell.


Perino, who herself was sporting a bruise on her face from the shoe throwing, sought to downplay the incident. "I don't think that you can take one guy throwing his shoe as representative of the people of Iraq," she said.

I think you can. That this happened despite vetting and security clearances is revealing.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Shadowed Intent, Bush is far too ignorant to understand the symbolism, I think.

--------------------

Comrade B, the link I posted above outlines his injuries.

[Comrade B]

Comrade B, the link I posted above outlines his injuries.
ah, sorry, missed that


both Sunni and Shia, took part in a second day of street protests today demanding Mr Zaidi’s release
This is impressive. A shoe-throwing journalist has united the sects much better than any political leader could.

Perhaps Zaidi should be president of Iraq...hehe

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

More details about his violent treatment here:

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2008/12/strange-freedom.html

[Wanted Man]

More details about his violent treatment here:

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2008/12/strange-freedom.html


In light of which, this Times leader column (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article5348745.ece) seems not merely inapposite but actually grotesque. It claims that the protest "demonstrated how far Iraq has come", and that Iraqis "have learnt to enjoy freedom of expression." It would be redundant to go through all the ways in which this disgusting reverie constitutes both a moral and intellectual insult. But one has to wonder: if a Times journalist was bleeding internally, with broken ribs and a smashed arm after suffering a severe beating by police, would its leader column be waxing wistful and ironical about 'imperfect' freedom?

Wow. It's no wonder that there is no name of the person who wrote this pathetic excuse for a column. Or is it an actual editorial that summarises the position of the paper? What kind of dumb motherfucker could come up with something like that? Oh, wait, it's the Times.

[TC]

True, even mentioning killing a head of state in public is illegal. Pat Robertson got off on that one though with Chavez, so its good that America and its colonies are consistent in their attitude to this.

Actually in America its okay to threaten to kill foreign heads of state generally.

Jokes about killing a US head of state though will seriously result in secret service attention, even if its obvious that they were in no way legitimate threats.

[Leo]

Zaidi apologized about his act, apparently: http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-25838-Zaidi-apologizes-to-Maliki-for-shoe-throwing.html

[Q]

http://www.sockandawe.com/

:laugh:

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Leo, his family say he was coerced:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/18/george-bush-shoe-thrower

The print version has this headline in today's paper:

'Iraqi shoe-thrower apologises but family suspects coercion'.

Update here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/19/iraq-georgebush

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Terry Jones (of the Monty Python crew, and noted anti-war propagandist) in the Guardian:


Hey! Congratulations on the way you dodged those shoes! You made it look so easy – like you'd being dodging stuff all your life! And that smart remark likening the incident to "driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers" – whatever it meant it sounded cool, man! Fantastic!

But I'm a bit worried about what's happened since. Muntazar al-Zaidi has become a bit of a hero – with all those rallies in Sadr city and Fallujah, with people marching around holding up their shoes like the crowd scenes in Monty Python's Life of Brian. And the longer he stays in custody of the Iraqi police the more of a martyr he is likely to appear. His brother, Dargham, says he's already had his hand and several ribs broken, and is suffering from internal bleeding and has an eye injury. And some say he's liable to seven years imprisonment (some even say 15), but as long as he remains being beaten up in prison he's liable to be seen as a martyr.

So would it would it be OK for me to offer you a little bit of advice, Mr President? You know it's customary for US presidents on their last day of office to issue a slew of pardons, so why not pardon Zaidi as you go – you know, just to undermine his position as hero/martyr of the Muslim world.

Now, I know he's officially in the hands of the Iraqi police, but you and I and the rest of the world knows that Nouri al-Maliki will do more or less whatever you like and he's bound to take a lenient view, if you do.

Of course, you'll be reluctant to damage your reputation as the president who has granted the fewest pardons and commutations since the second world war, apart from your father, but it really might be worth it.

I admit that Zaidi is guilty of throwing his shoes at you, but you've pardoned people for things almost as bad as that. You pardoned Scooter Libby when he was indicted for obstruction, perjury and making false statements to federal investigators. And now Dick Cheney has admitted that he did authorise the use of torture it looks probable that you'll have to pardon him – otherwise he'll be up on a charge of war crimes once you leave office.

Come to think of it, Donald Rumsfeld might also be in need of a pardon, after the Senate armed services committee said that he bore a major responsibility for the abuses committed by American troops in interrogations at Abu Graib, Guantanamo Bay and other military detention centres.

The report also implied that Rumsfeld wasn't exactly being honest when he claimed that the abuses were nothing to do with him and were the result of a few bad apples amongst the soldiery.

According to the report the abuse "was not simply the result of a few soldiers acting on their own", but grew out of interrogation policies approved by Rumsfeld and other top officials, who "conveyed the message that physical pressures and degradation were appropriate treatment for detainees".

The report, which was jointly issued by Senators John McCain and Carl Levin, also rejects Cheney's assertion that torture paid off. It says the techniques used, "damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies, and compromised our moral authority".

And while I'm thinking about it, it might be advisable to pardon yourself before you leave office for any possible war crimes, such as your involvement in killing and maiming over a million Iraqi civilians over the last few years, destroying their country's infrastructure, destabilising the place and creating chaos in the Middle East.

If Zaidi gets 15 years for throwing his shoes at you, Mr President, there could be problems getting away with all that. Best to pardon him, as well as Cheney, Rumsfeld and yourself, and get it over with.

What d'you say?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/19/george-bush-shoe-thrower-zaidi

[Leo]

Leo, his family say he was coerced:

Possible, I wouldn't be surprised if he's under heavy torture.

[Comrade B]

I like the foot notes on the Times article quoted in http://leninology.blogspot.com/2008/...e-freedom.html (http://www.anonym.to/?http://leninology.blogspot.com/2008/12/strange-freedom.html)


I don't entirely understand how this has not been noticed, but al-Zaidi was beaten to the point of hospitalisation, and may go to prison.

To repeat, because this is not a complicated point: broken bones and arrest. Possible head injury. Possible jail sentence.
Luke, London,
One and a half million iraqis killed after the Occution is a hugely high price for enjoying "FREEDOME OF EXPRESSION". Would you accept this situatuin to prevail in the states ?

Yasmeen, Baghdad, Iraq

[cyu]

Not really serious, but... http://www.thankyouforthrowingyourshoe.com/

http://www.thankyouforthrowingyourshoe.com/images/lady%20red%20nyny.jpg (http://www.thankyouforthrowingyourshoe.com/showbig.php?FileName=lady red nyny.jpg&The=1&Page=0)
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[Communist Theory]

Haha :lol:

"I salute you."

-Austin Powers

[Sam_b]

Any real need to resurrect this?

[Communist Theory]

Any real need to resurrect this?
No, not really it was news to me so I posted. Quite hilarious of what they think of Bush in Iraq and quite brave of that journalist to throw his shoes at Bush I can't wait til I get home to watch this.