Bush Ducks Shoes Thrown in Iraqi Leader’s Office + Iraqis: Release shoe hurling reporter

Dandelion Salad

Of course, comparing Bush to a dog is an insult to all dogs.  ~ DS

Shoes Hurled at Bush in Iraq Press Conference

mmflint

You have to respect this man’s restraint. With nearly 1,000,000 Iraqis dead as a result of George’s war, flying shoes are practically flowers and candy.

Both feet on the ground at http://www.michaelmoore.com/

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Bush Ducks Shoes Thrown in Iraqi Leader’s Office

By Edwin Chen

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) — President George W. Bush ducked two shoes thrown at him by a man during a press conference in the Iraqi prime minister’s office to mark the signing of a security agreement.

Bush wasn’t hit by the shoes, which both sailed over his head after they were thrown one after the other. The president shrugged and said “I’m OK” after the incident in Baghdad today. “All I can report is it is a size 10,” Bush said afterwards.

In Arab culture, throwing shoes is a grave show of disrespect. “This is the farewell kiss, you dog,” the man shouted in Arabic.

[…]

The shoe-thrower, who was in a group of journalists, was wrestled to the ground and taken away. “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq,” shouted the man, later identified by the Associated Press as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi- owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

[…]

via Bloomberg.com: Worldwide.

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Iraqi reporter throws shoes at Bush in Baghdad

Xinhua

http://www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-15 03:11:27

BAGHDAD, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — An Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at visiting U.S. President George W. Bush and called him a “dog” in Arabic during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Sunday.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, reporter of Baghdadiya television jumped and threw his two shoes one by one at the president, who ducked and thus narrowly missed being struck, raising chaos in the hall in Baghdad’s heavily fortified green Zone.

“This is a farewell kiss, dog,” said Zaidi.

[…]

via Iraqi reporter throws shoes at Bush in Baghdad_English_Xinhua.

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Updated

Iraqis: Release shoe hurling reporter

Press TV

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:50:56 GMT

The demonstrators call for the release of the shoe hurling reporter in Baghdad.

Iraqis stage a demonstration in Baghdad calling for the release of a journalist who was arrested for hurling his shoes at the US President.

The demonstrators held a rally in Sadr City and urged the government to release Muntazer al-Zaidi, who was charged with committing a ‘barbaric act’, the Voices of Iraq news agency reported on Monday.

Zaidi, a correspondent for al-Baghdadiya satellite channel, hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush during a press conference, shouting “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog!”

[…]

via Press TV – Iraqis: Release shoe hurling reporter.

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Updated

Arabs Hail Shoe-Hurling Journalist

12 thoughts on “Bush Ducks Shoes Thrown in Iraqi Leader’s Office + Iraqis: Release shoe hurling reporter

  1. Looking at the video clips again and again, i somehow am inclined to the view that it was staged to get some kind of sympathy for the US President:

    Look at these points in the video:

    1. When the President finishes his talk with the PM, he straight looks at the direction the shoeman was;
    2. The shoe journalist misses the hit, though he was too close;
    3. The security people come after the second shoe was thrown and they take it easy, as they knew it was a shoe, and that there was nothing to worry about, without even inspecting the shoe;
    4. The President took it positively and considered it as an ‘important step’ towards democracy and a free society. Even remembering such acts immediately as sign of freedom.

    But it has backfired….
    The shoe and the shoe journalist has became hero of the Arab streets;
    More and more Iraqis will through shoe on US Forces and officials in Iraq and in the middle east;

  2. Pingback: Add Photos of your shoes to the Flickr Group: A goodbye kiss, you dog + Sheehan + Petition + Countdown « Dandelion Salad

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  4. Interesting the idea it was staged, he did duck quite handily… one has learned over these past mizzable 8 years to question everything and assume nothing when it comes to warmongers.

    Stop the war on Afghanistan, I second that motion!

    Better to strategize with arms producers to cease production and halt supply. Let the sects of islamic cultists duke it out with fisticuffs–

    Longing for that time when Islam produced RUMI and the world’s greatest architecture and design, and the zionists left the desert and stopped provoking the manic fringe.

    I miss Mossadeqh, all could have been so different down there if the USA had kept it’s CIA in check….

    No we don’t harm Mr. Botch, we lock him up in a zoo of war criminals for all to oggle at. Anyone who saw that movie about his murder would realize that revenge is not the way to peace (as Ghandi taught).

    (But one wonders if Adolph could have ever been reasoned with or conceivably talked down, or are psychopaths in power just too fascinating to the numb-minded masses for words?)

    “Alpha” men, especially those who own baseball teams are so passe– their disciples need to think for onesself, question authority, and throw shoes (at least) when the goons bomb your amazing cradle of civilization to smithereens.

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  6. Well done Iraqis, what a great way for such wonderful farwell to this blood thirsty Bush, his wrong policies have made rivers of middle east RED with blood of hundred thousand IRAQIS and more than 4000 American marines, for no reason, why cannot he find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq even after so many years. STOP WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, pls no more blood shed in this beautiful world, lets together spread LOVE.

  7. That was a brave man who threw those shoes.
    Bush had started on his lies of Weapons of mass distruction, and how Iraq caused 9/11, and I was yelling at the TV, saying “Your telling the same lies, you stupid man, it was Afganstan, not Iraq that flew those planes into the Towers. You fooled the American people once, can’t you learn? And then the man threw the first shoe and missed, I was so disappointed. Do you realize that man will go to prison and be tortured, I say lets contribute to his bail and get him released.

  8. In the Islamic world, calling someone a dog and exposing the sole of your shoe to them is a mortal (as in not just fighting but killing) offense. That said, this entire event was completely staged. It’s more “Bush is the pet goat” nonsense much like that farce with the handshaking at the World Bank meeting. It’s designed to ensure the focus for the collective public anger is all on Bush, so when he goes away so (apparently) does the reason for the anger.

    How to tell this was staged: here’s a screen capture of the two of them ONE SECOND after the first object was thrown. Remember that they’re not supposed to have known this was coming or known what the object was. Could have been a shoe, a pie, or a grenade. So if that’s the case, why are both of them smirking?

  9. I thought calling him a dog was a nice touch… I don’t really like dogs (yeah i know, shoot me!) but they don’t deserve to be put on a par with this guy.

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