Shoes Thrown at Bush Press Conference in Iraq

[Rogue 9]

If his presidency was struck from the record, what would you try him for?

[Darth Onasi]

If his presidency was struck from the record, what would you try him for?

Chimpanzee impersonating a human being?

[The Yosemite Bear]

let me check for a witch or elf to enchant the shoe....

[Thanas]

"I am trying to reach Muntadar since the incident, but in vain," said Fityan Mohammed. "His phone is switched off."

Anyone else got a bad vibe about this? Who did they hand him over, Malaki's guys?

[Darth Onasi]

"I am trying to reach Muntadar since the incident, but in vain," said Fityan Mohammed. "His phone is switched off."

Anyone else got a bad vibe about this? Who did they hand him over, Malaki's guys?

I'd assume that if pull anything like this against the President the secret service people will have you locked up and interrogated for a good long while.

[Kanastrous]

Such petty violence solves nothing. If being hit by a shoe would somehow teleport Bush and his administration to a war crimes trial, strike his presidency from the record and bankrupt the Bush family then that'd be another matter..

This was about symbolism. It's intended as an insult and a minor public humiliation (in the shoe-thrower's mind, maybe not such a minor one). To the degree that it even qualifies as violence at all, that's incidental.

[Kanastrous]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28235031/

He's being hailed as an Arab hero, now (gotta get your heroes where you can find them, I guess).

In one hundred years he will likely be remembered as the heroic defender of Baghdad, who drove the infidels into retreat with his mighty shoes.

[salm]

Hah, so much for "petty violence" solving nothing.

[Civil War Man]

Considering that Muslim culture dictates that the foot is one of the most unclean parts of the body, throwing a shoe at someone is probably a gesture of extreme contempt. And he threw both shoes.

When I saw the dodging, though, I thought, "Well, either Bush hasn't fallen off the wagon, or he made sure not to drink before this conference."

[Mayabird]

I don't know if it was the cameras or lighting or bad makeup or something else, but Bush looks ten or fifteen years older than the usual (or at least earlier) shots of him.

[Broomstick]

It's the job - it ages people. That happens to every PotUS.

[Coyote]

Actually, I found it interesting how Maliki didn't flinch at all. He probably saw the sudden movement, and thought, "oh, they'll be attacking Bush; I'm okay..."

What is sad about this is that Bush will probably be wondering, "why was he so mad? I got rid of Saddam and brought them freedom and stuff."

[weemadando]

Considering that Muslim culture dictates that the foot is one of the most unclean parts of the body, throwing a shoe at someone is probably a gesture of extreme contempt. And he threw both shoes.

When I saw the dodging, though, I thought, "Well, either Bush hasn't fallen off the wagon, or he made sure not to drink before this conference."

It is - throwing shoes is an Iraqi gesture of extreme contempt/hatred apparently.

[Phantasee]

That, and this close to Christmas you have to watch out for those fruitcake fiends.

Also, apparently Press Secretary Dana Perino has a black eye after a mic got shoved into it during the struggle with the shoe-thrower.

And that is the real tragedy here. Such a pretty face.

[FSTargetDrone]

That, and this close to Christmas you have to watch out for those fruitcake fiends.

Also, apparently Press Secretary Dana Perino has a black eye after a mic got shoved into it during the struggle with the shoe-thrower.

And that is the real tragedy here. Such a pretty face.

She is lovely.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28235031/

He's being hailed as an Arab hero, now (gotta get your heroes where you can find them, I guess).

In one hundred years he will likely be remembered as the heroic defender of Baghdad, who drove the infidels into retreat with his mighty shoes.

In that linked story:

Journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a 28-year-old unmarried Shiite, was kidnapped by militants last year and, separately, detained briefly by the U.S. military prior to this incident — a story of getting hit from all sides that is bitterly familiar to many Iraqis.

Over time, he came to hate both the U.S. military occupation and Iran's interference in Iraq, his family told The Associated Press on Monday.

He was being held by Iraqi security Monday and interrogated about whether anybody paid him to throw his shoes at Bush during a press conference the previous day in Baghdad, said an Iraqi official.

He was also being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were being held as evidence, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

I don't think what he did was particularly professional nor that he should be throwing things at people in general, but he may have a legitimate beef with Bush, if the above is true.

"I am trying to reach Muntadar since the incident, but in vain," said Fityan Mohammed. "His phone is switched off."

Anyone else got a bad vibe about this? Who did they hand him over, Malaki's guys?

See above. He's in Iraqi custody.

[Count Chocula]

I must say I was impressed by GWB's response. He was pretty damn quick to duck the first shoe, came right back up and had eyes on target, just raised a hand and ducked his head a little and let the 2nd shoe fly over him. To me, his expression said "is that all ya got?" He was very cool at the conference afterwards, as well.

He was an F-106 driver, and it appears his instincts are intact.

[Broomstick]

His instincts may be intact, but calling a pilot an airplane driver is usually also held to be pretty damn insulting in the aviation community.

[Phantasee]

I liked Maliki's reaction the best. "Oh, shoe. Nah, definitely not aimed at me. Oh look, another one. Maybe I can grab it and sell it on eBay..."

[Sir Sirius]

Shoe thrower 'beaten in custody

The brother of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush has said that the reporter has been beaten in custody.

Muntadar al-Zaidi has suffered a broken hand, broken ribs and internal bleeding, as well as an eye injury, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC.

Mr Zaidi threw his shoes at Mr Bush at a news conference, calling him "a dog".

The BBC tried to contact Iraq's top security official but he was not available for comment.

Meanwhile, offers to buy the shoes are being made around the Arab world, reports say.

Mass rallies in support of Mr Zaidi have also been held across Iraq, calling for his release.

Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad he believed his brother had now been taken to a US military hospital in the Iraqi capital.

Hero figure

Mr Zaidi told our correspondent that despite offers from many lawyers his brother has not been given access to any since being arrested by forces under the command of Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser.

The Iraqi authorities have said the 28-year-old will be prosecuted under Iraqi law, although it is not yet clear what the charges might be. Iraqi lawyers have speculated that he could face charges of insulting a foreign leader and the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al Maliki, who was standing next to President Bush during the incident. The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

Our correspondent says that the previously little-known journalist from the private Cairo-based al-Baghdadia TV has become a hero to many, not just in Iraq but across the Arab world, for what many saw as a fitting send-off for a deeply unpopular US president.

As he flung the shoes, Mr Zaidi shouted: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog."

Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC that his brother deliberately bought Iraqi-made shoes, which were dark brown with laces. They were bought from a shop on al-Khyam street, a well-known shopping street in central Baghdad.

However, not everyone in Iraq has been supportive of the journalist's action.

In Baghdad, the head of the Iraqi Union of Journalists described Mr Zaidi's action as "strange and unprofessional", but urged Mr Maliki to show compassion.

"Even if he has made a mistake, the government and the judiciary are broad-minded and we hope they consider his release because he has a family and he is still young," Mouyyad al-Lami told the Associated Press news agency.

"We hope this case ends before going to court."

Abducted by insurgents

The shoes themselves are said to have attracted bids from around the Arab world.

According to unconfirmed newspaper reports, the former coach of the Iraqi national football team, Adnan Hamad, has offered $100,000 (£65,000) for the shoes, while a Saudi citizen has apparently offered $10m (£6.5m).

The daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Aicha, said her charity would honour the reporter with a medal of courage, saying his action was a "victory for human rights".

The charity called on the media to support Mr Zaidi and put pressure on the Iraqi government to free him.

Mr Zaidi, who lives in Baghdad, has worked for al-Baghdadia for three years.

Muzhir al-Khafaji, programming director for the channel, described Mr Zaidi as a "proud Arab and an open-minded man".

He said that Mr Zaidi was a graduate of communications from Baghdad University.

"He has no ties with the former regime. His family was arrested under Saddam's regime," he said.

Mr Zaidi has previously been abducted by insurgents and held twice for questioning by US forces in Iraq.

In November 2007 he was kidnapped by a gang on his way to work in central Baghdad and released three days later without a ransom.

He said at the time that the kidnappers had beaten him until he lost consciousness, and used his necktie to blindfold him.

Mr Zaidi never learned the identity of his kidnappers, who questioned him about his work before letting him go.

Now those are some pricey shoes. And as far as the alleged beating goes, I have admit I'm not surprised by this.

[Count Chocula]

Broomstick wrote:

calling a pilot an airplane driver is usually also held to be pretty damn insulting in the aviation community

I guess I'm insulting myself, then. I'm a pilot because I fly bugsmashers. I'd love to drive a bigger plane, like an old-school JetStar, but that's not in the cards right now. In the Air Force, at least 20 years ago, the guys flying fighters referred to themselves as drivers.

If I called myself a Cessna 172 driver, I'd feel pretty damn pretentious, but I'd proudly say "I drive a Citation X." I have no personal experience of pilots being insulted by the word "driver;" quite the opposite.

[Darth Onasi]

Well, Bush sure is right about how Iraq is so much more free and peaceful now with Saddam gone.

[Enforcer Talen]

Considering that Muslim culture dictates that the foot is one of the most unclean parts of the body, throwing a shoe at someone is probably a gesture of extreme contempt. And he threw both shoes.

When I saw the dodging, though, I thought, "Well, either Bush hasn't fallen off the wagon, or he made sure not to drink before this conference."

It is - throwing shoes is an Iraqi gesture of extreme contempt/hatred apparently.

When trying to explain this one to my friends, I was kind of at a loss on a cultural translation. Calling someone a "motherfucker" doesnt even come close. Head for "pedophile", and you are in the general area of how insulting that was. Dogs and shoes are the most unclean things in the society.

[Thanas]

According to the guardian, the brother claims the shoe thrower was badly beaten in police custody.

Source

Muntadhar al-Zaidi suffered a broken hand, broken ribs, internal bleeding and an eye injury, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC. He has since been handed over to the Iraqi judiciary, a step that normally heralds a criminal case.

[...]Dargham al-Zaidi said he believed his brother had been taken to a US military hospital in Baghdad. Despite many offers, his brother had not been given access to any lawyers since being arrested by forces under the command of Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I must say I was impressed by GWB's response. He was pretty damn quick to duck the first shoe, came right back up and had eyes on target, just raised a hand and ducked his head a little and let the 2nd shoe fly over him. To me, his expression said "is that all ya got?" He was very cool at the conference afterwards, as well.

He was an F-106 driver, and it appears his instincts are intact.

Nitpick: He was an F-102 "driver". And I'm actually amazed he even managed that, but I guess being a good president or thinker and being a fighter jockey aren't entirely the same thing.

[Broomstick]

Broomstick wrote:

calling a pilot an airplane driver is usually also held to be pretty damn insulting in the aviation community

I guess I'm insulting myself, then. I'm a pilot because I fly bugsmashers. I'd love to drive a bigger plane, like an old-school JetStar, but that's not in the cards right now. In the Air Force, at least 20 years ago, the guys flying fighters referred to themselves as drivers.

If I called myself a Cessna 172 driver, I'd feel pretty damn pretentious, but I'd proudly say "I drive a Citation X." I have no personal experience of pilots being insulted by the word "driver;" quite the opposite.

Well, around here I've seen fistfights break out over the term. But then, I don't hang out with fighter pilots, just civilian pilots. Maybe the military guys don't give a damn but the civvies around my neck of the woods sure as hell do. So if you're in the Chicago area you might want to just stick to the term "pilot".