Iraqi journalist throws shoes at Bush.

Gadjodilo

Personally, I'd like to nominate this journalist for Man of the Year. It's just a pity he's such a bad aim. George Bush has probably been the worst US president ever. As he leaves office, Afghanistan is slowly slipping back into the clutches of the Taleban, Iraqis are still worse off then they were under Saddam Hussein, the world economy is facing its worst crisis since at least the 1970s oil crisis and maybe even since the 1930s (thanks to US laissez faire lending policies) and hunger is on the increase in the Third World due to misguided switching of US agricultural production from food to bio-fuels.

From: http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1214/iraq.html

Reporter throws shoes at US president

Sunday, 14 December 2008 21:13

An Iraqi reporter called US President George W Bush a 'dog' and threw his shoes at him, sullying a farewell visit to Baghdad meant to mark greater security in Iraq after years of bloodshed.

Just weeks before he bequeaths the unpopular Iraq war to President-elect Barack Obama, Mr Bush sought to underline improved security by landing in daylight and venturing out beyond the city's heavily fortified international Green Zone.

He declared the war 'not over' despite recent gains.

In a sign of lingering anger over the war that will define the Republican president's foreign policy legacy, an Iraqi journalist shouted in Arabic 'this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog,' and hurled his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.


Throwing shoes at somebody is an insult in the Middle East.

One of the shoes sailed over the president's head and slammed into the wall behind him and he had to duck to miss the other one. Mr Maliki tried to block the second shoe with his arm.

'It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention,' Mr Bush said.

'I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it.'

The journalist was leapt on by Iraqi security officials and US secret service agents and dragged from the room.

Mr Bush's fleeting visit to Baghdad was aimed at marking the recent passage of a US-Iraq security pact that paves the way for US troops to pull out of Iraqi cities by July next year and withdraw completely by the end of 2011.

It was also meant to hail a recent sharp fall in the sectarian violence and insurgency that raged after the 2003 US invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, and to show support for Iraqi police and soldiers as they take on increasing responsibility.

chanianaus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7782422.stm


For the video

video of the year for me

Nodin

Can't be, as they missed.

FruitLover

Bah, where's a shoe bomber when you need one?

Liam Byrne

Did the WMD hidden in the shoe not go off ? Damn!

Mind you, the scumbag would be a martyr in some eyes, so best to leave the idiot disappear into obscurity......

marco murphy

Bush was a quick whoore there.

Fair play to your man

dresden8

Has his name been released?

Should we expect a quick stop-over in Shannon on his way to Cuba?

Gadjodilo

He should have waited until Bush came out from behind the podium and then aimed for the crotch. At least it might have saved the world from the danger of more Bushlings in the future.

Podge2k7

lmfao

sceptre

dresden8 wrote: »

Has his name been released?

Muntazer al-Zaidi. He works for satellite TV station Al-Baghdadiya.

stevedublin

Gadjodilo wrote: »

switching of US agricultural production from food to bio-fuels.

in all fairness, I dont think this was a policy of Bush or his admin.

A Dub in Glasgo

That is quite funny, I would pity the journalist though as he is likely to be found face down in the river tonight.

Everybody knows you should always throw your shoes downwards

bmaxi

Why all the shock/horror? I mean it's f*** all compared to what Bush threw at the Iraqis.

knoxor

stevedublin wrote: »

in all fairness, I dont think this was a policy of Bush or his admin.

You mean that fact that Bush has encouraged the whole bio-fuel industry by giving subsidies to those who produce it? Even though this has raised the price of corn and maize all around the world ? Added to that , the fact that the Brazillian rain forests are now being destroyed at a greater rate to make way for the growing of crops to supply the US with these new bio-fuels ??

Again Bush makes short sighted policies that cause adverse affects around the world as if its nothing to do with the US.

The US has been taking advantage of third world countries to supply it with cheap goods so all Americans can live out the American dream.

Its time the US owned up to its responsibilities as a SuperPower and try and right some of the wrongs done in its name.

Hopefully Obama will start this process off.

wes

First class comedy. As someone said above, the man should be Journalist of the year.

would he have been executed or something if he threw his shoes at Saddam?

Indeed. Bush made a good point after about freedom of expression. Which I suppose if you ever believed that bush really went over to free the iraqi's, made him quite proud.


But seriously, that was a matrix-style dodge. I can't think of any recent president, or candidate that would have ducked that. Well, maybe Clinton from all the practice he got dodging plates at home

J.S. Pill

Why couldn't the assailant have been this guy

cyclopath2001

Perestroika wrote: »

Bush was a quick whoore there. Fair play to your man

He even stood up and faced the second shoe.

Not exactly as Hollywood would have done it though

Deleted User wrote:

would he have been executed or something if he threw his shoes at Saddam?

No they would've wiped out his village instead.

Gadjodilo

Deleted User wrote: »

would he have been executed or something if he threw his shoes at Saddam?

Quite possibly. And depending on whether he did it before or after August 1990, the American response would have respectively been pro-Saddam or pro the shoe thrower.

Saddam Hussein was a vile, evil monster created, fed and armed by the Americans. They destroyed him when he got too big for his boots - and destroyed the Iraqi nation in doing so. If they're expecting a round of applause, they can go and f*** themselves.

cooperla

god bless his sole:D

nacho libre

I suppose his quick reactions in that video are down to him being quite the expert at dodging things over the years.

Thirdfox

Well he is a lame "duck" president. Kudos to sporty Bush - I don't think I would have been able to dodge that shoe...

As I remarked to my friend - you really see which leader faces bullets everyday and which one doesn't.

Though when I first saw the video I thought - secret service is going to shoot the guy in the head...seems like the logical thing to do when the president has already been attacked and you don't know if the assailant was armed or not.

bmaxi

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

He even stood up and faced the second shoe.

Probably lost count.

marco murphy

Deleted User wrote: »

would he have been executed or something if he threw his shoes at Saddam?

Why, I assume you were excuted for doing it were you?
:rolleyes:

Also, he was actually beaten in custody, so theres democracy for you.

Freedom of speech yes, but not freedom after speech.

Gordon

I love how some Saudi millionaire has offered $10 million for the shoes.

marco murphy

Gordon wrote: »

I love how some Saudi millionaire has offered $10 million for the shoes.

Thats right I looked on ebay, some chancers selling replicas :P

Look on ebay, theyre selling domain names for 20,000.

''size10attack.com'' etc.
Unreal.

lostexpectation

in your face free press

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

so the political left is now in favour of beating up women?

brothers! finally, something we can agree on.

Gadjodilo

Mordeth wrote: »

so the political left is now in favour of beating up women?

brothers! finally, something we can agree on.

It was the security hoodlums who did that (accidentally) in their rush to catch the loafer lobber.

She looks well 'ard, she does.

Gadjodilo

Perestroika wrote: »

Thats right I looked on ebay, some chancers selling replicas :P

Look on ebay, theyre selling domain names for 20,000.

''size10attack.com'' etc.
Unreal.

They're in a lather of excitement about this story over on www.footfetish.com. It's the biggest thing since Fergie (Sarah, not Alex) was photographed sucking on some guy's toe.