Iraqi Journalist throws shoes at President Bush, during surprise visit to Iraq.

Video of Incident

What this really means of course is the next time you fly, when the TSA asks you to take of your shoes, now they are just going to keep them because it's now "a weapon".

josh

I thought they were happy we were there....

hmmmm, and I thought the "mission was accomplished" when he proclaimed that in the tight flight suit, but I guess that's another lie Hitler Bush told us.



Was it just me or did anyone else kinda wish one of the shoes actually hit him in the face? (is that wrong? nah...)

Chill, I think its too late for any sense to be knocked into the man, whether it be shoes or anything else.

I just saw this on CNN and thought it was pretty funny. I have to give Bush props for ducking, while at the same time standing his ground and showing good composure.

That was pretty funny to watch, especially Bush reacting as if it was just a game of dodgeball at the schoolyard. But what was even more interesting was the slow reaction in subduing the journalist. It wasn't until the second shoe was thrown that anyone really went after the guy. I hope our secret service is a bit quicker in protecting Obama.

I wish the journalist's aim was a bit better, but all in all, it shows what a disgrace Bush is, and how little respect he commands on the world stage. He handled it amazingly well, though, considering he has run everything else into the ground. Worry not about Obama. The only thing folks will throw at him are roses.

Oh come on now, miller. You can't be that naive, I hope.

Every Iraqi I know is pretty appalled by the whole thing. I was in Sadr City this morning, and random people in the market, lawyers in a courthouse and even some of the Sadrist local leaders were apologetic about it.

We should keep in mind that this happened in a nation that we occupy. This cannot be regarded as truly free speech. If that were true there would likely have been real terrorists in the press corps. As it is this man has already been beaten up. And we do not know yet what further interrogation he will face after the one-month news cycle (or whatever it is in Iraq) dies down.

After all, their interrogators have probably been trained by us to deal effectively with a "free press".

With our 24-hour news cycle (even less on the internet) this will only become a joke on news comedy and commentary shows; and the press corps here will continue throwing softball questions at Bush and his spokeperson (who I think was also injured in this fiasco).

That's funny -- NPR talked to about a dozen Iraqis in the street, and they all spoke of the guy as a hero. As I would.

This comment also flies in the face (no pun intended) of an AP story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8121500161.html

Of course, the Iraqis you know are unlikely to be representative if you even moderately resemble a US government representative (I'm not sure of your exact role over there).

I wonder if Bush has ordered the guy killed yet, or will be just torture him for a month, then have him killed?

Hilarious!! I saw it this morning getting dressed and howled!!! I will give one thing to Bushy boy....he's got some good reflexes.

Today's New York Daily News headline was Shoe-icide Bomber.

I may be in the minority here, but I found it appalling that this was done by a journalist. What if that shoe had hit him? Say what you will about Bush's policies, the handling of the Iraq war, or his administration's legacy, but that act was meant to harm him. And the man is the President of the United States. It was a violent act. I'm sorry, but I really can't laugh about it.

The man is a MASS MURDERER -- even a worse one than most US presidents -- and I'll stop before I say what he deserves.

The NY Times site currently states,"An Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President Bush and called him a dog became a huge celebrity in the Arab world and beyond on Monday, with many supporters exalting him for what they called a courageous act in the face of American arrogance about the war...."

Bush did demonstrate really quick reflexes, he sure knows how to duck. David Beckham should take note. But then again, the Iraqi journalist was probably just an amateur, he didn't have Sir Ian's power & finesse. And his shoes didn't have cleats on them.

It's my understanding that Iraqi people show complete disrespect for a person by demostrating something with their shoes...because shoes walk on the ground, and ground is dirty. Apparently that's why all the Iraqi's were hitting Sadaam's statue with their shoes. So although the man through his shoe, it was probably just a show of severe disrespect and not totally meant to physically hurt him, although he could have.

And yeah, his quick reflex is kinda cool....makes ya wonder how many times he's dodged a pair of heels hurled by Laura.....

I admit it, I was sorry he missed

I'm sure billions worldwide felt the same way.

Dude, I'm talking about Sadrists...in Sadr City. Not exactly a reserved bunch. And also not representative of the average Iraqi. But hey, what would I know?

What's even more shocking is that in a city of 5-6 million, there are people of differing opinions. But hey, if you heard it in the American media, it must be true.

Again, what would I know...it's just nice to see Americans actually talking about Iraq again.

By your reckoning, FDR, HST, and Bill Clinton, even, were "Mass Murderers," responsible for the mass aerial bombing of German and Japanese cities during WWII, the atomic bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the bombings in the Balkans, Somalia and other places in the nineties. There has been a rigorous and lively debate whether all these were acts of necessity or acts of revenge. Do the acts of these presidents, including GWB, rise to the level of the acts committed by, or in the name of, the Ottoman sultan, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Bokassa, Pinochet, various Argentine juntas, the Duvaliers, Milosevic, the Hutu, Mugabe, Al Qaeda, the "Great and Dear Leaders," Laskar-e-Toiba, and, dare I say, Saddam Hussein? No. The American government is responsible for prosecuting a war with very little evidence for its justification that has resulted in the deaths of thousands, further immediate destabilization of a region already fragile, the stretching of military personnel and resources, and further erosion of American standing in the world. In the run-up to this war, many elected and appointed officials of all political stripes, the print, radio, and television media, the blogosphere, and the American people accepted what was presented to them by this Administration and Congress as fact. That, sir, is criminal.



PennState4Ever, is there a disconnect between what is reported in the American press and what you experience on a daily basis? For example, on the Front Page of today's "NY Times" there is an article about how this journalist has become a hero in the Arab world, but on closer examination, the quotes of those who are hailing him as such include Sunnis and one with ties to Hezbollah, not exactly unbiased viewpoints. The head of an umbrella governing body in Anbar province condemned the attack.

Everyone has their "biases," so I fail to see the point.

War is usually organized murder to varying degrees. Comparative historical butchery is not a game that's important to me.

Thank God, too, because our country would most likely not exist had some form of war not occurred to get us here.



Indeed. How can you possibly know what Iraqis are truly thinking? After all, you're only right there among them. You're not getting your information from a lopsided media. You need to be on the other side of the planet waving your looney flag, detached from reality, claiming to know more than someone who is actually there.

Another sarcastic non-response from PennState4Ever. I'm sure you have a lot of insight to give, but you have quite the way of doing it.

Now, now, kids. Be nice.

After seeing the shoe-thrower's sister on television several times,I'm convinced he used her face for target practice.

I have a hard time feeling sorry for a guy who will probably go down as one of the worst US Presidents in history because someone threw some damn shoes at him. Puhleeze!!! Thats what happens when you start a war you shouldn't have! IDIOTA!!!!

I heard on the radio that the shoe-thrower has been signed to an $8.2 million/year contract to be the Yankees' fifth starter.

Only 8.2 million, Joe? That's a steal!

Rachel Maddow did a great "Stages of Shoe-Throwing" bit last night, based on the 5 stages of grief. Interestingly, I think we've gone through all of them in this thread - denial that it actually happened (a stage that ends the first time you see the video), impressed that Bush ducked so well, appalled that security didn't react faster and that this, admittedly minor, act of violence was directed at a President, even one as miserable as this one.

Personally I can't be too appalled at the shoe-thrower, because I haven't been kidnapped, or been a witness to death and destruction. I haven't been to nearly as many funerals as this guy probably has, nor have I seen my entire country destroyed by an unnecessary and illegal war (although I did read all about it in Waiting for an Ordinary Day, the fantastic book by Farnaz Fassihi, Wall Street Journal Iraq bureau chief from 2002 - 2006). I can't imagine how I would feel if I were this journalist - apparently he was making dinner plans just before the press conference, so I think he just snapped.

I'm surprised we haven't seen more public displays of anger directed at Bush. Certainly there have been demonstrations in many foreign locales he's visited, but so far those who have had direct contact with him have been professional. I really have to wonder how that will change after January 20. I really think Bush is going to have a rude awakening when he leaves the bubble of the Presidency and is back among the populace. Even among the upper crust of Texas, there are bound to be people who disagree totally with Bush and are fed up with his mis-governing of this country. They may not throw shoes, but they'll probably make their feelings known.

Some folks on the internet have created their own versions of the shoe-throwing incident. Here are some courtesy of Best Week Ever:

Weapons of Shoe Destruction

Every single day, brother.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Sock and awe.