Sunday, December 14, 2008

oops He Missed! Man Shows Iraqi Resentment, Throws Shoes at George W Bush - Video

Shoe Diary
Get this folks, as reported by the NY Times and the LA Times an Iraqi journalist shouted in Arabic — “This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog” — and threw one of his shoes at the president, who ducked and narrowly avoided being struck. As chaos ensued, he threw his other shoe, shouting, “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”
The second shoe also narrowly missed Mr. Bush as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki stuck out a hand in front of the president’s face to help shield him. More HERE

The incident will serve as a vivid reminder of the widespread opposition to the US-led invasion of, and subsequent war in, Iraq - the conflict which has come to define Bush's presidency says Aljazeera.

WaPo and Reuters, are also reporting on how George Bush arrived in Baghdad today for a farewell visit. WaPo reports Bush staunchly defended a war that has taken far more time, money and lives than anticipated, saying the conflict "has not been easy" but was necessary for U.S. security, Iraqi stability and "world peace."

But during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Bush received a taste of the immense resentment many Iraqis feel toward toward his policies: an Iraqi journalist took off his shoes and hurled both of them at Bush, one after the other.

The incident lent an air of chaos and farce to a trip intended to highlight improving security conditions in the war-torn country.

An Iraqi man throws a shoe at President George W. Bush during a new conference with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, in Baghdad. A man threw two shoes at Bush, one after another, during the news conference. Bush ducked both throws, and neither man was hit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"This is the end!" the man, identified as Muntadar al-Zaidi, a reporter with the Cairo-based network Al Baghdadia Television, yelled as he threw the first shoe at Bush. The president narrowly missed being hit, according to on-scene reports.

The man then managed to toss a second shoe close to Bush before a scrum of security agents tackled him to the floor and removed him from an ornate room where the press conference was taking place.

Bush was not injured and joked about the incident. "All I can report is it is a size 10," he said.

Zaidi was seated in the second row of seats, about 12 feet from Bush's lectern. Zaidi, colleagues said, was kidnapped by Shiite militiamen last year and was later released. Throwing a shoe at someone is considered the worst possible insult in Iraq, and is meant to show extreme disrespect and hatred towards someone More HERE

AAPP: I guess his trip like his troubled presidency is nothing more than a horrible joke to the American people and the world. As US News notes Bush, "thought his presidency would somehow conclude on a high note despite his abysmal job-approval ratings and his unpopular policies." More HERE

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