Middle East News

Iraqi reporter throws shoes at Bush, calls him "dog" (Extra)

Dec 14, 2008, 17:51 GMT

Baghdad/Washington - An Iraqi television news reporter threw shoes at US President George W Bush and called him a 'dog' in Arabic, during a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday, US television station ABC has reported.

Bush was speaking at a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki when the flying footwear assault took place. The assailant was removed from the room by security staff. None of the two projectiles made contact with their apparent target.

The US president made light of the incident, saying that 'whoever it interests - it was a size ten that he threw at me.'

In Arab cultures being attacked with shoes is a sign of profound disrespect, as is being compared to a canine.



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Truthful reporterDec 14th, 2008 - 18:18:09

Bush IS a dog.

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lanceDec 14th, 2008 - 18:18:25

'and called him a 'dog' in Arabic'

I am offended by that. Dogs have much more integrity and honor than Bush does and that reporter should not have disparaged dogs like that.

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SP4: Seriously?Dec 14th, 2008 - 20:04:26

Hell, they never had shoes until we showed them shoes...now they throw them at Bush.

Sign of disrespect? I alwayys thought they used an AK when that happened.

Is anyone here wondering, like I do, just how much these folks actually value their freedoms?

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In the Arab world: a gesture of contemptDec 14th, 2008 - 20:10:13

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the Arab world, shoe flinging is a gesture of extreme disrespect. A notable occurrence of this gesture happened in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. When U.S. forces pulled down a giant statue of Saddam Hussein during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, many Iraqi detractors of Hussein threw their shoes at the fallen statue.

This may be an ancient gesture from the Middle East; Psalms 60:10, speaking of some of the traditional enemies of Judah, says that 'Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe....' (KJV)

The shoe represents the lowest part of the body (the foot) and displaying or throwing a shoe at someone or something in Arab cultures denotes that the person or thing is 'beneath them.' Showing the bottom of one's feet or shoes (for example, putting one's feet up on a table or desk) in Arab cultures is considered an extreme insult. Examples include Iraqi citizens smacking torn-down posters of Saddam Hussein with their shoes, and the depiction of President of the United States George H. W. Bush on a tile mosaic of the floor of the Al-Rashid Hotel's lobby, forcing all visitors entering the hotel to walk on Bush's face to enter the hotel.

During President George W. Bush's surprise visit to Iraq in December 2008, an Iraqi man threw shoes at him during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki.

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@ SP4Dec 15th, 2008 - 18:33:00

'I alwayys thought they used an AK when that happened.'

That just proves that EssPee doesn't know a god-damned thing beyond smoking dope and being a complete American jackass.

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Finally SP4 is getting it? ... (doubtful)Dec 15th, 2008 - 22:40:38

Hey SP4 ... for you to write 'Is anyone here wondering, like I do, just how much these folks actually value their freedoms?' ... Does that it mean you're finally grasping something I tried to get through your thick skull a long, long time ago.

At that time I wrote a post trying to explain to you that 'western style freedom' isn't cultural relevant in Islamic countries like Iraq.

And Bush trying to 'impose' it ... by force ... was a completely naive concept because he (and you) don't understand that the desire for freedom must come from the people, otherwise they will not value or defend it. (read Thomas Jefferson, he understood that fact)

So now you act surprised when some Iraqi's hate us and Bush? ... oblivious fool that you are.

People like you SP4, who can't get past your own simpleton minds, are ALWAYS surprised when other cultures around the world don't value the same things you do ...

Your arrogant, ignorant Bubba mentality thinks if it's important to you, then it must be important to everyone, everywhere.

You are clueless. Completely clueless.

When the Iraqi people don't show joy for having family members and friends killed by our gov't ... you're still gonna be there with that same perplexed looked on your face ... and still not get it.


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