Middle East News
Demos as Bush shoe attacker praised and condemned in Iraq (2nd Roundup)
Dec 15, 2008, 14:04 GMT
Baghdad - Offers of legal representation poured Monday in for the Iraqi journalist arrested after throwing his shoes at US President George W Bush during a Sunday press conference, while demonstrations went ahead for his release from custody.
Montasser al-Zaidi, 28, a reporter for al-Baghdadiyia television has been elevated to hero status in some corners of Iraq for his 'unprofessional' act as Bush paid a farewell visit to Baghdad.
According to the Iraqi Committee to Protect Journalists, 50 attorneys have already offered legal representation to al-Zaidi.
'We still don't know on what charges he's been accused,' said Ibrahim al- Zarazi. A government official said Al-Zaidi was also being tested for alcohol or drug use.
Al-Baghdadiyia has demanded al-Zaidi's release, citing 'democracy and freedom of expression.'
During the press conference, al-Zaidi stood up and hurled his shoes, one after another, at Bush. Bush dodged both as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tried to bat the shoes away from the American president.
Al-Zaidi also referred to Bush as a 'dog' in Arabic. In Arab cultures being attacked with shoes is a sign of profound disrespect, as is being called a dog.
Bush adroitly dodged both shoes. He joked afterward that they were 'a size ten.'
Across Iraq, many groups were rallying to al-Zaidi's cause.
'We congratulate him for his act,' said the Iraqi news agency INA on Monday. The agency is known for being critical of the government.
The Sunni Council of Religious Scholars spoke of the demonstration as a 'historic moment' in which Bush and the world were shown 'what Iraqis think of the occupation.'
On Monday, hundreds of Iraqi followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr gathered in Basra to protest Bush's visit, noting that it had been planned at the last minute and without the permission of the Iraqi government. That impinged on Iraq's sovereignty, they argued.
Hundreds of residents of Sadr City in Baghdad's east also took to the streets Monday, calling for al-Zaidi's release. The demonstrators were headed towards the headquarters of the Iraqi press syndicate in Baghdad's northern area of al-Waziriya.
But there was some criticism of al-Zaidi's actions as well.
Ziad al-Ajili, chairman of the Iraq's Organization for Press Freedom, however condemned al-Zaidi's 'unprofessional behaviour.' The Iraqi cabinet, meanwhile, demanded an 'official apology for the attack on the US president, who was our guest,' from the broadcaster, which is based in Cairo.
Al-Zaidi has been employed by the broadcaster since 2003. Two years ago, he was kidnapped in front of his house and held for two weeks.
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Older Talkback
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maybe ypu should pull your head out of your oversized american tw*t and get a brain.
..Lincoln had tomato's thrown at him while he was president.
Bush demonstrated how much practice he's had in ducking problems, and his 'Legacy Project' is now memorialized in terms of the 'Legacy Projectile'.
Nike and Adidas have already issued denials of involvement. Thom McCann could not be reached for comment.
I actually agree with Sarah. Well said.
Could not be 2 disassociated people that stupid.
Bush never understood what he got us involved with, and admits publicly that al Qaeda was not present in Iraq before our invasion - and does not even care. He is now even beyond making excuses; since he gets to leave this mess to the political opposition. He has now turned his attention to removing protection from endangered species, having put the entire educated class of Iraq into that select group.
Bush leaves Iraq worse off, in terms of infrastructure, than under Saddam. Less power, less clean water, and more corruption under al-Maliki and his ministries. If anyone should be throwing things at Bush, the American people should be first in line.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR200812140189 9.html
As the United States prepares for a major expansion of its development and reconstruction programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan, government investigators have described the U.S. reconstruction effort in Iraq as a failure that wasted billions.
Planning and execution of what has become 'the largest foreign relief and reconstruction for any one country in U.S. history,' with costs totaling $50 billion and counting, lacked an overall strategy and clear lines of authority and cooperation among U.S. government departments, according to a near-final draft of a 508-page official history of the reconstruction.
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Listen to Colin Powell, who understands how a U.S. Administration should behave.
perhaps you should pull your undersized American head out of your ass and get a brain.
Mr. Bush should had the guards bring the clown over to him so he could have shove one of the shoes down his throat and the other up his ass just like you other two posters.
@Alastair,
Maybe Me, Sarah and SP4 should shove your scrawny little head up your ass so can smell the......I can't say roses or even coffee.
Imgagine if that guy had done that to Sadaam. People like @Alastair are so arrogant. They would never in a million years subject themselves to the types of treatment Sadaam was given to his people. As long as they have their freedom tough crap for anyone else. They wouldn't lift a finger to help liberate anyone from any type of horror and torture. They are selfish to the core. Hey @Alastair hows a about we find you a nice little friendly dictator, say that guy over there in North Korea and send you over there to live. We will pay an all expenses one way trip so you can't leave just like the rest of the poor people there. You'll have to subject yourself to the domianance, fear, torture, feeble living conditions, starvation and worship of the dictator and if you don't....well that's too bad we will just leave you because we wouldn't want to get involved in a sovereign country you know.
..it's just another case of Bush wearing his famous t-shirt that say 'suck my d--k!' This guy rolls on without a concern about what people think of him.
Saddam? Gotta go. End of Story.
Now, you've got a guy who will govern by the polls, and appoint by paying the power brokers. Best of luck.
The shoe thrower/ journalist is said to be 'just expressing his freedo of speech..'
#1) Does the Government in Iraq permit such freedom there? Now?? (better double check that one gang...)
#2) Assaulting a public speaker with a shoe is not a crime??? Oh really?? Where??
#3 ) If the thrower had done that to Mr. Putin or Mr. Chavez where do you think he would wind up?? Being called a hero as Mr. Chavez has said?? Oh really?? B---sh-t.
If it was ever done to Harry Truman back in the 40's where do you think he would windup? In a jail for a few months is where the wing-nut belongs. Simple. End of story.
Since when do starving, angry arabs get away with this shit? There are legal and appropriate means in which to 'express your freedom of speech' and yesterday in Baghdad, that wasn't freedom of speech that happened -It was a crime. However small, it was still a crime.
Lets teach our children well, not like any old reaction is OK.
As usual, the maniac Moqti al-Sadr was wrong to say that Bush came to Baghdad without being invited by the Iraqi Government----The same report I am responding to right now reported that President Bush was a guest of the Iraqi government and that the Iraqi government has demanded that the journalist apologize for his behavior. Fact.
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SarahDec 15th, 2008 - 14:52:37
Iraqi shoe-thrower captures Mideast rage at Bush
Maybe the people of the world should start throwing shoes at a image of mohammad and capture the worlds rage at murdering muslims.
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