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This is a farewell kiss, you dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdXwLQrRJ8&eurl=http://www.dlisted.com/

We could have used him during the campaign…Karim the cobbler!

Following this "encounter," George had a one-on-one interview with a journalist, and a little bit of it appeared on the National news tonight. Regarding this incident, he said (and I paraphrase) something like "(he) didn't know the reason this guy could be mad at him."

you might want to check out http://www.sockandawe.com (no pun intended on the www by the way).

Takes a little practice, but I soon got the hang of it. Thanks, I feel much better now (latest score, 8 )

Not intersted in the game. More interested in the guy who threw the shoes and what happened to him afterwards....anyone know???

Mr Durgham al-Zaidi, Muntazer's brother,

"...said yesterday that his brother had been taken to the US-run Ibn Sina hospital in the Green Zone after being beaten by security guards and suffering a broken arm and ribs, as well as injuries to an eye and a leg.

He was unable to say whether Muntazer had sustained the injuries while being overpowered during Monday's protest or after his arrest, and there was no immediate information about the journalist's condition today.

A high price to pay for a couple of shoes! Just hope with the world press watching thats all it will amount to.

The Iraqi prime minister's office says the journalist who threw his shoes at U.S. President George Bush has apologized.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday that reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi wrote a letter in which he asked for Mr. Maliki's pardon, calling his display an "ugly act."

Relatives of Zaidi immediately cast doubt that he would write such a letter of his own accord.

Personally, my gut feeling tells me that Muntazer did not write it on his own accord either.

From Times UK

However, Iraqi officials and another brother have denied that the journalist suffered severe injuries after he was wrestled to the floor after throwing the shoes during a press conference by Mr. Bush in Baghdad on Sunday.

The reporter shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog''.
In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of deep contempt.

Al-Zaidi is being held for allegedly insulting a foreign leader, a charge that carries a maximum of two years in prison.

He has been hailed as a hero by some after his action against the US President, who ordered the 2003 invasion of Iraq, triggered anti-US demonstrations being staged in Baghdad and the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf.
The Iraqi Government, however, branded al-Zaidi's actions as "shameful" and demanded an apology from his employer Al-Baghdadia Television, which in turn was calling for his immediate release from custody.
Thousands of Iraqis, both Sunni and Shia, took part in a second day of street protests today demanding Mr Zaidi’s release and hailing him a national hero. In Mosul, Iraq’s third largest city, north of Baghdad, an estimated 1,000 protesters carried banners and chanted slogans in his support.

Some comments:

Dan, Wimbledon, England
I'm only an American. A free, healthy, educated, capitalist, generous, charitable, and thankful American. What do I know? Except this....Even an idiot knows not to throw objects at a Heads of State. It threatens a nations security. What was he thinking? Charge him with assualt.
,Dear America
The Vietnamese didn't want your "freedom", the people of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Chile didn't want your "freedom", Cubans don't want your "freedom" and neither do the people of Iraq.
When are you going to learn?
Jacinda, London, UK
After he threw his shoes, his throwing arm was likely twisted behind him and he was thrown to the ground, likely injuring him. This was a normal 'takedown' move as done by law officers the world over and sometimes minor injuries result. Charge him with assault.
Raj, Nairobi, Kenya
Bush tell them to let him go. On a side note, let's not throw around the "hero" title so easily like that. And, how in the world did Bush dodge those shoes? He really gets away with everything.
London, UK
Hero indeed, you have sullied the word with your diluted logic. When you celebrate mediocrity and insanity and even dysfunction as excellence, you lower the bar for us all. The man was probably paid. These people in Iraq don't even recognize that they have been removed from under Sadam's thumb.
Paul, Indianapolis, United States
Does anyone know if he got his shoes back?
Sally, virginia, u.s.a.
Saddam would have thrown the shoe-thrower into the famed industrial plastic shredder.

More at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/


Regards

I haven't heard this on the news, but someone told me last night that his pair of shoes (returned to him) are being offered for $10,000,000 dollars or will be up on eBay soon.

I guess this one Iraqi has indeed learned the good 'ole American way!

Sorry, Roy, you are misinformed. I am the repository of al-Zaidi's pair of shoes, and I'll let it go to any forumite for the small sum of only $10,000.50, morning price. Hurry, send me a PM.

Can I negotiate to an even $10,000? In a heart beat, I would snap those up at that price!

I hope the guy gets through this mess OK. It was a symbolic act as I view it…spontaneous and unquestionably representative of the sentiments of many Iraqi people.

Somewhat off topic, I have to say that Bush has been more impressive since the election than at any other time I can recall. He seems to be introspective and doing a lot of soul searching. He at least deserves kudos for his cooperation with the Obama transition team.

Cheers!

Roy,
Introspection huh?
He's just dreaming up more midnight rules to sign into law before the sun sets on his administration. Not the kind of cooperation an incoming liberal administration cherishes I'm sure.

Don

Don, I’m not about to jump on any GW band wagons, but I think my perceptions of what the man is going through right now are fairly obvious.

He has a lot to account for, but ineptitude cannot be equated to evil, and at the core, he is just a man, like us all.

Somewhat off topic, I have to say that Bush has been more impressive since the election than at any other time I can recall. He seems to be introspective and doing a lot of soul searching. He at least deserves kudos for his cooperation with the Obama transition team.

Couldn't agree with you more. That's a very gentleman of you to at least be very objective about Bush as I do think the same way too.

(Hi, am in Jkt and just loving it. Can't believe I'm in Indonesia). Selamat malam!