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Is this one of those strange Middle Eastern customs?

By: Bill S (Diary)  |  December 14th, 2008 at 03:25 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

So President Bush is in Iraq today, and during a press conference he was apparently assaulted by a reporter who threw his shoes at the President.

Something tells me that the Secret Service might have responded a wee bit more “assertively” had that happened with an American reporter here in the USA.

P.S. I’m not as big of a smart-aleck as some of my co-contributors, so I’m opening this one up for shoe jokes.

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COMMENTS

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  • Moe Lane

    Lash out blindly at the person who oh-so-easily defeated them… and fail at even that.

  • zsmvf6

    “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.”

    Link here

  • redneck_hippie

    for stifling his uproarious laughter.

    Anyway,

    He is the Lame Duck, so of course he ducked.

  • bs

    I figured maybe there was a connection there.

    Or maybe it was all he could come up with to throw.

  • Vladimir

    Ba-da-bump!

    But seriously folks…

  • Vladimir

    “I am jellin’ like a jihadi!”

  • wag

    “Shoo!”

  • Jack_Savage

    I mean those shoes were HUMMING when they got to him and he avoided both with no problem. I think he was still taking questions while all of that was going on.

    Hopefully this “journalist” will be turned over to the Kurds – just for grins.

    As for the punch line, “Women have always been personal property in the Middle East, and you are screwing that up, so here – take what I have left!”

  • bs

    … from Michelle Malkin:

    Next up: The shoe-throwing reporter, Muntazer al-Zaidi, will anchor a new show on MSNBC.

    BWAHAHAHAHA!

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    … pick up the shoes and make a joke…. “Thanks, I wasn’t expecting GIFTS on this visit!”

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    lol ….

    Take his insult of throwing the Shoes and “figuratively” throw them back in his face with jokes…. LAUGH AT THE FOOL!

  • tmarcus82000

    that reporter made some throw! but what a fool and not surprising.

    For all you news junkies out there, I have begun a college news headline website that covers all the important college news stories everyday, similar to drudge. I do have articles on politics on college campuses on the site, so I thought some of you may be interested in the site: gurucampus.com

  • Skanderbeg

    I’m surprised that everyone is yucking it up.

    This is a very serious matter and a very serious offense against the United States.

    This was an assault upon the President of the United States in an official setting while conducting the official business of the United States.

    I’ll let one of our attorneys tell us if they know what class of offense this is and what the penalties are.

    But that disgusting piece of excrement should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (as the saying goes). If he’s walking the streets anytime in the next ten years, something is seriously wrong.

    And the Iraqi government owes the United States an apology for having this incident happen on their soil.

    And, yes, I would be saying this no matter WHO occupied the office….

  • bs

    Apparently the lack of a response by the agents was GWB’s fault – he told them to take it easy on the guy.

  • woodsman

    the famous video clip several years ago where the Iraqi’s were slapping their shoes on Saddam’s statue that was pulled down by the US military.

    I guess that is their way of displaying offense.

    Perhaps we can start using this custom with reporters. :)

  • chemjeff

    The cameras missed it: Just before, Bush was asked a question about anti-terror operations in Iraq. His answer? “There was a time when the terrorists were winning, but now the shoe’s on the other foot…”

  • mikefisk

    (n/t)

  • Skanderbeg

    Regardless, let’s see what happens next.

    This is unacceptable. The clown needs to be prosecuted and put away.

  • ss396

    Remember him? Pallin’ about in the middle of the press gaggle, no one noticiing him, until he pulled out a gun and wounded our President. I am blocked from viewing video here, but over at PowerLine they reported he assaulted President Bush twice, using both shoes. How did he get off two ‘shots’? What the XXXX was the Secret Service doing, and what the XXXX was the rest of the press corps doing?

    Sorry bs, I just cannot joke about this.

  • bs

    You’re not obligated.

    If you’ll notice, I mentioned that the security response seemed a bit different than normal.

  • E Pluribus Unum

    There’s an opening coming up when Thrill_Up_His_Leg gets his dream job – Obama’s Press Sec.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    we APPLAUD Prez Bush treating this Pathetic… Little… POS… Petty…. Moron…. with NO RESPECT by demonstrating that he was/is “NO THREAT, WORTHLESS, AND NO NEED OF MUCH A REACTION!”

    The room would have been cleared… Those getting access to the room would have been screened…. Entrance would have involved extensive weapon scanning…. etc….

    If you watch the whole ordeal you see President Bush extending his Right arm out to “stand down” the Agent that was going to step in front in order to provide protection, as additional people come in from other rooms.

    As for the Pathetic individual… HE NEEDS TO BE PROSECUTED, AND MADE EXAMPLE OF, FOR ASSAULT. Terms like “FREE SPEECH” are coming out in his defense over there… This is a good learning opportunity for the morons in this emerging Free State and Democracy that “Free Speech” is ONLY THAT… Speech…. Assault and Physical Manifestations are NOT a protected form of “Expression!” Heck… Good lesson for MORONS ON THE LEFT IN THIS COUNTRY TO LEARN THAT!

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Name escapes me right now… maybe he will see if the guy can shoot hoops and give him a basketball contract!!!

  • wolfgang

    The morons on the left cannot learn

  • izoneguy

    Mark Cuban – even his name sounds communist

  • E Pluribus Unum

    Hey pal — next offense gets your ungrateful arse taken out. That is OUR President. Touch him and die.

  • Kudzu

    He’s pretty quick on his feet and did you see that reaction? Priceless. Glad he’s my CinC for a few more weeks

  • OccamsRazor

    And They Didn’t Even Taze Him, Bro.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Note to Morons (we know there are Democrats that visit here): That is a JOKE! Cuban… as in Cigar…. therefore Smoke….. OK? Not advocating violence!

  • http://conservative-and-proud.blogspot.com/ eschristian

    That would have been awesome, they could not have been any more mean to her than they already were.

    Oh wait – Palin is a classy lady with style – keep your red Naughty Monkey Double Dare Pumps and keep on doing what your doing – we still know you are AWESOME ; )

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    (nt)

  • RetNAV

    Sarah Palin worn, red Naughty Monkey Double Dare pumps of the liberal media’s hands after she’s thrown them.

    err, Am I divulging too much information?

  • janis

    And we don’t really need to know the particulars on that. :-)

  • Jaded

    If the secret service dropped him with a shot between the eyes!

  • Doc Holliday

    I am sure he will be a new hero in the Islamic world. I know one man’s actions should be defame all, but the symbolism of the action, and the lack of arrest says much.

    I know most of us supported the Iraq War, I know I did. Of course what exactly does “support” mean? Do we have to support it just at the beggining, the end of major military operations, or until Iraq is our new best friend? I support our troops and every terrorist they kill, I dont’ want them out until it is best for them and us to do so. But I don’t think I will ever support a nation building exercise again.

    Again, I supported the war, I admit it, I am not throwing catcalls from the peanut gallery. But let’s face it, Iraq will never be our best friend. We are training them to be the best military in the middle east (sans Israel) but do we know what they will do with it in 10, 20, or 30 years? Do we know they will be a stabilizing force for good in the region? They will be no Germany, they might be an Egypt or could easily become a Pakistan or worse.

    I will not be the president, but if I were, I would declare the Holliday Doctrine. If a leader harbors terrorists or threatens US national security, we crush his army and take him out. They we leave and say whoever takes his place better do better or will see the same fate.

    If I have learned on thing in business and in life it is this. Never allow your own success to be in control of others. Our military can not be defeated on the modern battlefield. Even in asymmetric warfare, even in house to house fighting, we can take any town we want and hold it or raze it. What we can’t do is make those that don’t want liberty, freedom, and national pride to have it just becase we will it. I am not saying what we are doing is a waste, but just wait and see how long it is until we try this again.

  • WHAT

    But then poor Bush would have got the blame for it, still, it would have been more interesting.

  • Jaded

    nt

  • Jaded

    It would be the policy of the United States of America to assassinate those same “leaders” without military intervention!

  • chemjeff

    Just wait, Obama will invade Sudan in order to liberate Darfur, with the “antiwar” nutroots cheering enthusiastically. Then we will get to see if they can do any better than Bush has done.

  • Skanderbeg

    This is from his http://talismangate.blogspot.com/

    “Sunday, December 14, 2008
    George Bush Avenue

    I think quite a number of Iraqis were embarassed by how their guest got treated today. Personally, I got angry. Very angry.

    I will make a public promise: should I ever run into a certain reporter called Muntather al-Zaidi, presently of Al-Baghdadia TV, I will seriously consider beating the crap out of him. If I am successful in bringing him down, then my coup de grace shall be to take one of his shoes, preferably the one on the right, and stuff it in his mouth. I know that will be illegal. I am willing to face all the legal consequences, and the tribal ones too. But as I said, I will give it serious consideration. And should it come to light that someone had put him up to it, paid him or cajoled him into doing it, then they too will get the same treatment. I’m not cut out to be a thug, but I will try anyway.

    See, I will forever remain indebted to President George W. Bush. He is my hero. He liberated Iraq, and that’s how I will always see it. Had there been no President Bush, then Saddam would still be Saddam.

    The usual suspects are ecstatic over what happened, especially the US-based media and Iraq-watchers. I would like to beat them all up too, but I think that would be a tad bit excessive. The best revenge is to make them watch Iraq’s democracy strengthen and prosper. Today’s images gave them a temporary high; a new Iraq, free and democratic, something they believed would never happen, will gnaw at their insides for the rest of their lives. I’ll settle for that.

    Give it twenty years or so, but a main thoroughfare in Baghdad will be called George Bush Avenue.”

    And this from a commenter in Iraq:

    “I have a great admiration to what Mr. Bush did today. I have as many Iraqis do from today a great respect for Mr. Bush. He proved to us Iraqis and to the world that getting rid of Saddam and his animals is the best thing he did in his life. Thank you Mr. Bush.

    Nibras, only today I knew why Arab leaders don’t come to Iraq. Do you think one day an Iraqi journalist will be able to throw his shoes on Gadaffi for example? If such thing happened, it will be the best day of my life.

    Ali/Iraq”

  • Diogenes314

    You throw like a girl.

  • Pingback: George Bush On Best Political Blogs » bs?s blog ? Is this one of those strange Middle Eastern customs? ::

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    according to that Iraqi LIBERAL

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    I couldn’t have been more correct (re: Liberal) it turns out… a later news story had footage of the clowns home where a nephew threatened to throw shoes at Iraqi officials if they didn’t let his uncle go free… In the background… A POSTER OF CHE