Iraqi Journalist Throws A Shoe At George W. Bush, Misses
Now, based on the fact that he was using shoes, one may ask what exactly was he trying to accomplish? Best case scenario, Bush gets a black eye or a scoffed up nose. But you know what, I feel the disgruntled journalist, along with millions across the globe, could care less at the effectiveness of his weapons of choice. It was the statement that spoke loudest. Upset with the leader of the super powerful nation of the world? Take off your jutha (shoe) and chuck it at him. I can see the internet jokes of “epic shoe maneuver,” already.
And check out how quickly he launches the first one and then removes his other shoe (reloads) and fires away. Maybe he had them untied and ready for deployment? Or rather, perhaps he wore slip-ons or loafers that day.
Here’s the YouTube video (I chose to put up the animated GIF first because it’s more 1337).
Bush ducks shoes in Baghdad
BAGHDAD (AP) — It gives fresh meaning to the phrase shooed away.
President George W. Bush ducked a pair of shoes hurled at his head — one shoe after the other — in the middle of a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Both shoes narrowly missed their target and thumped loudly against the wall behind the leaders.
“Don’t worry about it,” the president said as the room erupted into chaos.
Iraqi reporters started shouting what Bush later explained were apologies for the incident.
“So what if the guy threw a shoe at me?” Bush said, comparing the action to political protests in the United States.
“If you want the facts, it was a size 10,” he joked.
The shoe attack came as Bush and al-Maliki were about to shake hands. The assailant — later identified as television correspondent Muntadar al-Zeidi — leapt from his chair and hurled his footwear at the president, who was about 20 feet away.
“This is the end,” he yelled.
The crowd descended on al-Zeidi, who works for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt. He was wrestled to the ground by security officials and then hauled away, moaning as they departed the room. Later, a trail of fresh blood could be seen on the carpet, although the source was not known.
In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt. When U.S. Marines toppled Saddam Hussein’s statue on Firdos Square in 2003, the assembled crowd whacked it with their shoes.
Thanks to Omar Waqhar for the original animated GIF.
December 14th, 2008 at 4:20 PM
If only it were a woman with high heels and better aim, *sigh*
December 14th, 2008 at 4:24 PM
His aim was fine actually, straight for his head. Bush was able to dodge, so maybe if he didn’t scream anything, he would’ve made contact.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Bush did the matrix to avoid those shoes.
Impressive reflexes Mr.President.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:31 PM
It’s an insult to throw your shoes at someone or even put your shoes towards them while sitting down. I’ll demonstrate next time I’m at one of your khutbahs.
I think this event is very symbolic of people’s feelings towards this man and his reign.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:10 PM
"Leader of the Free World" …meet Hero of the Free World.
I hope they give him a promotion…and a pay raise!
MoCo
December 15th, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I was at the Gym this morning and watching CNN there. I think this journalist should be punished for having a poor aim. He wears size 10. How could someone possibly miss……. He should have aimed for the torso.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Ha. Ha. Ha Bye. Bye Bush… BushShit!
December 18th, 2008 at 9:43 AM
Dude, it was such a set up.
How can someone manage to stand up, take one shoe off, throw it, bend down, take the other one off, and throw the second one before getting tackled. In such a hostile environment, there were definitely secret service officers there, and by the time he’d thrown the first shoe they for sure would’ve put a bullet in him. Plus, the dodge by Mr. Bush looked eerily practiced…as if he knew it was coming. He’s been out been out of the limelight for a while, it wouldn’t surprise me if they wanted to get him back in the news with something like this.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Oh, and by the way – the second shoe definitely would’ve gotten him had the guy behind the journalist not been pulling him down mid-throw. Much like a quarterback getting hit as he delivers the throw, the trajectory of the shoe was offset by the pull of the man behind him. I hear the Lions are looking for a quarterback…;-)
December 18th, 2008 at 10:19 AM
^I don’t think I would have ever thought it was staged…hmmm
December 19th, 2008 at 10:32 PM
Poor aim? you stupid or something? can you aim better than that?
January 5th, 2009 at 5:15 PM
I wish he had a better arm.
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Speaking of George W. Bush:
George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism (indicated in my blog).
George W. Bush did in fact commit innumerable hate crimes.
And I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed other hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention.
Many people know what Bush did.
And many people will know what Bush did—even to the end of the world.
Bush was absolute evil.
Bush is now like a fugitive from justice.
Bush is a psychological prisoner.
Bush has a lot to worry about.
Bush can technically be prosecuted for hate crimes at any time.
In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
______________________
I am not sure where I had read it before, but anyway, it is a linguistically excellent statement, and it goes kind of like this: “If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memory so it never got stale and faded.” Oh wait—off the top of my head—I think the quotation came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:56 PM
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