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Ear to the Ground

Judge: Iraqi Shoeman Beaten

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Posted on Dec 19, 2008
Bush Guarded
nytimes.com

After touting the U.S. party line, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki guarded Bush against a dual-shoe attack, one of the many responsibilities that comes with being Iraq’s prime minister.

Although allegations of physical abuse against reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi, better known as the guy who chucked his shoes at the head of the guy who invaded his country, were widely reported in recent days, it took until today for an Iraqi judge to officially rule that al-Zaidi was beaten while in custody. The system works!


The Guardian:

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush was beaten afterwards and had bruises on his face, the investigating judge in the case said today, as a senior cleric in Iran urged others to wage a “shoe intifada” against the US.

The reporter, Muntazer al-Zaidi, had bruises on his face and around his eyes, said the judge, Dhia al-Kinani said.

Zaidi was wrestled to the ground after throwing the shoes during a Sunday press conference by Bush and the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

He remains in custody and is expected to face charges of insulting a foreign leader.

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By Maani, December 21, 2008 at 2:04 am #

Best line of the week goes to David Letterman: “The news coming out of the Middle East is that Iran is developing a long-range loafer.”

By the way, Bush HAS forgiven him, said he was not upset by the incident, and asked the Iraqi government to “be lenient” with the shoe-thrower.  (Apparently, even the ignoble can be noble once in a while…)

Peace.

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By Frank, December 20, 2008 at 8:06 pm #

Cyrena, very unlikely they would shoot at a shoe thrower.  Secret Service Special Agents are very well trained to respond with appropriate use of force. Their response is like a football play in action. Some surround the President as human shields and move him out of the area, while others are tasked to restrain, tackle and arrest the attacker unless deadly force is absolutely necessary, like when the attacker is too far to be reached and the President is still in mortal danger. They have tackled rather than shot multiple would-be assassins who had guns, including Hinkley who had just blasted away 6 shots. From a security standpoint, it’s better to arrest so interrogations are possible and any further threats can be discovered.

The only time in recent memory I can think of the Secret Service shooting anyone, it was a uniformed Secret Service officer at the WH gate,  not a Special Agent, who shot a guy after a ten minute stand-off after the perp had already fired several shots through the bushes towards the White House. Even then they tried to talk the guy into dropping his weapon first. This is while Bush Sr was in the White House residence.

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By hippy pam, December 20, 2008 at 4:34 pm #

Hey…..That was just “ole mr. bullshits’ mercs”[blackwater] protecting the LEGACY of their MAIN MAN….After all-He makes sure they have FREE RUN of the country[there and here]

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By Gold Star Father, December 20, 2008 at 3:57 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Sally Reddish stated:
  “I have supported the war in Iraq.  I have prayed for all the soldiers there regardless of what country they came from for they are all in danger.
This latest insult from the Iraqi people just shows they do not have the necessary courage to be a democratic country.  They resort to caveman like tactics to show their disgruntlement.  I say, pull out all the troops and let the fools kill each other, that’s what they are going to do when we do eventually withdraw.  They are uneducated, unwashed fools.  Let them alone….and DON’T send them any aid later either.”

  What? So now you believe that all those American KIA’s will have indeed died in vain? Next stupid war the USA has, please send your own children and pray for them not other people’s kids sent on some lumatic’s fantasy adventure.

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By cyrena, December 20, 2008 at 9:26 am #

Just for the heck of it, what do any of you think would happen to a US citizen and reporter who threw his shoes at George Bush at a press conference in Washington, DC?

If, on this day, (or any other day in the past 8 years) some US based reporter had (while in the course of his or her work as a journalist/reporter)pitched his or her shoes at the bastard, (some US citizens are just as talented in this area as that Iraqi reporter was) what would have become of them?

Interesting question, and my best guess is that the Secret Service would have blasted him or her to smithereens.

What an irony.

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By Afghan, December 20, 2008 at 3:25 am #

He has already been beaten to a pulp.  He has received enough punishment.  Release the poor man and let him get on with his life.

Zarmina Faizi
http://www.theislamdir.com

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By don knutsen, December 19, 2008 at 10:48 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The only real example of a democracy, if George Bush had the capacity to understand it, would’ve been to let this guy off without any retribution for expressing his opinion. He caused no harm other then a slight embarrasment to the person directly responcible for the destruction of his country and the killing of half a million Iraqi citizens. Seems to me his display of discust was pretty constrained.

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By antizionista, December 19, 2008 at 9:10 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Just think what utter traitors those jailers are, consider what Bush-Cheney have done to that country - the wholesale slaughter and destruction, and this guy but throws a symbolic shoe at this war criminal. And fellow Iraqis beat him? They actually have the mentality to beat a compatriot who has the balls to do something like this on behalf of his nation? Get their names and show their faces, may they suffer terribly for what they have done. And send Bush-Cheney to Guantanamo.

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By Margaret Currey, December 19, 2008 at 7:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If Bush was honest with himself he would say I forgive the man because I never intended the war to go on this long, the problem with this war is so many private soldiers who could care less who they kill because they probably have an ax to grind.

I say Bush should speak out and if he is the Christian he says he is he would say forget it I did not get hurt, and even if he got hit I doubt he would suffer as much as they guy has suffered.

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By PatP, December 19, 2008 at 7:07 pm #

Perhaps I misread but the jailers beat him and the population wants to make a hero out of him… I’d be quite happy to buy him a new pair of shoes.

If put to a vote I wonder what the verdict might be.

I would not want to be one of the jailers in a country like this. The population in those places are not in a trance, know where their alleigance and so many have guns.

So much for symbolic gestures in this nascent, burgeoning democracy that Bush so often credits himself with delivering to the rest of the world.

Oops, so do we…

Report this

By Sally Reddish, December 19, 2008 at 6:50 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I have supported the war in Iraq.  I have prayed for all the soldiers there regardless of what country they came from for they are all in danger.
This latest insult from the Iraqi people just shows they do not have the necessary courage to be a democratic country.  They resort to caveman like tactics to show their disgruntlement.  I say, pull out all the troops and let the fools kill each other, that’s what they are going to do when we do eventually withdraw.  They are uneducated, unwashed fools.  Let them alone….and DON’T send them any aid later either.

Report this

By Trigger finger, December 19, 2008 at 6:17 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Insulting a foreign”  WHAT?

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By samramada, December 19, 2008 at 5:42 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Arabs Asked to Release More Anger at Bush
This Time In “Cyberspace”
December 19, 2008 - Tripoli, Lebanon
NEW Web Site to Whack Bush designed to help Arabs experience what Al-Muntazar Al-Zeidi really felt by throwing the shoe at Bush.
It is professionally designed and includes Arab and English Vocal-Shouts as well.  User can select the shoe of choice to whack at Bush including the appropriate-for-the-holidays Santa Clause’s Boots.  The default selection is a Texan Shoe, the type of shoe Bush probably understands best, it also inflicts maximum damage.
The site is dubbed to be the Official Site to Yell at and Whack G.W.Bush with a Shoe:
http://www.ShoeBushWorldwide.com 
“This is not just a game” explains the site creator TEN24x.com who developed it in just 8 hours, “it is intended to help more angry Arabs release their anger at bush thru Cyberspace”.  The creators attempted to create a very formal and serious set-up to the game to mimic the usual formality during a “presidential” press conference, where a “reporter” throws the shoe at the President.  After being hit and bruised 3 times, on the fourth hit, Bush ducks and pulls out his white underwear as a sign of surrender.
PWEMA.com will track Participants, Whacks, Favorite Shoes and Favorite Yells.  The Stats will also later display participating countries. The creators encourage Arabs and all foreign supporters to practice their Freedom of Expression by visiting the site and taking a Cyber Whack at Bush.
In a fun sequel, Ten24x intends to add new features such as Select the US Official you wish to Whack, and In case reporters are asked in the future to take off their shoes in Presidential Press Conferences, they plan to Increase the list of objects to throw at bush to include Cell Phones, Cameras, Tape Recorders, Pens, Lipstick, Wallets and just about anything else allowed by a reporter inside a Press Conference, additional multi-lingual shouts will also be supported.

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