Posted on 12/14/2008 2:30:55 PM PST by Daffynition
(NECN) - President George W. Bush addressed the progress made in the Iraq War on Sunday, in a visit to Baghdad just 37 days prior to handing off the war to President-elect Barack Obama. But President Bush got more than he bargained for -- he was able to show off his dodgeball skills. Or, dodge-shoe skills, in this case.
Who throws a shoe, you ask? Al-Baghdadia television correspondent Muntadar al-Zeidi, who peeled off both of his shoes and threw them a the U.S. President, shouting "This is the end!"
Bush dodged both shoes as they whipped past his head.
"All I can report," Bush joked later, "is a size 10."
The trip comes on the heals of a U.S., Iraqi security agreement that allows U.S. troops to stay in Iraq longer than anticipated.
Nearly 150,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq fighting a war that is intensely disliked across the globe. More than 4,209 members of the U.S. military have died in the conflict, which has cost U.S. taxpayers $576 billion since it began five years and nine months ago.
Bush later brushed off the shoe incident, comparing it political protests at home.
"So what if I guy threw his shoe at me?" he said.
Totally agree. They need to be canned immediately. After all, this very situation is what they’re supposedly there to prevent——they all need to go and be replaced. They failed at their job masterfully.
Sounds like a very sloppy reaction by them.
Fortunately, GWB’s reaction was graceful and gracious.
omg.... screen blurry...
And W's retort: "All I can report is that it was a size 10"
LOL! God Bless you President Bush. And thank you for keeping us safe.
You freed us from tyranny, here’s my shoe.. WTF?.. These aholes can’t give us enough free oil to make for all the lives we lost so they can chuck shoes at the man that made their ability to chuck shoes possible.
Probably a member of DU or KOS.
Thanks ... looks as if Bush was on his own.
I think this is another example of media obfuscation and lying. The real story is the SOFA agreement, which few will ever hear about. The real story should be something along the lines of the letter to the editor I wrote a few days ago. However, I have yet to see anything similiar even in the conservative OpEd’s I read. Anyway , here is the letter.
The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) portends victory. Iraq and U.S. as two sovereign, and coequal countries agreed on ways forward implementing U.N. principles and purposes. Iraqi pragmatic evaluations of conditions lead talks for disengagement: not U.S. election cycle driven timelines.
General Petraeus testified the surge would execute proven counterinsurgency tactics “to improve the security for the people of Iraq in order to give Iraqi leaders the time and space they need to come to grips with tough political issues”. Throughout 2008 Iraqi people and leaders experienced deliverance from lives dominated by assassins stalking them and their families. They witnessed national institution ascendance in providing personal and material security.
Persistence for Iraq representative government thwarted al Qaeda determination that Babylon becomes the Caliphate rallying point. In Iraq, U.S. earned credibility as a counter force to all horrid factions applying murderous coercion when striving to dominate African, Oriental, and Asian politics.
Invigorating new allies’ confrontational initiatives brings Global War on Terror victory by frustrating plans, breaking alliances, and fracturing jihadist organizations into ever less effective units. Without cities, countries or armies bin Laden, successor sociopath prophets, and tyrants they empower only dream of conquest as they suffer unnaturally shortened lives as pariahs.
Yet administration leaders Obama, Biden and Clinton voted for removing most troops by April 2008, and preventing this victory. Their behavior portends traditional ally abandonment. Their actions portend escaping commitment, and reviving self-congratulatory righteousness within elegant foreign policies redefining national interest, proportional response, multi-lateralism, re-deployment and exit strategy.
I would have liked to see W kick this guy’s butt from Baghdad to Basra.
But I guess protocol makes that hard to do.
It’s going to be very long four years.
I’d vote for him again, too, no qualms. A man of character — so rare in politics. I love the way he just thinks for himself, regardless of the polls. So terribly refreshing. I even would take tangle-tongue any day over smooth and ‘great orator.’ THAT hides so many sins/ evils.
L
Bush once again demonstrates his ignorance of foreign affairs and foreigners in general.
Throwing shoes at somebody here in America would merely sound like the actions of a lunatic. But in the Middle East, throwing one’s shoes at a person is the deepest of personal insults. It goes well beyond the one fingered salute in our society.
By throwing his shoes at Bush he was not just insulting Bush, he was, by extension insutling all of America and everything we have done there for these people.
But failing to comprehend the ramifications of losing face in a part of the world where losing face is deadly is nothing new to Mr. Bush. Long ago when some American contrators were killed and their bodies hung up to be insulted in public display, this man did NOTHING to recup the insult to our national honor and the result was the series of kidnappings and murders of foreigners and service personnel.
I voted for Bush twice. But I would NEVER vote for this man or any one with the name of Bush ever again.
The main reason we lost in 2008 was due to this man and his continuing flawed and defective actions. He will be remembered as among the worst presidents in modern history.
As far as the SS goes, what gives? Did they pull all the "quality" agents and put them on Obama's post? The guy had time to throw four shoes before anyone even reacted.
I thot he handled it graciously, beautifully. What, he should sputter and throw one back? His ‘people’ can take care of it.
I’m sure this journalist reporting this incident and slipping in the “bad Iraq war” points has not gone unnoticed by the astute.
>Nearly 150,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq fighting a war that is intensely disliked across the globe. More than 4,209 members of the U.S. military have died in the conflict, which has cost U.S. taxpayers $576 billion since it began five years and nine months ago.<
Media seems to be getting back on message. Look for more.
Every SS agent in the room should be assigned to look for counterfeiters in rural North Dakota before the week is out.
Didn’t you forget their mandatory sandals?
“That being said, it is scary some unhinged reporter could get that close to our President.”
Uhhh - aren’t reporters “unhinged” as a rule?
Just wondering.
Oh gee, really?
Ya I knew that. I was just wondering what set him off.
“Bush once again demonstrates his ignorance of foreign affairs and foreigners in general.”
Exactly, he should have started crying and thrown a big temper tantrum.
“he was, by extension insutling all of America and everything we have done there for these people.”
That’s right. Despite vast majorities of the Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds rejecting al-Qaeda and joining the Americans and other coalition members, creating competent and effective security forces, and routing al-Qaeda and their Iranian allies, this shoe thowing incedent undermines everything and the war is now officially lost.
” this man did NOTHING to recup “
Other than having General Petreaus implement the brilliant counter-insurgency surge which led to the routing of the al-Qaeda and Iranina backed militias, Bush did nothing at all.
“I voted for Bush twice.”
No you didn’t. You wrote in Ron Paul both times and became so infuriated that when Paul lost, you screamed at the top of your lungs and started thowing your shoes at your fellow Americans.
“He will be remembered as among the worst presidents in modern history.”
Actually, this statement is accurate. I took a scientific poll, and 10 out of 10 code pink memebers agreed with your statement.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.