comments (43) | | permalinkPosted on 04/08/2009 2:06:27 PM PDT by Plutarch
The White House is denying that the president bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London, a scene that drew criticism on the right and praise from some Arab outlets.
"It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's taller than King Abdullah," said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Washington Times called the alleged bow a "shocking display of fealty to a foreign potentate" and said it violated centuries of American tradition of not deferring to royalty. The Weekly Standard, meanwhile, noted that American protocol apparently rules out bowing, or at least it reportedly did on the occasion of a Clinton "near-bow" to the emperor of Japan.
Interestingly, a columnist in the Saudi-backed Arabic paper Asharq Alawsat also took the gesture as a bow and appreciated the move.
"Obama wished to demonstrate his respect and appreciation of the personality of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, who has made one of the most important calls in the modern era, namely the call for inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue to defuse the hatred, conflict and wars," wrote the columnist, Muhammah Diyab.
The video shows Obama dipping toward the king as G-20 leaders greet one another at the ExCel Centre in London.
By Ben Smith 04:06 PM
>>That was not a bow.
That was a grovel before the king of Mecca.<<
I suspect it was mainly him not being experienced and not well prepped...but its still disturbing his instinct was to bow and then claim he didn’t.
Actually I think Obozo being situated 180 degrees is more appropriate considering what he has done to us.
“It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.’
If this ‘aide’ is telling the truth, why are they afraid their name will be used in the article? There is no doubt about his bowing. If he thought he could’ve explained it away, he’d have knelt.
We are so screwed...
That's a cocktail waitress in a Dolly Parton wig. (My apologies to Confederate Railroad)
“I did not bow to that King, Abdullah Lewinsky.”
Noting the bent knee, I'd say more like a curtsy or possibly a sloppy genuflection.
“I don’t know what 0bama calls this, but it sure looks like a bow to me”
Or one could say a dumb ass showing his ass.
Being taller has not one damned thing too do with it. HE BOWED!!!! End of discussion. We are not blind. We CAN SEE the ass hole bowed to his superior muzzie leader. He bowed to izzlum ass holes because he is an izzlum ass hole. No doubts in my military or civilian mind that he bowed!!!!
I’m glad the White House made a statement. This story was about to die of old age.
There is an old (1993) Country song by Colin Raye - “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” It should be this president’s theme song.
Even in Japan, the superior/inferior relationship may be expressed by how deeply each one bows - a deep bow such as the one that ODumbo gave to the Saudi MFWIC would clearly have been interpreted as a gesture of subservience in Japan as well...
Don't nobody move!
Just lost my damn contact!
His bow appeared more religious than even most royal bows you see.
Yes, there’s certainly no mistaking it from that angle! And it almost did look as if he kissed the Saudi king’s hand (although I don’t think he managed to do so).
That was a bow....the guy wouldn’t wear an American flap lapel pin until the media started to nail him on it, but yet he bows to a king. Says where his loyalty lies.
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