As has been stated on another thread , if you do bow (which no US head of State should EVER do) as a sign of respect, you NEVER touch the other person while bowing.In the picture, Obama bows AND shakes the hand at the same time, which is a total breech of protocol on the two levels pointed out above. Either Zero did not soliciate the advice of the State Dept protocol officers, or, they told him the proper way to behave and he ignored it. Either way it was a pathetic and inexcusable display . Even the imperial couple got a chuckle out of it .
Well, not really, but kind of.
And yes, if I'm not mistaken, it's the same guy the muslin prse bowed from the waist with bended knee to.