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Naturally the double shoe-throwing attack that put President Bush under siege during a press conference in Iraq is a gold mine for the tabloids. The Daily News explains that when Muntather al-Zaidi threw the first shoe, he yelled, "This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog!" And, casting the second shoe, Zaidi said, "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
Shoe throwing is considered the most extreme way to express disdain for another in Iraqi culture: Per the NY Times, "It means that the target is even lower than the shoe, which is always on the ground and dirty." Zaidi, a journalist for TV station Al Baghdadia, was "subdued" by the Secret Service and Iraqi security agents, according to the Post, which also reports, "They wrestled him to the ground and dragged him out of the room as he moaned and screamed. A trail of fresh blood could be seen on the carpet." The NY Times's Baghdad Bureau blog has video that offers some of the chaos with agents apprehending Zaidi.
Also from the Times Baghdad Bureau:
Maythem al-Zaidi said his brother had not planned to throw his shoes prior to Sunday. “He was provoked when Mr. Bush said [during the news conference] this is his farewell gift to the Iraqi people,” he said. A colleague of Muntader al-Zaidi’s at al-Baghdadiya satellite channel, however, said the correspondent had been “planning for this from a long time. He told me that his dream is to hit Bush with shoes,” said the man, who would not give his name.Zaidi is currently in custody; various groups, including Baghdadia TV, are demanding his release. And while Bush was not hurt, apparently White House spokeswoman Dana Perino was hit in the eye by a mic stand.
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This is why so many Iraqis are barefoot.
My shoes are the shoes of al-Zaidi.
Who throws a shoe?!
haha!
love it!
In response to Eric, did you even read the article?
this guy did what every American hasn't had the balls to do.
in response to chaossix6... I believe Eric was quoting Austin Powers and is entirely aware of the article.
I'm dying to know what the official charges are. Can you imagine the court scene?
Prosecutor: "Your Honor, the defendant Willfully assaulted someone with... a pair of shoes."
Judge: "WTF? Seriously?!?!"
Prosecutor: "(sigh) Yes sir, you can watch in You Tube..."
he should have caught the second shoe and flung it back at him and followed that up with chanting USA USA
is my smart & beautiful dana perino ok?
I see the Secret Service are in top form, thinking "35 days . . . I'm not even gonna take a shoe for this guy."
As for al-Zaidi, where was your arm when Hussein was in power? Oh yeah, right. Coward.
Mr. Minaya, perhaps we have discovered our 7th inning guy. Or at least someone to pitch to Cole Hamels.
"is my smart & beautiful dana perino ok?"
yeah, but the other one working for Bush has a black eye
Post should have gone w/ "Bush's As-sole"
Do you guys even realize what it means to hit a person with your shoe over there is?
Here, yeah, it's stupid and funny. But in Arab countries...
mr.bush has some good reflexes. i don't think i would have been as swift in dodging! (i'm sure he has a lot of practice from his wife)
Yippeetahyay!! Ah reckon yah gotta be quick on tha draw 'foe you can git this old boid! Yeeeehaaaaw!!
This would make a great Cole Haan ad.
[6] So why haven't you done it? Or are you a little scared that the Secret Service will tackle you and quickly send you on a one-way trip to Gitmo?
[11] Former presidents get Secret Service protection for life. It's not just 35 more days.
Too bad the shoe didn't hit him. Would be funny if Bush had a bump on his head.
Frankly it IS a good thing he didn't get hit.
Some of you folks just don't seem to understand how wrong this whole thing was.
This is a priceless moment in history. Very ghetto and very awesome, I just wish it was a stiletto.
It's really one of those "What would Suge Knight do?" moments...
If that had been Eddie Murphy's mom, she would have nailed him...
"I had a mother that would throw a shoe at you at the drop of a dime. And fuck you up wherever she was aiming. So by the time I was like ten, my mother was like Clint Eastwood with a shoe..."
Being Iraq, Bush is lucky those shoes didn't have severed feet in them.
Shoe!!! Look at him duck!!! He must have been a pro at dodge ball.
The man flinches at a shoe coming his way, really? It's a shoe, not a ninja star.
Silly boy, should've stood your ground and taken it like a man or caught it and thrown it back.
People have the right to feel a certain way and the guy wasn't looking to assassinate so I'm not feeling that bad about this situation.
I feel worse that the shoe thrower probably got quite roughed up by SS for a shoe throwing. It's like getting roughed up at a club for a really stupid reason. Just the same, being roughed up isn't ever good or necessarily the justified response.
I'd like to throw my shoe up Bush's azz while my foot was still in it