Bush gets the Boot

On a surprise visit to Iraq on Sunday, President Bush received a rather unusual confrontation for a Western leader. Bush is use to the street protests, effigies, and even verbal outbursts during speeches, but two flying shoes was something new to him. Needless to say, he took it in stride.

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Maliki, Bush and Maliki entered a small room within the Prime Minister’s palace that was packed with reporters and dignitaries. In fact, most of the security detail for both Bush and Maliki were stationed along the sides of the room due to the lack of space. When Muntathar al Zaidi, a reporter for Baghdadiya TV, took off his shoe off and threw it at Bush, the security detail was not able to reach the President. In fact, the second shoe was removed and thrown at the President before the security detail enters the frame. The first person to apprehend al Zaidi was a fellow journalist.

President Bush, besides avoiding the shoes thrown at his head, also avoided blowing the situation out of proportion. He didn’t talk down his assailant but rather used him as an example for how liberty can be expressed.

“So what if a guy threw a shoe at me. I consider it an important step on the road toward an Iraq that can sustain itself, govern itself, and defend itself. But let me talk about the guy throwing the shoe. It is one way to gain attention. It’s like going to a political rally and having people yell at you.”

However, as we remember on the day that the statue of Saddam fell, the Iraqi’s took off their shoes and hit the statue in the head repeatedly. This is because the act of hitting someone with a shoe is a great insult, since it means the person is beneath everyone, just like the ground people walk on. That is why we’ve seen large rallies in support of al Zaidi in Sadr city; the heart of the current anti-American sentiment in Iraq.

The place in history this event takes will depend upon many things, including the eventual fate al Zaidi faces. He is currently in the hands of Iraqi forces, recuperating from injuries received during the press conference assault (according to his brother). But until it is known if he will be released or sentenced to jail, the video of the attack will be viewed numerous times around the world.

Related articles:
Times Online – “Journalist who threw shoes at Bush, Muntazer al-Zaidi, ‘has broken arm and ribs’”
Breitbart – “Iraq to probe ‘custody abuse’ of Bush shoe assailant”
The Washington Times – “Bush visits Iraq, dodges flying shoes”
The New York Times – “Iraqi Journalist Hurls Shoes at Bush and Denounces Him on TV as a ‘Dog’”
Los Angeles Times – “Secret Service faces questions after Bush shoe incident”
McClatchy – “Bush shoe incident caught Secret Service flatfooted”