Iraqi Journalist Throws Shoes at Bush

An Iraqi journalist threw two shoes at President Bush during a news conference Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The president was not hurt in the incident. (Dec. 14) Nice ducks Mr. President.
Farhad2000says...

It's a cultural thing stemming from islam.

In Islam, cleanliness is next to godliness, before prayer you actually wash hands, feet, face and behind the ears. Anything dirty is haram, I think its because back in the day living in a sweltering desert meant people smelt funny but I digress.

Anyway showing the underside of your shoe towards a muslim is disrespectful, hitting someone with said shoe is even more so, throwing it well damn you better break yoself.

Remember when Iraq was blitzed through, and Saddam's statue was torn down people hit his face with their shoes.

thepinkysays...

This is what VideoSift is telling me right now: "Yay! People of other nations hate our president and the symbol of our country! *120+ upvotes!!!*"

Most of us agree that Bush is *ehem* a less than satisfactory president. But do we really want Iraqis throwing stuff at him? Call me crazy, but I would call that a bad thing. Shouldn't we all be hoping that Iraq does not fail? If Iraqis really do like Bush, I'm delighted. If they don't, I want a better representation than a shoe-throwing reporter.

>> ^quantumushroom:
The renegade journalist was immediately taken into custody and made head of the Democratic Party.


I busted up laughing at this. HILARIOUS.

sixshotsays...

I don't care what y'all say. I laughed when the guy threw the shoe at him. But I'm actually surprised he dodged the first one that well. Too bad the 2nd throw as too high. Welp, it's another item in the documentary of GW's presidency that we'll remember... I think...

bamdrewsays...

I upvoted a surprising and newsworthy occurrence, and to indicate my appreciation at seeing unedited footage of the event (and not attached to some 8 minute Olbermann clip).

Hundreds of thousands have died, millions have fled, those left have for years been fearful of the militias and 'mafioso' types that control the streets, and the random searches by coalition forces and blackwaters... anyhow, this is one man publicly expressing his displeasure with what was done to his country by my country, so I upvoted.

thepinkysays...

I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.

arvanasays...

I actually warmed up slightly to Bushie when I saw this -- his quick ducking reflexes and his instant amusement at the situation were both pretty impressive.

Still, I admit to feeling some jubilation at this direct expression towards the man of the feelings that a lot of the world share about him.

vairetubesays...

Fuck Greed. Fuck Incompetence. Fuck being so obvious about it, to the extreme point where someone THROWS TWO SHOES AT YOUR FACE just because it has to be done.

Bush + CO = EVIL. They are not in charge anymore. We don't have to put up with it.... specifically because no one can get pardoned now. Your man is gone.

The entire current administration has no respect for ANYONE. Fuck them. MORE SHOES.

mizilasays...

Okay, if this was just some American throwing a shoe at Bush I'd be on your guys' side... Think of it this way: Russia invades, and Putin comes to give his, "Thank-you-my-American-comrades speech," and Katie Couric moons him. We'd all upvote that shit.

toastsays...

>> ^JiggaJonson:
It's what he says afterward that really bothers me. "So he threw a shoe, so what?"


absolutely, that's what I thought. Did no one take him to the side for one second just to tell him the significance of this shoe-throwing? It is not the same as someone shouting or middle-fingering at him.

Bush somehow excused the guy's actions to be because he wanted attention. Does he not think for a second that it could be something else?

It annoys me that they can announce the next president, yet it still allows the current president to still hang around, unwanted. Why don't they announce the new president on the day they swap 'em over?

BicycleRepairMansays...

Bush has, from day 1, been an incompetent, arrogant, douchebag of a failure. Only now he is beginning to reach the popularity level he has earned, which would be No Approval as someone in the most powerful position in the world. The best thing you can say about Bush, is that the GOP proved they could do even worse when they picked Sarah Palin for VP.

Normally, I would argue for a verbal attack as the preferred method for journalists vs politicians, but alas, the whole staged nature of the Bush admins press events rarely allows for the opportunity to get the uncomfortable questions across. Also, when shocking, unbelievable details about this administrations lies and incompetence are actually released, the media seems to ignore it. A couple of months ago, it was established, beyond doubt, in an official report, that the Bush administration LIED in order to start the war. Noone noticed. WHAT??!! In most countries, this would be grounds for immediate disbanding of the sitting regime. In the Netherlands, for instance, they sacked the whole bunch when their failure to prevent the genocide in Rwanda was uncovered.

By throwing this shoe, the journalist got the full attention of the media, with a simple , relatively harmless gesture, he showed the world what we all think of the douchebag in chief, and he showed him all the respect he deserves.

Well done.

alizarinsays...

>> ^thepinky:
I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.


He started two wars and drove the country into a ditch. How could you NOT want to throw a shoe at him or begrudge anyone else for wanting the same?

ponceleonsays...

>> ^ElJardinero:
Heads rolling at Secret Service HQ in 3...2...1


Seriously, how long did it take those guys to come out of that other room and why the hell weren't they in THE SAME ROOM AS THE PRESIDENT??

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not a bush supporter, but they really dropped the ball given their one job is to be where the president is...

thinker247says...

You call him President, I call him murderer. So jubilation is warranted on my part.

Maybe if the shoes were carrying IEDs and they actually hit the "President," ripping off his arms or legs, then he'd understand why so many people (including his soldiers) hate him.

>> ^thepinky:
I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.

Winstonfield_Pennypackersays...

M'eh - like so many news stories this tells you more about the people who react to it than it does about the subject of the story. Bush handles a minor incident with amused disregard, and liberal hate-mongers who don't like Bush react by projecting their pettiness and stupidity onto the screen. We all know with 100% certainty that if someone had hucked thier shoes at Barak Hussein Messiah, that the selfsame liberal would be screeching like harpies about how 'evil' the guy had been while simultaneously having orgasms about how wonderful Obama was at handling it. What a bunch of tools.

BicycleRepairMansays...

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:
M'eh - like so many news stories this tells you more about the people who react to it than it does about the subject of the story. Bush handles a minor incident with amused disregard, and liberal hate-mongers who don't like Bush react by projecting their pettiness and stupidity onto the screen. We all know with 100% certainty that if someone had hucked thier shoes at Barak Hussein Messiah, that the selfsame liberal would be screeching like harpies about how 'evil' the guy had been while simultaneously having orgasms about how wonderful Obama was at handling it. What a bunch of tools.

When Obama has started a war on false pretenses, overruled constitutional rights, jailed people without a fair trial, driven the economy into the ground, and generally behaved like a fucking moron in the most important job in the world for 8 years straight, and then has a shoe or two hurled after him, I will gladly salute that shoe-thrower too. I promise. Get back to me if I forget.

volumptuoussays...

>> ^thepinky:
I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.


Personally, I wish it were a lot more than just a fucking shoe thrown at him.

You are talking about someone who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Someone who is responsible for pushing 1.2 million Iraqi children into the sex trade.

And you're outraged at a fucking shoe?

For someone who is soooo pro-life, you certainly don't give a shit about those lives over in Iraq.

CaptainPlanet420says...

>> ^volumptuous:
>> ^thepinky:
I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.

Personally, I wish it were a lot more than just a fucking shoe thrown at him.
You are talking about someone who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Someone who is responsible for pushing 1.2 million Iraqi children into the sex trade.
And you're outraged at a fucking shoe?
For someone who is soooo pro-life, you certainly don't give a shit about those lives over in Iraq.


Ya, I bet Iraqis miss the walks out to the middle of the desert to dig those long shallow graves, followed by lining up next to them, and being shot into them or just buried alive. Methinks you need to watch the history channel.

volumptuoussays...

^ Methinks you should get your ass to Iraq since you love dead kids so much.

CP420 apparently doesn't give one shit about what the Iraqis think, or want. He just wants more war, more bloodshed, and more US imperialism. The concept of Iraqis wanting the US the fuck out of their country, doesn't phaze the Cap'n here. Imperialism, domination and blood are the only things that bring a smile to his face.


And sorry. But I would have a history-lesson-off with you any day of the week. If there is one bit of foreign policy and history that I'm a "buff" on, it's Mesopotamia, biznitch. I'd wipe the floor with you quicker than you can say Gertrude Bell. (as cp420 scrambles to wikipedia)

gwiz665says...

>> ^thepinky:
This is what VideoSift is telling me right now: "Yay! People of other nations hate our president and the symbol of our country! 120+ upvotes!!! "
Most of us agree that Bush is ehem a less than satisfactory president. But do we really want Iraqis throwing stuff at him? Call me crazy, but I would call that a bad thing. Shouldn't we all be hoping that Iraq does not fail? If Iraqis really do like Bush, I'm delighted. If they don't, I want a better representation than a shoe-throwing reporter.


You're missing the point. He's making a stand the way he can.

We shouldn't hope that they like him, because they shouldn't! They should hate him for what he has done in their country. If you want better representation, do enlighten the people who at least try to express their outrage. How could he have made a clearer statement than what he did, without actually hurting anyone? A strongly worded email in bold red letters?

supersaiyan93says...

even though I would throw shoes at him given the chance as well, how bad-ass would it have been if he just caught one of the shoes and went in his best Texas drawl "Dodgeball rules. You're out motherf*cker."

CaptainPlanet420says...

>> ^volumptuous:
^ Methinks you should get your ass to Iraq since you love dead kids so much.
CP420 apparently doesn't give one shit about what the Iraqis think, or want. He just wants more war, more bloodshed, and more US imperialism. The concept of Iraqis wanting the US the fuck out of their country, doesn't phaze the Cap'n here. Imperialism, domination and blood are the only things that bring a smile to his face.

And sorry. But I would have a history-lesson-off with you any day of the week. If there is one bit of foreign policy and history that I'm a "buff" on, it's Mesopotamia, biznitch. I'd wipe the floor with you quicker than you can say Gertrude Bell. (as cp420 scrambles to wikipedia)


I'll take that as non-responsive since you resorted to cursing and name calling with no factual rebuttal. So you admired Hussein boy Sr. and his human rights violations? That's really great. OTOH, I like it when people can defend themselves.

maximilliansays...

You guys have it all wrong. In the west people through flowers at people they love and admire. In the middle east an equal sign of admiration, the very article that protects the souls of one's feat, is cast onto a beloved individual.

Now probably the end result is that shoes will be outlawed. Remember folks, that when shoes become outlawed, only the terrorists will have shoes.

Razorsays...

Damn, too bad he missed. Twice. Should have used a rifle. That one was for you Bill =P

In all seriousness, I agree with thepinky, that at the very least this proves just how hated Bush is. Thank goodness he'll be gone. It couldn't happen sooner.

thepinkysays...

Wow, that was a jump. I believe that the expression I used was "baffles" not "outrages." I am not in the least bit outraged by this because I understand that you (and I) hate Bush. I got it. But in addition to being Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, Bush is also our Ceremonial Head of State and Chief Diplomat. I know that he screwed this up royally, but to find joy in seeing him treated this way by a journalist is all backward. I'm sad that it has come to this. I am sad that he messed up. I grieve for the lives that have been and are being lost. But it is narrow-minded to throw around superlatives claiming that Bush has done absolutely no good whatsoever at all ever in the Middle East, that he has not improved national security and is pure dag-nasty evil, doesn't care about anyone, and that he is a cold-blooded murderer. I do not believe that Bush is just a mass-murderer maniac who wanted to kill people. He was not the only person (or party) who saw reasons for going to war. You are certainly lacking moderation. Sucky president? Yes. The devil? No.

WAR SUCKS. The question is not whether or not war sucks, but whether or not the things we are fighting for are worth the bloodshed. You might agree that war is sometimes worthwhile. Not ideal, but better than becoming part of the Third Reich or allowing genocide or attacks on our soil, certainly. Do you really know what the world would have been like had this war not happened? No, you don't. But I do because I'm psychic and a genius.

Never tell me that I don't care about the lives over in Iraq. You don't know me. I'm just making a comment, not asking for personal attacks.

>> ^volumptuous:
>> ^thepinky:
I agree that this occurence is interesting and note-worthy, even amusing. I don't mind the upvotes for that reason. But the jubilation that some are expressing at having someone throw shoes at our president just...baffles me.

Personally, I wish it were a lot more than just a fucking shoe thrown at him.
You are talking about someone who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Someone who is responsible for pushing 1.2 million Iraqi children into the sex trade.
And you're outraged at a fucking shoe?
For someone who is soooo pro-life, you certainly don't give a shit about those lives over in Iraq.

Farhad2000says...

I never understood this strange naive loyalty alot of Americans express towards their president and their government. He is an elected official accountable to the people. Not the reverse.

Respect towards the president has to be earned not simply given once you attain the position of power, the exact reason why I didn't understand the sheer jubilation of Obama winning (okay maybe McCain losing/black president was a good reason), but he still has several key litmus tests to pass (constitutional rights being key).

To say that Bush wasn't the only one to want to go into Iraq is to AGAIN forget the fact that the administration cheery picked information to convince and fear monger the whole nation to go to war (10 Downing Memo, mushroom cloud being a smoking gun).

I would hate for a few years to pass and all that Bush has done to be forgiven, to be written off, to be rephrased and reanalyzed in saying that the man dealt with a difficult situation so we should all cut him some slack.

That is unacceptable.

Bush represents a failure of leadership. A failure to adequately frame a coalition against fighting terror that would be more depended on international cooperation between internal intelligence agencies instead of fighting unilateral wars.

A failure to rally the American people through words, to reiterate that a single attack did nothing to a great nation such as the US, to outline a just course, instead of fear mongering, elimination of basic rights, and going to war.

Winstonfield_Pennypackersays...

When Obama has started a war on false pretenses, overruled constitutional rights, jailed people without a fair trial, driven the economy into the ground, and generally behaved like a fucking moron in the most important job in the world for 8 years straight, and then has a shoe or two hurled after him, I will gladly salute that shoe-thrower too. I promise. Get back to me if I forget.

Give him a year or two. He won't close Gitmo. He won't leave Iraq. He will overrule the Constitution to accomplish his ends. He will drive an already wobbling economy right into the ground. So in 2010 when your electricity bill has tripled because Obama wants to get off coal, and gas is $6 a gallon because he wants you to want electric cars... When you lose your job and are working on one of Obama's 'community organizer' road projects - will you man up and throw your shoes at him? I doubt it. 100 years from now, brainless morons will still be blaming Bush for any/all problems they have. Pathetic.

CaptainPlanet420says...

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:
When Obama has started a war on false pretenses, overruled constitutional rights, jailed people without a fair trial, driven the economy into the ground, and generally behaved like a fucking moron in the most important job in the world for 8 years straight, and then has a shoe or two hurled after him, I will gladly salute that shoe-thrower too. I promise. Get back to me if I forget.
Give him a year or two. He won't close Gitmo. He won't leave Iraq. He will overrule the Constitution to accomplish his ends. He will drive an already wobbling economy right into the ground. So in 2010 when your electricity bill has tripled because Obama wants to get off coal, and gas is $6 a gallon because he wants you to want electric cars... When you lose your job and are working on one of Obama's 'community organizer' road projects - will you man up and throw your shoes at him? I doubt it. 100 years from now, brainless morons will still be blaming Bush for any/all problems they have. Pathetic.


Hahaha I don't think any of the kids here even understand what man up means. Hahaha you get an A.

Farhad2000says...

Ohh Right wingnuts need a hug? You guys must be pretty crushed to have lost a republican majority that was supposed to last for decades! Haha! Jokes on you.

PS: You know that Dana Perino got a black eye during the incident? ROFLMAO.

BicycleRepairMansays...

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

Give him a year or two. He won't close Gitmo. He won't leave Iraq. He will overrule the Constitution to accomplish his ends. He will drive an already wobbling economy right into the ground. So in 2010 when your electricity bill has tripled because Obama wants to get off coal, and gas is $6 a gallon because he wants you to want electric cars... When you lose your job and are working on one of Obama's 'community organizer' road projects - will you man up and throw your shoes at him? I doubt it. 100 years from now, brainless morons will still be blaming Bush for any/all problems they have. Pathetic.


LOL, Yes indeed how pathetic we all look blaming Bush after all that stuff Obama did.. oh wait, it hasnt actually happened yet, it was all in your head, sorry.

curiousitysays...

>> ^Farhad2000:
I never understood this strange naive loyalty alot of Americans express towards their president and their government.



The attitudes result from various combination of the following:

1. Ignorance - in general and of other cultures. Many Americans are completely ignorant of what the government actually consists of. For other cultures, there is nothing better for a person to be thrown into a culture where all their habits and way of living are suddenly the abnormal. Struggling to fit into another culture can revitilize the empathy that TV (among other things) is killing.

2. Militarism

3. Hyperpatriotism - which seems to be a result of two above.


These combine to cause people to lump everything together. I recently had a trying conversation with a person who was afflicted by all three of the above. I'm generally a stubborn person, but ignorance breeds a special kind of stubborn that is unwilling or too lazy to discuss ideas or take the effort to find evidence to support their ideas.

10874says...

"When Obama has started a war on false pretenses, overruled constitutional rights, jailed people without a fair trial, driven the economy into the ground, and generally behaved like a fucking moron in the most important job in the world for 8 years straight, and then has a shoe or two hurled after him, I will gladly salute that shoe-thrower too. I promise. Get back to me if I forget.

Give him a year or two. He won't close Gitmo. He won't leave Iraq. He will overrule the Constitution to accomplish his ends. He will drive an already wobbling economy right into the ground. So in 2010 when your electricity bill has tripled because Obama wants to get off coal, and gas is $6 a gallon because he wants you to want electric cars... When you lose your job and are working on one of Obama's 'community organizer' road projects - will you man up and throw your shoes at him? I doubt it. 100 years from now, brainless morons will still be blaming Bush for any/all problems they have. Pathetic."

Nice try, buddy! You sound like a pathological liar whose expectation out of people is that they're just as bad as him!

It's the Republicans that want to change the rules, not the Democrats. Even if he wants to, the direction the wind is blowing in will hopefully be adequate to keep him in line.

The Bush administration has ALREADY DONE THIS KIND OF SHIT! According to someone in my family who travels internationally frequently, people all over the world *really were* watching our election due to the fact that ignorant, selfish, self-serving neo-conservatives that manage to piss off even their own brethren like the Bush administration have actually managed to fuck up the entire planet.

Your perspective on "blaming Bush" shows that you clearly haven't addressed the reality that this administration has FUCKED UP. Even to their own.

And by the way, not to piss off anyone who is an Obama supporter (and yeah, I did vote for him and even if he ends up like California's Grey Davis I won't regret not having Mcain/Palin in office) but... haven't you noticed the Clean Coal advertising campaign's spot involving a pro-clean coal Obama?

I don't think you Republicans need to be too worried about Obama stifling big business too much. There's a damned good reason MSNBC selected him over Clinton (keep in mind that ex-cut-throat businessman Gates is a DEMOCRAT).

siftbotsays...

Tags for this video have been changed from 'iraqi, journalist, throws, shoe, bush, iraq, size, 10, duck, sole' to 'iraqi, journalist, shoe, bush, iraq, size 10, duck, evade, incoming, associated press' - edited by BoneRemake

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