Angry Iraqi throws shoes at Bush in Baghdad

[Banana]

(CNN) -- President Bush made a farewell visit Sunday to Baghdad, Iraq, where he met with Iraqi leaders and was targeted by an angry Iraqi man, who jumped up and threw shoes at Bush during a news conference.
Security personnel surround President Bush after an Iraqi threw his shoes at him in Baghdad Sunday.

Security personnel surround President Bush after an Iraqi threw his shoes at him in Baghdad Sunday.
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Among Muslims, throwing shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult.

The man was dragged out screaming after throwing the shoes. Bush ducked, and the shoes, thrown one at a time, sailed past his head during the news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in his palace in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

As the man continued to scream from another room, Bush said: "That was a size 10 shoe he threw at me, you may want to know."

Bush had been lauding the conclusion of the security pact with Iraq as journalists looked on.

Bush landed at Baghdad International Airport on Sunday and traveled by helicopter to meet with President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents at Talabani's palace outside the Green Zone.

It marked the first time he has been outside the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad without being on a military base.

The visit was Bush's fourth since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Afterward, Talabani praised his U.S. counterpart as a "great friend for the Iraqi people" and the man "who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, which we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country." Video Watch President Bush and Iraq's president walk the red carpet »

Talabani said he and Bush, who is slated to leave office next month, had spoken "very frankly and friendly" and expressed the hope that the two would remain friends even "back in Texas."

For his part, Bush said he had come to admire Talabani and his vice presidents "for their courage and for their determination to succeed."

As the U.S. and Iraqi national anthems played and Iraqi troops looked on, he and the Iraqi president walked along a red carpet.
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Bush's trip was to celebrate the conclusion of the security pact with Iraq, called the Strategic Framework Agreement and the Status of Forces Agreement, the White House said.

Bush called the passage of the pact "a way forward to help the Iraqi people realize the blessings of a free society."

Bush said the work "hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope, and world peace."
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In remarks to reporters, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, who traveled with Bush, described the situation in Iraq as "in a transition."

"For the first time in Iraq's history and really the first time in the region, you have Sunni, Shia and Kurds working together in a democratic framework to chart a way forward for their country," he said.

Angry Iraqi throws shoes at Bush in Baghdad - CNN.com

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/WO...ush.afp.gi.jpghttp://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/WO...man.afp.gi.jpghttp://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/WO...owd.afp.gi.jpg

Need video of this.

[The Jesus]

The video's here: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

Shame he missed.

[Ol' Couch Ass]

For those too lazy to click through to another page.



You gotta give it to him, that was some pretty good shucking and jiving.

[better than new]

I'm impressed that he didn't hide behind the podium or something. Too bad he didn't break Bush's nose though.

[rolmos]

Originally Posted by The Jesus

Shame he missed.

It truly is a shame. The comedic potential was enormous. I guess reporters will have to attend press conferences behind thick glass now.

[???]

Originally Posted by Ol' Couch Ass

For those too lazy to click through to another page.



You gotta give it to him, that was some pretty good shucking and jiving.

bahaha

bring back rep

[foxtrot2000]

the cat's got good reflexes. He still should aimed lower though.

[Mablak]

Man I can't stop watching that. I look forward to various parodies of this incident, possibly by SNL. Throwing shoes at Bush should be made into a game.

[Shallowed]

Among Muslims, throwing shoes at someone... ...is considered an insult.

What a strange culture. I don't feel insulted at all when someone throws shoes at my head.

[The Jesus]

The guy fucked it up by shouting as he was about to launch the first shoe. If he'd kept his yap shut until it was in flight I'm pretty sure he would have scored a direct hit.

[Future Boy]

Originally Posted by T&T

http://i36.tinypic.com/2uyod3k.gif

Like Andyslash and Ravenguy said, Bush smirking is great.

[The Jesus]

That smirk is the kind of smirk toddlers have when they're shitting their nappies.

[dudehitscar]

oliver stone now regrets making his movie before the end of Bush's reign.

[Andrew_Pakula]

He should have thrown a chair

[Ol' Couch Ass]

My eternal admiration for anyone who can turn that animated gif into an av.... especially just the shoe whizzing past his head and then the smirk. I'm stuck at work for the next 24 hours and we don't have any gif software on these POS.

[jczeroman]

Dude. You have to admit that Bush looks like kind of a tough mo fo there. He ducks and then totally stares the guy down. I mean it could have been a bomb or something for all he knows and he just stands back up and faces the guy down.

[severin]

Originally Posted by jczeroman

Dude. You have to admit that Bush looks like kind of a tough mo fo there. He ducks and then totally stares the guy down. I mean it could have been a bomb or something for all he knows and he just stands back up and faces the guy down.

makes you think, huh?

[Toast]

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...ht/2vxq3v9.gif

[The Jesus]

Originally Posted by Andrew_Pakula

He should have thrown a chair

If you ever hold a conference about the future of Netphoria there will be an avalanche of shoes coming in your direction.

[foxtrot2000]

George Bush is a heck of a guy, not only did he dodge the two shoes but he also dodged the questions about it.

[carapatricia]

its about time this happened.

too bad its just a shoe.

[JokeyLoki]

Originally Posted by Toast

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...ht/2vxq3v9.gif

God Bless the Internet.

[TicalFSU]

Originally Posted by Ol' Couch Ass

My eternal admiration for anyone who can turn that animated gif into an av.... especially just the shoe whizzing past his head and then the smirk. I'm stuck at work for the next 24 hours and we don't have any gif software on these POS.

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~rk2o/omgshoes.gif

[JokeyLoki]

Avatar sized:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...oes-avatar.gif

[Shallowed]

I jeust noticed the dude to the right of him trying to block the second shoe with his hand.

http://www.soccer-training-guide.com...cer-goalie.jpg

[Starla]

i'm impressed with bush's reflexes

[severin]

Originally Posted by Starla

i'm impressed with bush's reflexes

see, that's why i think this is a set-up. the guy not just simply throws the shoe, but yells at length befor he does so. normally there'd be at least 2 of bush's security guys pinning down the guy with the shoe and 2 others blocking bush himself with seconds. then he gets to throw the shoe, but bush, contrary to any security procedure (and human instinct) does not leave the area, but sports extraordinary good reflexes for a guy his age and jokes about the matter. security at his place? nowhere to be seen. this shoe could've been anything...and the outcome? whole of america is amused and gves bush credit for being a badass and having good reflexes, he goes out on a high note...i smell a rat

[redbull]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ushpokemon.gif

[jczeroman]

Originally Posted by severin

see, that's why i think this is a set-up. the guy not just simply throws the shoe, but yells at length befor he does so. normally there'd be at least 2 of bush's security guys pinning down the guy with the shoe and 2 others blocking bush himself with seconds. then he gets to throw the shoe, but bush, contrary to any security procedure (and human instinct) does not leave the area, but sports extraordinary good reflexes for a guy his age and jokes about the matter. security at his place? nowhere to be seen. this shoe could've been anything...and the outcome? whole of america is amused and gves bush credit for being a badass and having good reflexes, he goes out on a high note...i smell a rat

My conspiratorial instincts agree with you.

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by severin

see, that's why i think this is a set-up. the guy not just simply throws the shoe, but yells at length befor he does so. normally there'd be at least 2 of bush's security guys pinning down the guy with the shoe and 2 others blocking bush himself with seconds. then he gets to throw the shoe, but bush, contrary to any security procedure (and human instinct) does not leave the area, but sports extraordinary good reflexes for a guy his age and jokes about the matter. security at his place? nowhere to be seen. this shoe could've been anything...and the outcome? whole of america is amused and gves bush credit for being a badass and having good reflexes, he goes out on a high note...i smell a rat

No. The security at that location was reported as being about as tight as humanly possible. Everyone present would have had to have known that it couldn't have been much more than a shoe and wasn't going to be anything life threatening.

and how would an Iraqi throwing a shoe at him because of how much the Iraqi people want the United States to stop meddling in their country make Bush go out on a high note? this makes no sense whatsoever.