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Iraqi Shoe-Thrower Asks for Pardon

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 12:49:41 PM EST
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Jailed Iraqi Journalist , Muntader al-Zaidi has asked for a pardon. It's Christmas. Give him one.

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    Iraqi Shoe-Thrower Asks for Pardon | 18 comments (18 topical)

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    Heh (5.00 / 5) (#4)
    by Steve M on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 01:06:16 PM EST
    I realize this is a matter for the Iraqi government to resolve, but it would be a noble gesture for Bush to publicly support the guy's request for clemency.

    Heck, the Pope forgave the guy who nearly murdered him.  A couple shoes should be small potatoes.

    Lemon into Lemonade, but no, (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by KeysDan on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 03:56:28 PM EST
    lemon into lemon trees. President Bush could have defused this aggressive insult by inviting the guy to tea and giving him an interview.  Moreover, he could have reinforced his claim of Iraqi sovereignty by demurring to the Iraqi judicial system, but requesting a pardon. This behavior, however, seems outside of his grasp; For Americans, rather than throwing a shoe, we should throw the book at him.  And, according to the NYT editorial today, this idea is gaining some interest.

    Isn't he facing (none / 0) (#1)
    by AlkalineDave on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 12:58:46 PM EST
    a two year minimum sentence?  He whizzed those shoes pretty hard, but two years is quite some time.

    Is the reporter Chaldean (Christian)? (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 01:00:01 PM EST


    Christmas, Ramadan, Hannukah.... (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 01:12:49 PM EST
    Winter Solstice...'tis the season no matter what.

    Free that Size 10!

    Parent

    Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (none / 0) (#15)
    by ding7777 on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 08:21:53 PM EST
    with Christmas, Ramadan, Hannukah being observed in both the Northern/Southern Hemisphere

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    Bush is. (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jen M on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 03:48:29 PM EST
    Wouldn't hurt him to ask for clemency for the guy.

    Parent
    I agree, show some compassion. (none / 0) (#3)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    In fact, I wonder if the video won't be the image that defines him forever in the ME, like the image of the guy with his shopping bags of full of dinner noodles staring down the tanks in Tiananmen Square.

    If Bush was smart, he'd maybe call for the guy's release and make some grand gesture, like physically shaking the guy's hand or something, some image that would smother the image of him almost getting beaned by a shoe...

    Dubya's Response (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 03:17:30 PM EST
    If you can bear to watch this, it is essentially BushCo returning the shoe throw gesture, with one of his own favorite, flipping the bird.

    It does not look like he is going to ask the Iraqi's to pardon al-Zaidi.

    I made it through (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 04:39:14 PM EST
    one minute and 38 seconds. Now I'm going to put my head in the microwave.

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    No Coincidence (none / 0) (#11)
    by squeaky on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 04:42:48 PM EST
    With this nauseating video, that the shoe thrower called Bush a dog, was there?

    Seems to me that Bush is sending a message to Muslims.

    Parent

    Wow (none / 0) (#12)
    by Steve M on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 06:08:09 PM EST
    Such production values.  I guess this is what happens when all of the artistic types are in the opposing party.

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    Brutal. (none / 0) (#13)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 06:20:48 PM EST
    Maybe it's a Rovian ploy designed to make the shoe-thrower and his ilk feel sorry for us...

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    Wait a sec.... (none / 0) (#14)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 06:41:55 PM EST
    that was for real?

    A perfect ten on the unintentional comedy scale!

    Parent

    A pardon and a contract endorsing shoes would (none / 0) (#8)
    by JSN on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 03:54:18 PM EST
    be nice.

    none of Bush's business (none / 0) (#16)
    by diogenes on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 10:11:36 PM EST
    Wasn't the point of handing over political control to Iraqis that we wouldn't meddle in their criminal justice system vis-a-vis Iraqi citizens?  Maybe there is some Iraqi national interest involved in not insulting/assaulting foreign heads of state.  Let them decide.

    Can someone tell me (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Dec 19, 2008 at 09:35:53 AM EST
    why we should give a flip what the ME thinks of us?

    lol (none / 0) (#19)
    by squeaky on Fri Dec 19, 2008 at 11:06:27 AM EST


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    Iraqi Shoe-Thrower Asks for Pardon | 18 comments (18 topical)

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