Badly Aiming Journalists

It seems that, with paper closures and bankruptcies exploding on the scene, journalists have been missing more than hitting these days. That was graphically illustrated in Iraq with a random shoe-throwing incident that clearly demonstrates their aim may be permanently off.

An Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes and an insult at George W. Bush, without hitting him, as the US president was shaking hands with the Iraqi premier at his Baghdad office on Sunday.

As the two leaders met in Nuri al-Maliki's private office, a journalist sitting in the third row jumped up, shouting: "It is the farewell kiss, you dog," and threw his shoes one after the other towards Bush.

Maliki made a protective gesture towards the US president, who ducked and was not hit.

Clearly, this journalist needs work on both his pitch and his delivery, as the President nimbly avoided his bombardment and shrugged off the incident. And notice that the Premier moved to protect the President, and didn't dive off the stage to save himself. (in Iraq, shoes may be a huge insult, but they're probably the least destructive thing you're likely to have thrown at you.) This may actually be proof of how safe Iraq has gotten: the most dangerous thing being thrown now are size 10 loafers.

An alternate account, involving more dialogue on the part of the shoe-chucker, (not to say shoe-bomber...) can be found here. In this version, his dialogue is even worse:

"This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog," the journalist shouted (in Arabic), Steven Lee Myers of The New York Times reported in a pool report to the White House press corps.

Myers reported that the man threw the second shoe and added: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

On a more serious note, the situation is sadly ironic. Here is power being peacefully transitioned over. (to what will sadly not be a particularly efficient or corruption-free ruling party, but at least they're not abducting, raping, torturing, and gassing their citizens now) Iraqis now have some say in their own government. Untold numbers of terrorists have been wiped out. Whether or not you agree with our reasons for going in, this event should be at least a moderately happy one for everyone but Al-Sadr and Al-Qaeda, setting the stage for some troop withdrawals in the near future.

Had this man thrown shoes at a visiting leader while Saddam was in power, he probably would have been thrown in a pit somewhere and starved to death. The very freedom of this man to doff his footwear and toss it at the leader of the most powerful nation on earth (and subsequently -not- be beaten to a pulp by his security force, to whom Bush signalled to stand down as the man was subdued) demonstrates that, contrary to his apparent views, victory in Iraq really is a reality. It seems the wait is over; the other shoe really has dropped.

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