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| Iraq |
| Shoe-hurler seeks pardon |
| 2008-12-19 |
| That Hero of the Arab World thing just ain't working out, huh? BAGHDAD: A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says the journalist who threw his shoes at US president George Bush has asked for a pardon. Spokesman Yassin Majid says that in a letter sent on Thursday to PM Nouri al-Maliki the journalist described his behaviour as "an ugly act" and asked to be pardoned. Or could you at least tell your security people to not break any more of my bones? Thank you. Majid says that Muntazer al-Zaidi in the letter recalls the kindness the prime minister once showed him during an interview in 2005 and asked for al-Maliki to show him kindness once again. Al-Zaidi, a correspondent for an Iraqi-owned television station could face two years imprisonment for insulting a foreign leader. Geez, hope your wimping out don't screw this up. An Egyptian man said on Wednesday that he was offering his 20-year-old daughter in marriage to Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at George Bush. The daughter, Amal Saad Gumaa, said she agreed with the idea. Like she's got a choice? "This is something that would honor me. I would like to live in Iraq, especially if I were attached to this hero," she said. C'mon, big guy. Don't let her down. You can do two years standing on your fractured skull. Her father, Saad Gumaa, said he had called Dergham, Zaidi's brother, to tell him of the offer. "I find nothing more valuable than my daughter to offer to him," he added. C'mon, pops. Some Saudi guy offered 10 million for the shoes. Couldn't ya up the ante? Toss in a coupla goats or sumthin? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #6 Pardon the guy allready!!! This entire incident did our cause way, way more good than bad. |
| Posted by: Glager the Weasel1393 2008-12-19 17:28 |
| #5 Gee, maybe insulting "the most powerful man in the world©" AND the prime minister of your recently-civilized Arab nation to their faces wasn't a real great idea after all... |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-12-19 16:50 |
| #4 Bush should ask for him to be cut loose. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-12-19 15:46 |
| #3 Maliki should tell this punk that in order for a pardon to even be considered, he must first apologize to President Bush in person, explain the error of his ways, and ask for his forgiveness. This should be captured live by all the media and broadcasted to the four corners of the world for all to see. Of course, Bush will graciously accept his apology and offer his unconditional forgiveness. Immediately following, he will embrace Zaidi as the newest member of the modern world. A world that is based on the shared values of democracy, liberty, freedom of speech, and tolerance for all but the intolerant. Mission accomplished. |
| Posted by: eltoroverde 2008-12-19 14:05 |
| #2 "This is something that would honor me. I would like to live in Iraq, especially if I were attached to this hero," she said. For an olde maid, you sure are picky - what makes you think that you two will have any chance to live in Iraq after dipshit's antics? You two will live in Egypt where your 15 minute husband will scribble for a 3rd rate rag which will lose readership, leading to him being fired in 2 years. There you will listen to him bicker about bone pain when the weather gets cold and hear the same story over and over every eid, "If only I'd hit him. I could have been a contender, now I'm just a bum." Free speech is the right to forum and propose opinions based upon the weight of words and ideas (that is, the paper he is allowed to write for and have freely distributed in Iraq), not throwing crap like a jouvinile monkey who didn't get a banana. This goofball, in a 15 second clip, highlighted the gulf in idea of civility between the West and ME, and how far Iraq has come in 5 short difficult years. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-12-19 12:15 |
| #1 Give Bush an A+ for how he played this one. The issue here is Maliki. The news guy severely dishonored him. Al Zaidi should offer Maliki that guy's 20 year old daughter as an additional wife. That will save his face. Surprise her though. |
| Posted by: Penguin 2008-12-19 01:41 |