Oh my..... what a welcome! I wish I could watch the video but no luck. Perhaps Bush will decide to spend his last days at home behind closed doors now!
For the benefit of those who can not see the video, President Bush expressed that he felt no illregard for the man who threw the shoes. He was simply exercising his right of Freedom of Expression.
For those of you who find this incident funny, you have a sick sense of humor.
I saw it. This guy really sent Bush a message. I'm glad that Bush wasn't hit but all in all it just shows what the seeds that our policies under Bush has brought about.
Yea Ivan, the AP reported there was blood on the floor. Bush was making his comments as security was beating the stuffing out of that journalist. Bush also said that it was like being in a parade and having someone wave at you without all the fingers. He was smart enough to get that silent message. Also, Ivan where were you this summer when Palin and McCain were creating the climate where Americans actually propsed shooting the next U. S. President. I would agree that does not make it right, but this was a foriegn national expressing his displeasure with American foriegn policy as it relates to his country. as my leader in another time so equolently stated: "being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never made me sad, they always made me glad."
Just listen to you all... I can see why, this country is in such sad shape and it has nothing to do with Bush... Werent any of you taught Respect>>>???? I wouldnt think this was a nice thing to do to Bush, Obama or anyone.... This is why, most kids havent any respect for the law, our country, our president anyone in a higher position... We are sending a message to kids that it is ok to resent anyone who is in power.... Do you think this could contribute to so much crime here in the USA??? People such as you.....
Come on, Carla. Everyone knows that throwing shoes is a sign of appreciation and gratitude in Iraq.
It was probably some widow or parent, expressing their gratitude to the Great Liberator, for giving them an opportunity to offer up the life of their loved one to the Alter of Foisted Democracy.
The gesture was intended demostrate the maximum disrespect and contempt. Remember the Iraqis pelting the downed statue of Saddam with shoes? There's a lot of filth on the ground and shoes step in it. Throwing shoes is throwing filth, the ultimate Middle Eastern insult. Dogs too are considered unclean scavengers and are generally despised. So pelt Bush with shoes and call him a dog and you can't get much lower in insult in a manner well understood in the entire region. Couldn't happen to a nicer and more deserving guy.
I understand too the fellow was locally called "Abdul the Plumber" and resented his inability to buy a business after failing to pay income tax. With his new found popularity he has a promising political carrer and book deal. Baghdad is celebrating "Abdul Day" and the locals plan to exchange gifts and a tickertape parade is in the works.
Those throws were right on target. I was really impressed with Bush's superior reflexes. At least he is physically fit to maybe have his term extended while they sort out some more of Obama's shaddy Chicago associations......
I am curious now. How soon will Obama visit Iraq? Will HE be received with open arms or flying shoes? What will you all be crying about when the shoe is off the other foot?
"We are sending a message to kids that it is ok to resent anyone who is in power"
Yeah, I guess its a much better message to send that we should always defer to those "in power," us being the lowly serfs and he being the Great and Wise Decider, ruler of us all, we should all offer up our lives or the lives of our children to lay down at his disposal, for He hath the Power and the Glory and Wisdom to tell everybody on earth what kind of government they must have, who shall sit at the head of their government, and reserveth the right to pummel them into the earth with cluster-bombs if they should be so recalcitrant and unruly as to resist His authority and judgment.
For the benefit of those who can not see the video, President Bush expressed that he felt no illregard for the man who threw the shoes. He was simply exercising his right of Freedom of Expression.
WTF would Dubya know about people exercising freedom of expression? Whenever he has come here, we are not allowed to hold up protest signs or stand on overpasses on his route at all! He KNOWS people in this country would LOVE to tell him what a champion a-hole he is, so he makes sure anyone with an opposing view is kept out of site and shut down. McCain did the same thing when he was campaigning here!
For those of you who find this incident funny, you have a sick sense of humor. I thought the sick sense of humor belonged to the dumb-f's who voted for the chimp twice.
Exactly, MJ. Bush puts protesters behind bars, or at least barricades blocks away (and charges them tax dollars for that service and the inconvenience of having every road in town shut down for hours). You are correct about him being a champion ass with no regard for freedom of speech.
I threw up a little when I read, "Bush expressed that he felt no illregard for the man who threw the shoes." That would be kinda like me saying I have no hard feelings toward the person who bled on my blouse after I stabbed him.
I find this incident sad...sad that the Iraqi people hold such ill feelings toward dogs. Dogs are noble animals. Loyal friends and protectors. Dubya ain't worth the dogsh*t in my backyard.
A group of very sad people here. If Obama does go to Iraq, I'll volunteer my entire wardrobe of shoes, gladly. At least Bush WON his election instead of bought it.
And this is for Michael Harvey.....Bush ducked as the first shoe flew close above his head, hitting the wall behind him. He ducked again to avoid the second shoe, as IRAQI security men pounced on the assailant - reported to be an Iraqi journalist - and dragged him screaming out of the room. (Gaurdian)(I guess that "dragging him out of the room" constitutes beating the stuffing out of him)
Darn, Sandy. I was hoping for a full up-chuck!!
The funniest part of this whole conversation is the Anti-Bush Bandwagon comments. Lots of points for Carla.
SCRANTON – The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.
I didn't realize Keith was a child. It doesn't matter, since I would have said the same things to a child but I wish there was some way we could know when we are dealing with children on this site. That explains one. I don't know what to think about Ivan and Cathi. Terminal ignorance and proud of it?
The unfortunate incident provided the Iraqi president an opportunity to laud great praise on President Bush for his courageous stand in liberating Iraq, and for being steadfast in returning a country to it's people.
After the shoe throwing incident, Talabani , the Iraqi president, praised President Bush as a "great friend for the Iraqi people" and the man "who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, where we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country."
That was probably worth ducking a few shoes for. I'm reminded of when Kruschev took off his shoes and pounded them on a table. Such childish, attention-seeking antics speaks volumes about the thrower.
President Bush was remarkable in his reaction, by making light of it and continuing on with his speech. The mark of a true Stateman. You have to admire a guy like that. The Iraqi presidents statement proved to the world how Iraqi officials and the Iraqi people admire and respect President Bush, for his efforts in ridding Iraq of Saddam.
As noted, the throwing or slamming of shoes is considered the ultimate sign of contempt in Iraqi society. The man's message was clear. He spoke for all those in Iraq who rue our involvement (though not necessarily the removal of Saddam Hussein). That segment of Iraqi society despises what we have done, and wants us to leave.
However, it's unclear what percentage of society that segment represents. While I think the vast majority of the populace would like us to leave, many of those are afraid of what might happen when we do. And what happens depends not so much on us but what the Iraqi government is able to do. Can they govern effectively or will they be seen as US puppets? Will they govern with equality for Sunni, Shia, and Kurd, or will there be bias for one group or the other? These are questions only the Iraqi's can answer. And this is further complicated by the power struggles both within Iraq itself and among its neighbors in the region (in particular Iran, but others as well).
Sophie - I think perhaps you should take another look at the full tape. Bush's reaction was as anyone would expect. He made light of it, but he could do nothing else (he certainly couldn't stand there in a room full of Iraqis and scream epithets at the guy). The comments by the Iraqi leadership were also as expected; they couldn't very well spit on the guy who controls 150,000 troops and pays most of the bills. The event was what all of these events are - photo ops (i.e., propaganda). Which is why the journalist took advantage of the cameras to make his statement. A bit boorish, but effective in changing the coverage of the event.
Bush's response actually showed how much he missed the point (or ignored the point). His anecdotal analogies were not understood by the Iraqis (the reference to waving without all your fingers is clear to most Americans but would mean nothing to most cultures who don't use the single finger gesture as an insult). In short, his view was still very US-centric. Not unexpected, but a bit disappointing that after 5+ years in Iraq his response saw this solely from our point of view and not the point of view of the country he was in. Therein lies one of the major complaints against Bush in this country - seeing the world from only one viewpoint.
He is a menace. It might be a good idea for him to hunker down and slither off to Crawford or South America or wherever. It really is too bad we have to wait until Jan. 20 for him to go away.
After the shoe throwing incident, Talabani , the Iraqi president, praised President Bush as a "great friend for the Iraqi people" and the man "who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, where we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country."
Thank you, Sophie, for adding that part. It always seems to be missing.
It's a shame that people would get their jollies off on someone attempting to insult our president. Despite their depraved feelings, he is still our president.
I, too, am anxious for Jan. 20th. How is this group going to react when the shoe is on "that one"? Perhaps I'll put together my article early and just keep it saved for that special day.
It is a shame we wasted our time liberating these people. They should have been left to Saddam Hussein. I think if the shoe throwing "journalist" had done the same thing to Saddam, he would have been eating his own private parts for dinner.
"I hope Obama will be able to restore respect for the office of the presidency and that our country will once again be held in high esteem around the world. "
Yes Mariah, our lord and saviour, Barack Obama, will make everything all better.--ick.
Yes Mariah, I do hope for the best for Obama. At the same time, I do not buy into the loss of our nation's prestige around the world. I don't really care what Iran, Iraq, Venezuela or Russia think about this country, nor should we think for one minute that we need to make "amends" to them for the Bush years.
And I certainly hope that the dictators of the world don't think they can "roll" Obama. He needs to be tough, and he has the right team to deliver the appropriate message.
I can say from direct experience that America has lost prestige around the world. This is fact. And we should care about what Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Russia and everyone else thinks about this country. Because to lead you need people to listen. The world stopped listening to the US shortly after Bush began his second term, and as a result Iran, Russia, China, and others have grown even more influential.
I think the dictators of the world see Obama much clearer than some in the US. They liked Bush because he was an easy foil to rally their people against. With Obama, their people will wonder why their leaders are calling him evil, since he doesn't play the part. Bush played the part to the hilt.
If Obama does what he has shown he intends to do and is capable of doing, he will use all the tools available, not just the biggest one.
I really don't know what George Bush was thinking or who advised him to do a farewell tour in Iraq. Maybe there's people in the White House who believe that the people of Iraq are happy about the death and destruction they've witnessed over the last 7 years.
Maybe George Bush conveniently doesn't want to see how he's destabilized the Middle East, therefore accelerating the sectarian violence between the different sects.
Or maybe George Bush finally thought he would be greeted as a liberator with flowers and candy being thrown at him instead of a pair of shoes.
Whatever the case may be, it shows that George Bush is out of touch with the feelings of the Iraqi people and that of the American people.
I think you're probably correct, Lloyd. I think that he has been living under the illusion of himself as a liberator. I think he desperately wanted to make up for what he perceived as his father's mistake of pulling out of Iraq in the first war.
Hi Carla. His father was the head of the CIA before becoming President of the United States of America. He new better than anyone else not to continue towards Baghdad after the mission of liberating Kuwait was finished after Gulf War I.
It's a shame that the son did not heed his father's advice. It's a NEOCON thing.
Thank you for that information about the perception of the US in Arabian countries, Mariah. Your comment is one of the most important comments on this thread. There are too many people in America who express an arrogance that simply isn't warranted. The US is a wonderful country, but not everything the US is doing or has done has been great for others. We would be wise to consider how our actions impact other countries. Iraq is very important to us. We bombed the bejeezus out of them. We owe them big time.
Lloyd - I think Bush's main purpose in going to Iraq and Afghanistan was to show support for the troops, which I agree is a very good thing. Of course, he also wanted to make a show of a simulated signing of the agreement that defines the criteria and a timetable for us getting out of Iraq, which is also a good thing. I suspect most Iraqis are happy that we are planning to leave, though clearly the shoe-thrower was miffed that we were there in the first place.
Iraq has never really enjoyed freedom of the press ala US Constitution style. It would be interesting to find out how the authorities dealt with that journalist.
Iraqis and Americans aren't natural enemies. We have no reason to fight each other, and we understand each other far better than we did back in 2003. True bonds have been formed. Iraq and America realize that we have every reason to cooperate as allies.
But the greater, much more important, milestone will be the day when American, British and Polish students are studying in Iraq, while Iraqi students are studying in our countries. Cementing these ties takes time and patience. But we can do it.
Al Qaeda was handed a vicious defeat in Iraq, and it can be said with great certainty that most Iraqis hate al Qaeda even more than Americans do. Al Qaeda can continue to murder Iraqis for now, but al Qaeda will be hard pressed to ever plant their flag in another Iraqi city. The Iraqi army and police have become far too strong and organized, and the Iraqis will eventually strangle al Qaeda to death.
I still find people in America, Nepal, Thailand, UAE and other countries who believe al Qaeda propaganda that they attack us because we support Israel or occupy Muslim holy land. This would not explain the decapitated Iraqi children I photographed when locals told me al Qaeda did it. This would not explain the Iraqi children al Qaeda has blown up, or the Afghans and Pakistanis killed by al Qaeda, or the Africans who are murdered by the same cult of serial killers. Did those decapitated children in the Iraqi village even know where America or Israel are? What about the Shia mosques they destroyed in Iraq? Were they occupying Saudi Arabia or supporting Israel?
I read a lot of unrealistic comments here regarding how Bush is viewed and how America is viewed. How we have completely ruined Iraq, etc. It' amazing how people can hold this illogical ideas when there is proof otherwise. And Joe T., you are one of the worst offenders.
I hope they locked up that "journalist" who had some personal vendetta.
Cathi - merely pointing out that we bombed Iraq is hardly demonstrating a lack of logic. On March 20, 2002, we bombed Iraq with a campaign of "shock and awe." We are now living with those repercussions. We completely ruined the country. Prove me wrong, Cathi.
The journalist/shoe-thrower has succeeded in one thing. Rather than a propaganda photo-op where Bush could extol "the nearing of the end of the war," the incident has made some start to question where we really stand. As I and others have noted before, the reduction in violence that has come because of the "surge" (defined as the Sunni/Anbar Awakening + segregation of Sunni and Shia + cease fire of al-Sadr's Mahdi army + US troop increases) is not our stated goal or any "victory." The real question is what happens after we leave. By essentially creating a Sunni army in Anbar (many of which are ex-Baathists) we have set the stage for further conflict with the largely Shia central government once the US is no longer 1) in the middle keeping the peace and 2) paying everyone's salaries. Muqtada al-Sadr could very well release his Mahdi militia to confront any Sunni attempts to exert political power through military action. The Kurdish north has pretty much been self-governing for a long time, and any attempt to force them into something they aren't comfortable with is likely to be met with resistance. Meanwhile, basic services and infrastructure are largely still at pre-war levels or worse, which means everyone is pretty ticked off most of the time. And while violence is down, Iraq still contends with near daily attacks and bombings throughout the country.
So if our goal was a stable, self-sufficient, self-governing, even pro-American Iraqi government, we aren't even close.
Perhaps it is a good thing that the journalist threw his shoes. It may have woken us up.
How many more people have to die before everyone realizes that Bush was a terrible president...that he doesnt deserve respect and BTW he never WON the election..either one.
David, my italicized comments come from journalist Michael Yon, two of his most recent three articles specifically on Iraq, Iraq's New Dawn - Victory Across the Board and The Art of the End of War.
Joe T., thank you for the minor history refresher, but do you not have any clue what happened in between then? We completely ruined the country? You're wearing blinders, man! Quick! Take them off!
Cathi, good that when asked you attributed your italicized comments to the original author. Umm, otherwise, it would be considered a copyright infringement. Still, a little long for fair use ...
Kay and snowy cat, I wonder what you would say if the shoe were on the other foot. I mean, if our country was attacked and occupied for years on end, your friends and neighbors and maybe some of your own family members killed by an errant bomb. What if the perpetrator was standing right in front of you at a press conference, refusing to accept responsibility?
Mariah, I believe Obama has assembled a good foreign relations team. What I would like to see is this country reiterate our very bold stands against totalitarian regimes in the world and stand with countries struggling to be free.
Prima, If my country ignored 17 United Nations resolutions, shot at our UN sanctioned planes flying over the country, I would expect a strong response. Keep in mind, I was against this war, I did not want one drop of American blood spilled for these people; if they wanted to be free, they should have fought for freedom themselves. Something, however had to be done if the UN was to retain any shred of relevance in this world.
Carla, I think it was clear that Kay & Snowy Cat did NOT say the U.S. spoke on behalf of the UN. I'm surprised you aren't aware of the history on this, Carla. I thought you at least had a little bit of knowledge regarding Iraq.
Carla, it doesn't. Understand, I believe the UN is a useless body and should be ousted from the US. Trump can build condos on the property. But there are some, Obama among them, that believe the UN does have authority, and thus when the entire security council votes for resolutions with grave consequences against a country, one would think they should be taken seriously.
Cathi is correct. You apparently do not know the entire history of the Iraq situation.
A strong response is one thing; albeit for all the wrong reasons and without the support of the UN. But continued occupation of this beleaguered country has only weakened our moral authority in the world and strengthened the terrorists' will to fight.
On 16 September 2004 Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, speaking on the invasion, said, "I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN Charter. From our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal."
Kofi Annan, the former worthless head of this worthless body clearly was not aware of the 17 UN resolutions ignored by Iraq. Perhaps he supported yet another impotent measure to be taken against Saddam. Prima you simply support my view that the UN should be given its walking papers and removed from our country. They are empty, corrupt and clearly ineffectual. Now back to the shoes.
Carla, that wasn't a personal put down. But your comment Kay, since when does the U.S. speak on behalf of the whole UN? clearly was disingenuous. You knew better than that, at least I hope you did.
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Perhaps Bush will decide to spend his last days at home behind closed doors now!
Can't watch the video. On dialup. Maybe he should not, unneccesarily expose himself to any more danger. Things are just not good.
For those of you who find this incident funny, you have a sick sense of humor.
I am sorry now I feel like a heel
It was probably some widow or parent, expressing their gratitude to the Great Liberator, for giving them an opportunity to offer up the life of their loved one to the Alter of Foisted Democracy.
"The war is not over," he said.
How many days ago did he declare victory? We won the war but he wants to hang around and see how many more people can die?
I understand too the fellow was locally called "Abdul the Plumber" and resented his inability to buy a business after failing to pay income tax. With his new found popularity he has a promising political carrer and book deal. Baghdad is celebrating "Abdul Day" and the locals plan to exchange gifts and a tickertape parade is in the works.
Vickey,
It is difficult to take you seriously when you say the things that you have often said about those politicians that you disagree with.
And Vickey, lighten up.
Yeah, I guess its a much better message to send that we should always defer to those "in power," us being the lowly serfs and he being the Great and Wise Decider, ruler of us all, we should all offer up our lives or the lives of our children to lay down at his disposal, for He hath the Power and the Glory and Wisdom to tell everybody on earth what kind of government they must have, who shall sit at the head of their government, and reserveth the right to pummel them into the earth with cluster-bombs if they should be so recalcitrant and unruly as to resist His authority and judgment.
All Hail God's Arbiter on Earth!
WTF would Dubya know about people exercising freedom of expression? Whenever he has come here, we are not allowed to hold up protest signs or stand on overpasses on his route at all! He KNOWS people in this country would LOVE to tell him what a champion a-hole he is, so he makes sure anyone with an opposing view is kept out of site and shut down. McCain did the same thing when he was campaigning here!
For those of you who find this incident funny, you have a sick sense of humor.
I thought the sick sense of humor belonged to the dumb-f's who voted for the chimp twice.
I threw up a little when I read, "Bush expressed that he felt no illregard for the man who threw the shoes." That would be kinda like me saying I have no hard feelings toward the person who bled on my blouse after I stabbed him.
Yet.
And this is for Michael Harvey.....Bush ducked as the first shoe flew close above his head, hitting the wall behind him. He ducked again to avoid the second shoe, as IRAQI security men pounced on the assailant - reported to be an Iraqi journalist - and dragged him screaming out of the room. (Gaurdian)(I guess that "dragging him out of the room" constitutes beating the stuffing out of him)
Darn, Sandy. I was hoping for a full up-chuck!!
The funniest part of this whole conversation is the Anti-Bush Bandwagon comments. Lots of points for Carla.
SCRANTON – The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.
The Scranton Times-Tribune (Pa)
After the shoe throwing incident, Talabani , the Iraqi president, praised President Bush as a "great friend for the Iraqi people" and the man "who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, where we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country."
That was probably worth ducking a few shoes for. I'm reminded of when Kruschev took off his shoes and pounded them on a table. Such childish, attention-seeking antics speaks volumes about the thrower.
President Bush was remarkable in his reaction, by making light of it and continuing on with his speech. The mark of a true Stateman. You have to admire a guy like that. The Iraqi presidents statement proved to the world how Iraqi officials and the Iraqi people admire and respect President Bush, for his efforts in ridding Iraq of Saddam.
However, it's unclear what percentage of society that segment represents. While I think the vast majority of the populace would like us to leave, many of those are afraid of what might happen when we do. And what happens depends not so much on us but what the Iraqi government is able to do. Can they govern effectively or will they be seen as US puppets? Will they govern with equality for Sunni, Shia, and Kurd, or will there be bias for one group or the other? These are questions only the Iraqi's can answer. And this is further complicated by the power struggles both within Iraq itself and among its neighbors in the region (in particular Iran, but others as well).
Bush's response actually showed how much he missed the point (or ignored the point). His anecdotal analogies were not understood by the Iraqis (the reference to waving without all your fingers is clear to most Americans but would mean nothing to most cultures who don't use the single finger gesture as an insult). In short, his view was still very US-centric. Not unexpected, but a bit disappointing that after 5+ years in Iraq his response saw this solely from our point of view and not the point of view of the country he was in. Therein lies one of the major complaints against Bush in this country - seeing the world from only one viewpoint.
Thank you, Sophie, for adding that part. It always seems to be missing.
It's a shame that people would get their jollies off on someone attempting to insult our president. Despite their depraved feelings, he is still our president.
I, too, am anxious for Jan. 20th. How is this group going to react when the shoe is on "that one"? Perhaps I'll put together my article early and just keep it saved for that special day.
Yes Mariah, our lord and saviour, Barack Obama, will make everything all better.--ick.
I think the dictators of the world see Obama much clearer than some in the US. They liked Bush because he was an easy foil to rally their people against. With Obama, their people will wonder why their leaders are calling him evil, since he doesn't play the part. Bush played the part to the hilt.
If Obama does what he has shown he intends to do and is capable of doing, he will use all the tools available, not just the biggest one.
Maybe George Bush conveniently doesn't want to see how he's destabilized the Middle East, therefore accelerating the sectarian violence between the different sects.
Or maybe George Bush finally thought he would be greeted as a liberator with flowers and candy being thrown at him instead of a pair of shoes.
Whatever the case may be, it shows that George Bush is out of touch with the feelings of the Iraqi people and that of the American people.
It's a shame that the son did not heed his father's advice. It's a NEOCON thing.
...not impressed!
(Remember him from Austin Powers? He threw his shoes.
He threw a second shoe and yelled: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
But the greater, much more important, milestone will be the day when American, British and Polish students are studying in Iraq, while Iraqi students are studying in our countries. Cementing these ties takes time and patience. But we can do it.
Al Qaeda was handed a vicious defeat in Iraq, and it can be said with great certainty that most Iraqis hate al Qaeda even more than Americans do. Al Qaeda can continue to murder Iraqis for now, but al Qaeda will be hard pressed to ever plant their flag in another Iraqi city. The Iraqi army and police have become far too strong and organized, and the Iraqis will eventually strangle al Qaeda to death.
I still find people in America, Nepal, Thailand, UAE and other countries who believe al Qaeda propaganda that they attack us because we support Israel or occupy Muslim holy land. This would not explain the decapitated Iraqi children I photographed when locals told me al Qaeda did it. This would not explain the Iraqi children al Qaeda has blown up, or the Afghans and Pakistanis killed by al Qaeda, or the Africans who are murdered by the same cult of serial killers. Did those decapitated children in the Iraqi village even know where America or Israel are? What about the Shia mosques they destroyed in Iraq? Were they occupying Saudi Arabia or supporting Israel?
I read a lot of unrealistic comments here regarding how Bush is viewed and how America is viewed. How we have completely ruined Iraq, etc. It' amazing how people can hold this illogical ideas when there is proof otherwise. And Joe T., you are one of the worst offenders.
I hope they locked up that "journalist" who had some personal vendetta.
So if our goal was a stable, self-sufficient, self-governing, even pro-American Iraqi government, we aren't even close.
Perhaps it is a good thing that the journalist threw his shoes. It may have woken us up.
Alot of points for a size ten.
Keith, you can't possibly give the guy points if he didn't hit his mark, can you?
Prima, If my country ignored 17 United Nations resolutions, shot at our UN sanctioned planes flying over the country, I would expect a strong response. Keep in mind, I was against this war, I did not want one drop of American blood spilled for these people; if they wanted to be free, they should have fought for freedom themselves. Something, however had to be done if the UN was to retain any shred of relevance in this world.
Cathi is correct. You apparently do not know the entire history of the Iraq situation.
On 16 September 2004 Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, speaking on the invasion, said, "I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN Charter. From our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal."
(Carla, see I left kay and cathy alone,aren't you proud of me ?)
It is the Christmas season after all.;-)