Giant Shoe Honors Journalist Who Targeted Bush

A town in Iraq has unveiled a giant monument in honor of the journalist who threw his shoe at former US President George W. Bush. The statue, unveiled in former dictator Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, depicts a bronze-colored shoe, filled with a plastic shrub. Fatin Abdul Qader, head of an orphanage and children's organization in the town, said the one-and-a-half-ton monument by artist Laith al-Amiri was titled "statue of glory and generosity." This statue is the least expression of our appreciation for Muntazer al-Zaidi, because Iraqi hearts were comforted by his throw." Mission accomplished.

Comments

Re:Fits

[rolfwind]

So what happened to the guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntadhar_al-Zaidi#Trial

Food for thought

[Stormwatch]

What if someone had tossed a shoe against Saddam Hussein?

Re:Food for thought

[Anonymous Coward]

He would have been tortured, forced into a sham trial, and executed.
Contrast to nowadays, when he is being tortured, forced into a sham trial, and probably not executed.
Progress!

Re:Food for thought

[sumdumass]

Well, Actually in America, assaulting a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person is subject to a fine plus three years imprisonment unless they use a uses a deadly or dangerous weapon, or inflicts bodily injury, then it becomes a fine plus ten years imprisonment in the US. If he would have been just harassing him, then it would be six months and a fine.

If the person is a US official, inside the US, then an assault could get fines and imprisoned for one year if it's a "simple assault" and up to eight year and a fine if it is more. If they use a dangerous or deadly weapon, it jumps to a fine and 20 years.

So yea, the US already has it covered quite well, the Iraqi government is a little strict but as the parrent said, what would the punishment of that country's former leader been like?

BTW, It is a fair comparison to look at the former leadership of a country when all of the current leaders have lived and suffered the penalties of the former leadership. It will take time and probably a few generations before people realize how strong laws and punishment don't need to be.

Re:Food for thought

[Anonymous Coward]

According to a Mistress of Saddam's, he also liked to watch videos of his enemies being tortured. During the viewings he'd be smoking a cigar and wearing a cowboy hat while laughing out loud.

It's not much of a stretch to think that he did something similar when he gassed a lot of Kurds...

Re:Food for thought

[Ninnle Linux]

What the hell are you talking about? The journalist hasn't been tortured or beaten.

What the hell are YOU talking about? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/22/iraq-georgebush

Bush shoe-thrower 'tortured into writing letter of apology'

The investigating judge in the case said last week that Zaidi, who will stand trial on 31 December, was beaten around the face and eyes.

So that's both torture and beating.

Torn down already

[TiberSeptm]

This has already been torn down by order of local authorities as of Jan 30th. They didn't even care that it was built with the help of orphans- although maybe they were taking a tough stance against child labor.

Re:Torn down already

[Dun Malg]

This has already been torn down by order of local authorities as of Jan 30th. They didn't even care that it was built with the help of orphans

The issue was that it was erected on the grounds of a state-run orphanage. Officials determined that overt political statements ought not be on government property.

Freedom of speech?

[jonaskoelker]

"Let's go to Iraq and export our democratic American values"
"Hey, they're building a statue that says something that offends us"
"Hey, that statute reminds us of violent attacks on rulers"
"Let's tear down this statue, we don't like what it says"

Export democratic values my $DONKEY

Re:Freedom of speech?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Let's go to Iraq and export our democratic American values"

I thought the real reason for going to Iraq was to look for WMD's... ...and they finally found one! Phew, think about the smell of that one...

Re:Freedom of speech?

[sumdumass]

Like many people in your situation, you are infering too much.

First, the US didn't tear down the shoe, Iraq did. Second, it isn't like the same hasn't happened elswhere in the world when the things are created on other people's propery, without permits, unsafe and so on.

Bush is out of office. You can drop the act now.

Re:Freedom of speech?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is not an act. It is full-blown BDS. I fear it cannot be cured. Even the healing touch of the Obamessiah may be unable to lift such an affliction.

Re:Freedom of speech?

[vux984]

First, the US didn't tear down the shoe, Iraq did.

What's the difference. The Iraqi government was established by and exists at the sufferance of the US.

If we didn't like what they were doing, we'd topple it and install someone else.

Indeed, that is PRECISELY what happened to the last Iraqi government.

Too bad

[Mistshadow2k4]

It would've been better to leave the statue up. It would have served to scare away giant cockroaches and other crawling insects.

Re:almost always

[macshit]

what a shame he didn't have teh better aim.

From what I remember, he threw pretty well -- but Bush also did a good job of ducking.

Freedom and US Soldiers

[qbzzt]

Doesn't the same apply to Germans and Japanese? Yet IIRC there is still a large US military presence in both countries. And in Iceland. And in a bunch of other places.

I suspect many Iraqis prefer to have US soldiers than a civil war. I haven't taken a scientific poll, so I can't prove it.