Iraqi shoe warrior gets 3 years; fair trial

[dong20]

not sure Zaidi is the most credible of sources.

Ah yes, discredit the accuser.

No problem, but I'm curious - is that because he's an Iraqi, a journalist or because he 'attacked' the US President - or perhaps all three?

His explanation of throwing the shoes, "It was natural."

As you well know, given his nationality - to him it probably was symbolic and 'natural'. Citizens of different nationalities express frustration in different ways. This was his.

Please don't feign ignorance, and use his rationale as a means to invalidate his account - it's so transparently disingenuous.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Ah yes, discredit the accuser.

No problem, but I'm curious - is that because he's an Iraqi, a journalist or because he 'attacked' the US President - or perhaps all three?

I don't believe firing shoes and shouting names at an international leader in the middle of a press conference necessarily wreaks of sanity.

As you well know, given his nationality - to him it probably was symbolic and 'natural'. Citizens of different nationalities express frustration in different ways. This was his.

Please don't feign ignorance, and use his rationale as a means to invalidate his account - it's so transparently disingenuous.

You endorse his actions then, I suppose.

Wherever you are from - put your elected leader in that press conference - the target of an assault. Are you whistling the same tune, "express frustration in different ways?"

Just curious.

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

star...

History Do-over?


Place yourself back into March, 2003. You are the U.S. president. The country's reason for invasion has been given as "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), to end Saddam's Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." (it wasn't to get Saddam's legal system back on track with a more judicious footing)

This is retroactive. You have hindsight. You know then what you know now. 100,000 troops are assembled in Kuwait. Do you still give the go ahead to invade?

 

[B_starinvestor]

star...

History Do-over?


Place yourself back into March, 2003. You are the U.S. president. The country's reason for invasion has been given as "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), to end Saddam's Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." (it wasn't to get Saddam's legal system back on track with a more judicious footing)

This is retroactive. You have hindsight. You know then what you know now. 100,000 troops are assembled in Kuwait. Do you still give the go ahead to invade?

With the benefit of hindsight, I would have shorted Amazon, Sun Microsystems and CMGI in March 2000; banked a couple, three billion; and hired a team of assassins to take out Hussein myself, avoiding all this mess.

We can't do the hindsight thing. If my aunt had a dick she'd be my uncle...etc.

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

Star...!

Don't get testy now! You're suffering from extreme heat exhaustion - and from being poked and prodded in your cage!


You remind me of Tatiana, the 243-pound siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo, that escaped from her open-air enclosure, her tiger grotto, on Christmas Day, 2007 after being taunted by three boys who, toxicology tests confirmed, were smoking maijuana and drinking vodka (the Dhaliwal brothers were found with slingshots in their pockets). Mark Geragos, who's defended Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Winona Ryder and is currently defending Chris Brown, defended the brothers.

Poor star, prodded and poked and sling-shotted in his cage by all the liberal LPSG passers-by.

 

[dong20]

I don't believe firing shoes and shouting names at an international leader in the middle of a press conference necessarily wreaks of sanity.

Ah, so now you attack his sanity ...:wink:

I know you're not ignorant about the cultural symbolism of Al-Zeidi's actions so why the continued pretence?

You endorse his actions then, I suppose.

Dangerous things assumptions.

However, since you assumed on my behalf then I shall respond. Do I endorse his actions? No not entirely, but neither do I entirely condemn them either.

I understand them, and why he may have felt justified in doing what he did.

<note>For the knee jerk mouth breathers among us ... understanding or seeking to understand something is not the same as condoning it.</note>

Wherever you are from - put your elected leader in that press conference - the target of an assault. Are you whistling the same tune, "express frustration in different ways?"

Just curious.

What difference would it make where I am from?

A case in point; quite recently a woman threw a pot of green coloured 'custard' over Peter Mandelson. I laughed ... both because he had it coming, and because the underlying irony was sublime. It's probably a reference you wouldn't know, and irony doesn't seem your ... thing.

Now, had it been acid thrown at him, I would have felt quite differently, in the same way I would have felt differently had Al-Zeidi thrown a real weapon at Bush.

In other words it's about defining a line between [culturally] acceptable political dissent and simple violent assault. Did Al-Zeidi cross that line? IMO, no he didn't. But he came within a hair's breadth of a foot fault.

I know you're not ignorant of everyday reality, especially the backdrop to Al-Zeidi's actions ... so is this faux outrage more indicative of a deeper underlying bias?

 

[B_Nick8]

Star...!

Don't get testy now! You're suffering from extreme heat exhaustion - and from being poked and prodded in your cage!


You remind me of Tatiana, the 243-pound siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo, that escaped from her open-air enclosure, her tiger grotto, on Christmas Day, 2007 after being taunted by three boys who, toxicology tests confirmed, were smoking maijuana and drinking vodka (the Dhaliwal brothers were found with slingshots in their pockets). Mark Geragos, who's defended Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Winona Ryder and is currently defending Chris Brown, defended the brothers.

Poor star, prodded and poked and sling-shotted in his cage by all the liberal LPSG passers-by.

You're in a mood today. :biggrin1:

 

[Florida Boy]

I'm not the least bit surprised by this. I don't think any of us should be. He broke the law, which is all that matters. As to why he broke the law, I am in complete sympathy. I personally believe the man should be given a ticker tape parade and set financially for the rest of his life. However, that is just my humble opinion.

PS: Wish he'd had a better aim.

 

[Florida Boy]

It's a bit disingenuous to go rooting through the country of Iraq in order to chery-pick examples of "things going right" -- in order to justify what's still an original U.S. foreign policy blunder (pre-emptive invasion; no WMD).


"Gee, I'm sorry Mrs Wilkins, I didn't mean ot kill your husband. I thought he might have had a gun so I wanted to shoot him first. But, the good news is: when he fell, he landed on that mouse that's been giving you so much trouble. That's a good thing, right?"


This war is based on an american mistake that cost a trillion and a half bucks, thousands of dead americans, tens of thousands of american wounded, countless dead and wounded Iraqi civilians -- and it is a prime polarizing event that has further divided the citizenry of our country (abortion - in fact, most social issues, the republican/conservative "witch hunt" of Bill Clinton after a White House blowjob, and the Iraqi War have polarized this country).

Who's next, Pakistan? North Korea? Syria? Medvedev & Putin?

Not the job of the U.S. to police the world and export democracy (yeah, I know "W" said is was "God's will" to export democracy, that "all men yearn to be free" -- but that was just a bumper sticker phrase he coined in order to sell his mistake to the american voters).

Way to go.

 

[pym]

Star...!

Don't get testy now! You're suffering from extreme heat exhaustion - and from being poked and prodded in your cage!
Poor star, prodded and poked and sling-shotted in his cage by all the liberal LPSG passers-by.

I see it more as exhaustion from posting nonsense for over 72 hours straight. I do not believe he has logged off this forum since his suspension expired.
Star.......24/7 X's 365
NONSTOP

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

A guy throws a shoe at the (hated) visiting american president.

Almost to a man in Iraq, the guy is considered a "hero". Under Iraqi law, he could receive 15 years in prison. The judge, showing leniency, gives him 3.

Somehow, this does not strike me as a "vindication" of the whole "pre-emptive invasion" thing. In fact, I'm not sure it has anything to do with anything. Star's just whipping up drama.

 

[houtx48]

r u saying he is a drama queen?

 

[hoolibubba]

Zaidi's aim was lousy,two shoes and he missed both times.

 

[B_starinvestor]

A guy throws a shoe at the (hated) visiting american president.

OK, lib.

Almost to a man in Iraq, the guy is considered a "hero". Under Iraqi law, he could receive 15 years in prison. The judge, showing leniency, gives him 3.

A "hero" to libs around the world. Hope kids aspire to that level of heroism.

Somehow, this does not strike me as a "vindication" of the whole "pre-emptive invasion" thing. In fact, I'm not sure it has anything to do with anything. Star's just whipping up drama.

WT. How many latte's have you killed so far today? Jezuz you're on a roll...

 

[Elmer Gantry]

Iraqi Journalist Sentenced for Throwing Shoes at Bush - WSJ.com

Under the Hussein regime he would have been slowly beheaded with a carving knife. It seems like the judicial system is up and running in Iraq....carrying out justice...enforcing sensible laws...providing rights, a fair trial to citizens...wonder where that came from?

I thnk you mean under the al-Zarqawi regime. Saddam was more of a hanging judge.

I guess all this legalness and freedom came straight from the text books of the School of the Americas. All of those diploma holders in South America would be proud of this. Suppression of free speech, jailing dissenters, good stuff, all of it.

 

[kalipygian]

I don't believe firing shoes and shouting names at an international leader in the middle of a press conference necessarily wreaks of sanity.



You endorse his actions then, I suppose.

Wherever you are from - put your elected leader in that press conference - the target of an assault. Are you whistling the same tune, "express frustration in different ways?"

Just curious.

Britain does not have an elected head of state or head of government.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Britain does not have an elected head of state or head of government.

Is Dong from Britain?

 

[D_Tully Tunnelrat]

A slap on the hand and a gift certificate to Payless?

Better yet, make him a greeter at Payless. He was offered the same job at a Dallas Ace Hardware store.

 

[D_Tully Tunnelrat]

Zaidi's aim was lousy,two shoes and he missed both times.

This is probably the only thing he should be serving time for.

Seriously three years is a lot of time. On a scale of transgressions, the guy should serve maybe 180 days, and be barred from all such future press events.

Of the 17 US soldiers convicted of aggravated assault at Abu-Ghraib, only Charles Graner was given a longer sentence.

 

[B_starinvestor]

This is probably the only thing he should be serving time for.

Seriously three years is a lot of time. On a scale of transgressions, the guy should serve maybe 180 days, and be barred from all such future press events.

Of the 17 US soldiers convicted of aggravated assault at Abu-Ghraib, only Charles Graner was given a longer sentence.

Could be they were setting an example. He gets 30 days and next thing you know 400 iraqis show up to toss feces at Obama. Know what I'm sayin?