Bush Shoe Thrower: Press Asserts al-Zaidi Had Saddam, Baathist Connections

It seems to be emerging as an accepted fact that Muntather al-Zaidi, the reporter who threw both his shoes at President George W. Bush this weekend, had specific ideological connections to Saddam Hussein and/or the Ba'ath Party, a pleasing conceit that seems intended to isolate al-Zaidi from an Iraqi populace who have, by and large, soured on the U.S. occupation. The most commonly cited source would appear to be this blog post from the New York Times "Baghdad Bureau," which notes that al-Zaidi -- in addition to having a rather commonplace "long-building anger towards the United States military presence in Iraq" -- also had "ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party," and was "head of the student union under Saddam Hussein."

Absent from this account is any indication that al-Zaidi pursued either his fealty to Saddam or the Ba'ath Party with any particular zeal. While several people are quoted in the article describing al-Zaidi's politics and positions -- and not always in a positive light -- none attest to any particular love for Saddam Hussein or his ruling party. In a thoughtful piece from the Washington Independent, Spencer Ackerman explains that this is an example of the press jumping to an untenable conclusion:

First of all, Iraqis under Saddam did whatever they had to do to survive given the reality of a totalitarian regime. Baghdad metal band Acrassicauda wrote a song praising Saddam so they could get some funding for equipment. Did al-Zaidi head his student union because he wanted to head a student union or because he believes deeply in the glory of Saddam Hussein? I don't know and you don't either.

And it's completely irrelevant. al-Zaidi has become a symbol in Iraq and the Middle East because the occupation of Iraq is an unwelcome intrusion. Calling al-Zaidi a Baathist is a particularly pathetic way to put one's head in the sand instead of confronting this simple reality. (You know who were also Baathists? Thousands of the so-called Sons of Iraq.)

The Times has abundant evidence that al-Zaidi detested President Bush, took the occupation personally, and had planned to make a symbolic, attention-seeking statement to that effect. But nowhere is it conclusively proven that he was motivated by anything having to do with Saddam Hussein or the Ba'ath Party. Indeed, based upon the extent to which al-Zaidi has been exalted in Iraq, I'd say it's fair to note that al-Zaidi was expressing a very mainstream dissatisfaction.

Comments

[AbstractImp]

Too bad it wasn't Richard Reed's shoe . . .

[WWWexler]

If this guy is such a Baathist, why is it that he gets his support and spent all of his time covering Sadr City, the home of Iraq's biggest Shia militia?

LOL... these people will make up anything to avoid the plain facts. Half of the people in the world wish Bush would have gotten smacked in the face, the other half wish it would have been a hand grenade instead of a pair of shoes.

-Wexler

[bub26]

I wish he'd of thrown a pretzel at him

[rockne]

Just think, if he threw the shoes at Hussein when Hussein was in power, he would have been decapitated and that would have been the end of the story and the media in this country would have cared less.

[SeanONe]

Saddam Hussain was the elected leader of his country Bush is the leader of an invading army of occupation responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. Pay attention before regurgitating your halfbaked opinions.

[wmfor]

Okay, here it is listed in the Hall of Presidents:

George Washington, defeated the British and is the Father of His Country.

Thomas Jefferson, drafted the Declaration of Independence and architect of our form of government.

Abraham Lincoln, held the country together and freed the slave.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, got us out of the Depression and defeated Hitler.

Richard M. Nixon, open the doors to Communist China and really cheap labor.

Ronald Reagan, championed the free enterprise system based on deregulation, nonunionization, and the Invisible Hand of the Market (praise the Lord!) which led directly to the amazing prosperity of 2008.

George W. Bush, didn't decapitate people. Just tortured them.

[superlive]

By ducking those shoes President Bush allowed the AMERICAN FLAG to be struck TWICE by the worst insult known to the Muslim world.

For his failure to protect the Stars & Stripes, it's blatantly obvious who was NOT HEROIC in this encounter!

What better a symbol of the Bush Legacy could one possibly ask for?

[wmfor]

What a great observation. Please spread it around.

[PaPaPeng]

[ superlive : What better a symbol of the Bush Legacy could one possibly ask for?]

In his delightful article
The emperor gets the boot
By Pepe Escobar
December 18, 2008
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JL18Ak02.html

sums it up as
"From now on three historic images will forever sum up the Bush administra­tion-gener­ated Iraqi tragedy: Bush's “Mission Accomplished” stunt off San Diego harbor; the “black scarecrow” figure tortured at Abu Ghraib; and Iraq's leather-soled kiss to the man who destroyed the country. The toppling of Saddam's statue in Baghdad's Firdous Square in April 9, 2003, was nothing but a staged event for US networks. "

[ProfessorDuh]

Can you imagine any other president, before the eyes of the world, having to dodge shoes thrown in contempt? America under Bush has become an extremely ugly joke.

[Baffoon]

I am relieved that the Jason Links has determined that there is no Bathist party connection with the shoe thrower. I prefer not to be troubled by self examination,and the resulting conclusion,that I might be unpatriotic,and a self hating American to boot.

[Khirad]

Can we decide on a transliteration already? Arabic isn't the easiest, given dialects and unique sounds, etc., but for Allah's sake! How many way's have I seen this guy's first name spelled already? Muntader, Muntadher, Muntather, Muntater..­. As far as I know, Iraqi Arabic pronounces Za' similar to Standard Arabic (please correct me if I'm in error here)? So,

منتظر Muntazer or Muntadher (or -ir) are fine (ẓ, Z, or even ḍh, DH).

Sorry, off topic. It just gets annoying. Fine article otherwise! Although, how come no one ever mentions how al-Maliki never seems to flinch? Not a conspiracy angle, just on how he seems to be calmly inured to all catastrophes -- both the PR-related and 'explosive' kind. It's like the blasé counterpart of PTSD. That stoicism is a fount of symbolism for me, as well as the shoes' of discontent!

[Crystalmoon47]

I wish I could have lobbed a couple of MY shoes at the dumb-a**..­. That screen door can't hit him hard enough when he leaves office.

[listeningpost]

IF he is a Baathist, so what? Iraq is a free country now. Isn't it?

[NotMcCain]

The poor guy's been beaten and had his ribs broken. Bush is clearly p***sed but trying not to show it (OR to do the right thing and intervene to let him go).

The man made a point to a war criminal. He didn't even hurt him, and now he'll probably spend YEARS in jail over a gesture of (understandable) protest.

Sad. (But I'm glad the shoes didn't hit Bush. The guy would have probably received the DEATH PENALTY--if he even made it to trial. "Democracy­".)

[AliMB]

where did you read his ribs were broken? im just wondering if the source is credible..­. i for one doubt the iraqi authorities would beat him given the international attention he has been given. and the action is not an innocent gesture... it was an insult on a visiting foreign diginitary, and it is against the law. if you were to throw your shoe at the president of guatemala or the chinese premier, rest assure that you would be arrested (probably on some minor battery charge) and you would be punished. Its a bit ironic that Mr. Al-Zaidi is being praised for committing an act facilitated by the toppling of the Saddam Hussein regime. In a press conference held by the previous regime, Mr. Al-Zaidi would likely never have had access, and if he did and had he committed the same act, the consequence would probably have been his execution. I think this act highlights one of the objective successes of the Bush-led conflict in Iraq i.e. freedom of the press. Doesn't mean the war was correct, but it has had its positive consequences, shoe-throwing journalists being one.

[nickwib]

The broken arm and ribs, http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=287621.

How guilty Zaidi is pales in importance beside the effect his continual captivity will have on a fragile situation. Iraq remains a tinderbox, and Zaidi is becoming a symbol to thousands who would have thrown the shoes themselves. If he remains in captivity he will become a martyr. It is as well Bush was not outside and unprotected or there would have been nothing left of him but a pink pavement. He should be magnanimous and free the man, not because he is not guilty, nor because he does not deserve some punishment, but for the simple pragmatic purpose of avoiding a further bloodbath.

[RichardIII]

One does not go to jail for throwing a shoe and missing one's target in any free world nation of which I am aware. Certainly not in the USA.

If there were a degree of freedom of the press as you suggest he'd be out of jail by now. Why haven't we heard from his lawyer as we would have in any other democracy?

As it is, we won't see or hear from this guy at least until his bones heal and then some. In fact, I believe he's the poster boy for the "new" Iraq and as such I doubt we'll ever hear from him again. Speak out and disappear. That's the kind of "democracy" we can henceforth expect in Iraq, not the dreamy-eyed free-press-illusion and Bush and his minions would like to descibe.

[roblabrousse]

Live in the shoes of the Iraqis for the last 6 years before you form your long distance opinions.A­nd wait to see what happens when the country no longer has American protection. This incident highlights the fact our president has no respect in the international community. There weren't any cries of indignation from heads of states or messages of support for Bush. Face it Bush made it his duty to make shambles out of our country and Iraq.

[Belle808]

The BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian to name a few have all reported on Al-Zaidi's arms and ribs being broken after he was taken into custody. The Iraqi authorities aren't going to hold a press conference to show the world his injuries either.

AliMB your comment "it was an insult on a visiting foreign dignitary and it is against the law" is a joke. How does throwing a shoe even compare to what Bush did? Thousands of innocent men, women and children have been killed because of him. Murder is against the law. Violating human rights are against the law.

It amazes me that people like you can still defend Bush and the blood he has shed. You find it ironic that this journalist is using his freedom of speech to attack the man that you claim liberated him? Well I find it disgusting that people like you make inane claims like that. This is exactly why the world thinks Americans are all stupid. And you actually believe the crap you peddle. Your profile shows that you spent hours yesterday typing out defenses of Bush and his ilk all over this website.

The bottom line is Bush's war was illegal and immoral and based on a pack of lies. Having a shoe thrown at him should be the least of his worries. He needs to have the book thrown at him.

[Agent420]

I think it is too bad that he missed. There are many people in the world that are jealous of this man because he had the guts to do what they would have liked to have done, me for one. The shoe and being called a dog are big insults in Iraq. They probably wish they had a stronger insult.

[AliMB]

i think you make a fair point about projection­... people who hate bush have fallen in love with this guy because they project their emotions on to him, and wish somehow they could be them. this story is afterall a reflextion that george bush is very unpopular. but that still doesn't make throwing a shoe an appropriate response.

[listeningpost]

Neither is water boarding.

[roblabrousse]

This gesture of contempt is just as appropriate as Bush thumbing his nose at the world as he did when he went to war against Iraq. Just as appropriate as when Bush supported and lied about waterboarding. Just as appropriate as all the thumb your nose decisions he's made in turning back environmental protection. The feeling people have towards Bush are the sole result of Bush's conduct. They didn't manifest without a reason. Don't you think it's sad that we can't have the opposite reaction? That our president inspires contempt in us instead of pride? This man gave Bush the slap in the face we all wanted to give him. Bush is a low-life. He took this wonderful country and drained it. He had no regard for anyone or anything but to do as he pleased. He has practically ruined this country. He's a dirty fool and thinks he can continue to play us. Shoes get thrown at useless dogs. I would say this man's action was right on target.

[avicenna]

What has become of everyone's entrepreneurial skills? A smart shoe manufacturer should be planning on taking advantage of all this sole-ful exuberance. Nike should recruit our passionate shoe hurler, provide him with a lifetime supply of endurance trainers, and let him proclaim "just do it! - dogs need not apply"

[PoorRussianBoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Py7_h5LAI&fmt=6

[watchingthings]

All this hoopla is a moot point now. If bush would have stayed out of Iraq in the first place, none of this would have happened and the middle east may well have been a more peacefull place now.

[mindact]

If the show had hit President Bush, that would have been aggravated assault. The guy ought to be charged for sattempted aggravated assault. When Ahmedinajad was in NY, no one threw shoes or any other projectiles at him directly.

In response to the whole notion that the guy was a student union leader under Saddam. I'll say this, it takes a different level of activism to be a student union president. If the fellow was concerned about survival, he could have lived a quite life. Apparently, he pursed the Baathist agenda with zeal to rise to the post of Student Union President

[AliMB]

i think everyone misses the point regarding this incident..­.. throwing a shoe is a childish act not conducive to any real change. instead of throwing his shoe, he should have gotten up and asked the president a tough question. and i think its sad that americans support this individual. george bush may be the worst president ever and reincarnation of satan, but he is still the president of the united states. this merits some respect, and encouraging shoe-throwing falls short of that

[watchingthings]

well......­bush came in thinking that they would throw flowers at him and instead they are lobbing shoes at him.......­what a misread by bush.

[cobobs]

Acts of protest are often "childish" on the surface. Childish with respect to whose culture, is fair question.

[Ethics101]

{{{{{{ t-r-o-l-l alert }}}}}}

[Hoppy]

He dodges tough questions, too.

[roblabrousse]

I would say throwing a shoe in this instance was an act of bravery. This man knew he would pay for it somehow. Protest. He did it to protest. And it's gotten a lot more play than a question that might never had been addressed. You give respect where respect is due. In Bush's case there is absolutely nothing there to respect.

[avicenna]

Ahmedinajad has not "shocked and awed" anyone in NY; he hasn't massacred 100's of thousands of innocent people and totally destroyed lives and the infrastructure of America. The Bush Administration is worse then the equivalent of Osama bin Laden to many of the people of Iraq. I'm sure if Osama came in congratulating himself for freeing the Americans from their axis of evil and wayward ways, he'd have more then shoes been hurled his way. It's not hard to employ some perspective taking skills. Just takes some practice of putting yourself in someone else's shoes, if you will.

[wonder6789]

Iran never attacked or invaded any country and Ahmadinejad was elected by the people of Iran.

Bush was not elected by the people of Iraq, as far as I know, and they did nothing to deserve the death and devastation brought on by his pet war.

If America had ever experienced the equivalent of only a fraction of that invasion and occupation by some foreign country, you'd understand that you would want to be throwing more than shoes.