Bush Shoe Thrower Monument In Iraq Quickly Taken Down

A shoe monument was put up yesterday in Tikrit, Iraq, to honor the journalist who threw his own shoes at former President Bush last month.

Reuters reported earlier today:

The two-meter (six-foot) high statue, unveiled on Thursday in former dictator Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, depicts a bronze-colored shoe, filled with a plastic shrub. "Muntazer: fasting until the sword breaks its fast with blood; silent until our mouths speak the truth," reads an inscription, in honor of journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at Bush and called him a "dog" at a news conference during the former president's final visit to Iraq.

Zaidi has been held in jail in Baghdad since the incident, facing charges of assaulting a visiting head of state.

However, shortly after it was unveiled, the central government requested its removal. CNN explains:

After the request was made, Iraqi police visited the location to make sure that the shoe monument was removed.

"We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives," said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin deputy governor.

The Earth Times discusses the significance of the structure's removal:

Al-Zaidi, who is in custody awaiting trial, is regarded by many Iraqis as a hero and demonstrators last month took to the streets across the Arab world calling for his release.

Although some people said that the shoe was removed because of the charges pending against al-Zaidi, others question the importance of erecting such a monument inside a children's facility.

Comments

[horsey]

12:25 PM on 02/01/2009

i thought Iraq was free....i thought Bush freed Iraq.

Put those shoes on ebay..

[gakabani]

08:33 AM on 02/01/2009

Bush is coming to Iraq as the new Saddam Hussein, Bush now owns Iraq. To remove the shoe statute is a sign of the old tactics of oppression and lack of freedom of expression. All the propaganda to go to war against Iraq was just used to wage a war for OIL conquest. As long as there is OIL in the ME THERE WILL BE NO PEACE.

[Quilter]

11:58 PM on 01/31/2009

Don't give Koons any ideas.

[Steamboater]

08:05 PM on 01/31/2009

Removing that shoe is Bush's idea of freedom of expression and Maliki's too. Some democracy tey have there. All that blood spilled for nothing.

[signwrite]

07:56 PM on 01/31/2009

love that , especially the plastic Bush inside...

[Project4NuBostonTeaParty]

07:54 PM on 01/31/2009

We all need to keep on eye on the treatment of this international hero, Muntazer al-Zaidi.

And pressure on the governments that punish his free speech.

[VPN]

06:44 PM on 01/31/2009

Somebody didn't get the Booo$h memo telling them they had freedoms.

[nikky]

05:13 PM on 01/31/2009

LOVE IT

[DMcD]

04:57 PM on 01/31/2009

O.K. , so they can't put it on public property --- so , put it on private property --- I love it

[Paul]

03:44 PM on 01/31/2009

Put it in the Bush Library.

[plages]

03:04 PM on 01/31/2009

Freedom of speech and democracy are funny at times!

[lechatnoir]

02:47 PM on 01/31/2009

How about a little fair play here, guys?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

10:09 AM on 01/31/2009

One day, I hope to visit Iraq (without the necessity of a burka) and get a photo with the shoe. But I don't think it will happen in my lifetime.

[cdnnewsjunky]

04:16 PM on 01/31/2009

Before Saddam fell out of favour with the US, you probably could of.

[Rog49Thomas]

05:02 PM on 01/31/2009

despite what you hear from rush and sean, burkas are not required though a flak jacket and helmet would be a good idea in "liberated" iraq

[yellowdogminnesotan]

10:07 AM on 01/31/2009

Well I guess they don't like us! Let's remove all of our troops out right now. We'll see what who the next statue erected is dedicated to. I'm going to assume the general who kills hundreds of thousands of his own people in a very bloody coup/civil war. Now we haven't done the best job and Bush was a complete failure, but I'm willing to bet they'll wish they had America running their country after that.

[hortonhearsawho2]

10:03 AM on 01/31/2009

Shoe Down at Baghdad Corral....can anyone whistle a tune.