Crossroads Arabia with more analysis of Bush and the shoe incident….

Yes, but such a violation should not merit fifteen years in prison! I’m not sure exactly what the punishment should be, but it should be just enough to discourage further acts of its kind. Say somewhere between aggressive littering and attempted assault with intent to maim. Sock him with a hefty percentage of his future shoe-related proceeds made payable to the victim and six months in jail – that ought to do it.

And let him run for Parliament afterward!

If Mr. al-Zeidi objects to the presence of Mr. Bush, he should direct his anger at the inviting party — Mr. al-Maliki — and certainly not at the invited guest.

It represents a betrayal of cultural values that I believe many Iraqis hold.

I think this incident will make him much safer for the rest of his life and I mean that from the bottom of my heart because a lot of people saw at least something happen that they wanted to happen to him.

Bush would likely trade the shoe incident for future safety if it works that way. I understand what you mean. This was a pressure release for many in the region. But, a shoe will not satisfy all the violent detractors. They’ll want Bush’s head forever.

Iraqis know Bush as a liberator, but Muntader saw clearly and accurately that Bush didn’t provide Iraq with the golden shield of security Europe experienced after World War II; the U.S. made the Iraqis partners to work for their own security. That certainly makes those Iraqis who had to switch from a power-paternalistic relationship with government to a civil one under law angry – angry enough to throw shoes at the man they see as responsible.

Muntader didn’t wield a gun. He issued a warning before he threw, didn’t he? Although his reporting ethics are zilch, he’s comparable to that French farmer who vandalized a McDonalds, then ran for Parliament as the head of his own political party. I see Muntader serving time, then following a similar path, for he has struck a chord among a wide swath of the Iraqi people, even across sectarian lines. Eventually, of course, Iraqi voters may reject him, and certainly his influence will be limited. Ironically, even against his own will, Muntader may become just the kind of politician I imagine Bush’s strategists hoped would develop to cement Iraq’s democracy.

He’s also no hero. The only reason he is still alive is because of the freedom he received after the removal of Saddam Hussein. Saddam wouldn’t have even held a press conference, let alone permit prying questions or unfavorable press. That irony seems lost on this guy.

I think this incident will make him much safer for the rest of his life and I mean that from the bottom of my heart because a lot of people saw at least something happen that they wanted to happen to him. I am seriously wondering if this is not the first time objects have been hurled at him???