"A Good-bye Kiss" for George Bush from Iraqi

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi reporter called President George W. Bush a "dog" and threw his shoes at him on Sunday, sullying a farewell visit to Baghdad meant to mark greater security in Iraq after years of bloodshed.

Just weeks before he bequeaths the unpopular Iraq war to President-elect Barack Obama, Bush sought to underline improved security by landing in daylight and venturing out beyond the city's heavily fortified international Green Zone.

He declared the war "not over" despite recent gains.

In a sign of lingering anger over the war that will define the Republican president's foreign policy legacy, an Iraqi journalist shouted in Arabic "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," and hurled his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East. One of the shoes sailed over the president's head and slammed into the wall behind him and he had to duck to miss the other one. Maliki tried to block the second shoe with his arm.

"It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention," Bush said. "I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."

Another article:

BAGHDAD, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush has become the talk of Iraq, hailed by marchers as a national hero but blasted by the government as a barbarian.

The little-known Shi'ite reporter, said to have harboured anger against Bush for the thousands of Iraqis who died after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, had previously made headlines only once, when he was briefly kidnapped by gunmen in 2007.

TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric act." He would be sent for trial on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the prime minister's media adviser, Yasin Majeed.

His employer, independent al-Baghdadiya television, demanded his release and demonstrators rallied for him in Baghdad's Sadr City, in the southern Shi'ite stronghold of Basra and in the holy city of Najaf, where some threw shoes at a U.S. convoy.

"Thanks be to God, Muntazer's act fills Iraqi hearts with pride," his brother, Udai al-Zaidi, told Reuters Television.

"I'm sure many Iraqis want to do what Muntazer did. Muntazer used to say all the orphans whose fathers were killed are because of Bush."

Zaidi shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," at Bush in a news conference he held with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a farewell visit to Baghdad on Sunday.

The journalist then flung one shoe at Bush, forcing him to duck, followed by another, which sailed over Bush's head and slammed into the wall behind him. Throwing shoes at someone is the worst possible insult in the Arab world. Zaidi was dragged struggling and screaming from the room by security guards and could be heard shouting outside while the news conference continued after momentary mayhem.

'BARBARIC'

The government said Zaidi had carried out "a barbaric and ignominious act" that was not fitting of the media's role and demanded an apology from his television station.

Al-Baghdadiya television played endless patriotic music, with Zaidi's face plastered across the screen.

A newscaster solemnly read out a statement calling for his release, "in accordance with the democratic era and the freedom of expression that Iraqis were promised by U.S authorities."

It said that any harsh measures taken against the reporter would be reminders of the "dictatorial era."

The Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate said Zaidi's "far from professional" and irresponsible conduct had placed it in an "embarrassing and critical" situation. Nevertheless, it called on Maliki to release him for humanitarian reasons.

"It was the throw of the century. I believe Bush deserves what happened to him because he has not kept his promises to Iraqis," said Baghdad resident Abu Hussein, 48.

Parliamentary reaction was mixed, with some saying Zaidi chose the wrong venue for his protest. Others cheered.

"Al-Zaidi's shoe is the most famous shoe in the whole world," said Fawzi Akram, a Turkman lawmaker loyal to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

A Libyan charity group chaired by leader Muammar Gaddafi's daughter, Aicha Gaddafi, gave Zaidi an award for bravery.

Zaidi, now in his late 20s, spent more than two days blindfolded, after armed men kidnapped him in November 2007. He said at the time that the kidnappers had beaten him until he lost consciousness, and used his necktie to blindfold him.

He never learned the identity of the kidnappers, who questioned him about his work but did not demand a ransom.

Colleagues say Zaidi resented Bush, blaming him for the bloodshed that ravaged Iraq. It did not appear that he had lost any close family members during the sectarian killings and insurgency, which in recent months have finally begun to wane. (Additional reporting by Haidar Kadhim and Wissam Mohammed; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Sebuah cerita di hari Selasa Pagi

Sudah hampir seminggu ini Jogja bergerimis-dingin-lembab-menyebalkan. Menyebalkan buat saya, karena cucian baju tak kunjung kering, sementara yang basah terus bertambah. Dan saya adalah pecinta sinar matahari. Yang berpendapat bahwa sinar matahari baik untuk segala aspek ke-makhlukhidup-an, termasuk juga aspek pengeringan cucian. Jadi saya ini jenis manusia yang tidak mempan dengan segala iklan tentang mesin pengering cucian dkk. Pokoknya, bagi saya, baju harus terkena sinar matahari... (he he he, jadi ingat kata2 almarhum bapak saya: Ohalah, Nduk... Kalo sudah keluar kata-kata 'pokoknya', wis koyo debat sama kusir alias debat kusir....). Beruntung saya tinggal di Indonesia yang kaya sinar matahari (kecuali seminggu belakangan ini, yang berasa matahari sedang pelit sinar) dan beriklim ramah (sekali lagi, seminggu belakangan adalah perkecualian...).

Hari Selasa kemarin termasuk salah satu hari yang lumayan basah-lembab-dingin-menyebalkan. Kesebalan saya sedang pada level moderate-agak tinggi. Pasalnya, hari itu saya mau ikut pre-wedding photographic session sepupu saya. Heiss, bukan saya yang difoto yak. Saya cuman mau ikut nimbrung jeprat-jepret, sekaligus meguru pada yang sudah mumpuni. Magang lah, ceritanya. Tapi kok ya semenjak pagi cuaca tidak mau berkompromi. Sebetulnya kalau cuma kehujanan badan, bagi saya tidak apa2. Mengingat jaman muda dulu, waktu masih sering naik-turun gunung, saya termasuk jenis yang water-proof. Gak bakal masuk angin kalo cuman tertimpa air hujan. Cuman masalahnya, kamera yang akan saya bawa ini adalah kamera yang masih disayang-sayang sama hubby. Ya walaupun bukan kamera yang top-branded kayak punya orang2 yang sudah canggih foto-memfoto bgitu, tapi bagi kami, kaum amatir yang sedang akan mencoba berhobi fotografi, sudah masuk kategori lumayan lah...

Jadi, selewat mengantar anak-anak ke sekolah, saya langsung menuju lokasi pemotretan yang pertama. Kebetulan masih ada di dalam kota: Tamansari. Masih dibawah siraman hujan rintik2 berfrekuensi tinggi saya tidak berani menjalankan mobil dengan kecepatan lebih dari 40 kmpj. Dan begitu pulalah pemakai jalan yang lain. Alhasil, semua kendaraan berjalan nggremet di jalanan yang jadi berasa penuh sesak. Kalau tidak mengingat hasrat yang menggebu untuk ikut meguru tadi, rasanya sudah mau balik kanan sajalah. Pulang ke rumah dan meneruskan membaca ulang trilogi Lusi Lindri-nya Romo Mangun.

Akhirnya, alon-alon waton kelakon, saya sampai di alun-alun utara di kompleks keraton. Tidak biasanya, dihari kerja dan bukan musim liburan ini, area tersebut ramai penuh orang. Iseng-iseng saya melambatkan kendaraan dan melirik-lirik pengen tahu. Ternyata sedang ada kirab prajurit keraton yang berpakain lucu-lucu dan beraneka warna, lengkap dengan senjata mereka. Tergodalah saya untuk berhenti sebentar, sekedar untuk memuaskan mata dan rasa ingin tahu. Biarlah orang-orang di lokasi pemotretan Tamansari, memulai aktifitasnya tanpa saya. Toh saya hanya sekedar orang magang yang tidak akan banyak membantu, bahkan mungkin malah akan merecoki.

Tetapi rupanya hanya sekedar berhenti di pinggir jalan di area alun-alun bukan hal yang mudah untuk dilakukan. Dalam kondisi hujan agak-sedikit-lebat, kerumunan orang2 yang juga berniat menonton kirab, ditambah lagi antrian kendaraan yang mau lewat, dan Polantas galak yang tidak terlihat senang karena harus bertugas dibawah guyuran hujan, urunglah niat saya untuk memarkir kendaraan di pinggir jalan. Perjalanan berlanjut ke Tamansari.

Sampai di Tamansari, ternyata sesi pemotretan belum dimulai juga. Bunga yang untuk dipegang oleh calon pengantin tertinggal di rumah, di Bantul !! Dan ini Bantul di pinggir pantai sana yak, bukan sekedar Bantul perbatasan dengan Kodya.

Akhirnya, demi sopan santun saya tinggal disitu untuk mengobrol dengan sepupu2 saya, sambil menunggu si bunga datang. Dan tidak berasa, jam di HP saya sudah menunjukkan pukul 10:27, dan saya sudah harus menjemput Nino jam 10:30 !! Jadi, pulanglah lagi saya melintasi rute yang sama, yang masih bergerimis, masih nggremet, masih padat oleh kendaraan, melintasi batas kota untuk menjemput Nino dari sekolahnya.

Tanpa hasil deh saya pagi itu menggotong2 tripod dan kamera beserta uba-rampenya. Yah, mungkin memang bukan peruntungan saya di hari Selasa pagi itu.