We've all seen the now famous clip of President George W. Bush bobbing and weaving to avoid a pair of shoes thrown directly at his face by an enraged Iraqi journalist. But the rest of the world was perhaps even more captivated by the "David-and-Goliath" moment. Here's what editorials worldwide had to say about the near miss.
United KingdomBush's sole is bared (Financial Times): This "epic insult" flew "straight over [Bush's] head," both literally and figuratively; the attacker failed to hit his mark, and Bush seemingly failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. What might have caused the journalist's intense anger?
The Bush administration, on a false prospectus, broke the state of Iraq, scattered its middle classes across the Middle East, proliferated jihadism and uncorked a sectarian war that will haunt the region for a long time to come.
IranWhat happened to Bush in Iraq was a loud cry against occupiers (Islamic Republic News Agency*): The journalist was responding to more than five years of occupation and to Bush's "unreal comments" claiming Iraqis' standards of living had actually improved "as a result of the US-led invasion."
The Iraqi Prime Ministry guards immediately arrested al-Zeidi demonstrating a very harsh reaction towards his justice seeking move and transferred him out of the press conference hall.
LebanonBush's record and the shoes heard around the Arab and Islamic worlds (Daily Star): Muntazer al-Zaidi "broke the rules." Throwing his shoes at Bush was "inappropriate and unacceptable," but the act "was nonetheless warmly welcomed across the Arab and Muslim worlds.
So why is it that so many Arabs and Muslims, whose culture dictates that guests be treated with the highest levels of respect and hospitality, were cheered by the images of Bush being forced to duck to avoid being pelted with shoes? The obvious answer is that even though most of us wholeheartedly support Bush's professed principles -- including freedom, human rights, democracy, the rule of law and the sanctity of human life -- we strongly object to his policies in the region. More precisely, we detest his policies because they have so badly undermined the very principles that he claims to support.
United StatesBush's shoe toss (Los Angeles Times): Bush's would-be attacker was not "lucky" last weekend -- not only did both his throws miss, but he was apparently "beaten before his arrest."
Many Iraqis, however, took to the streets on Monday to hail Zaidi as a hero. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died in the 5 1/2 -year war, and anger about the U.S. occupation is widespread, even among those who view the presence of U.S. troops as a necessity to avoid further sectarian conflict. Many of those demanding the journalist's release chanted, "Bush, Bush, listen well: We pushed you out with two shoes." The good news for Bush is that the assailant hurled shoes, not bombs. That's impolite, but it's still a measure of progress in the violent politics of Iraq. This was an act of protest with a shoe laced with blame. Bush made light of the incident, saying all he could report was that the shoe was "a size 10." Many Iraqis thought the shoe fit.
* State-owned and/or state-controlled publication.