New Sign Of Progress In Iraq

And no I'm not kidding, though it obviously won't be greeted that way. Yes, the shoe or foot is a sign of great disrespect in Islamic culture. So much so that Saddam had a stone doormat installed as a state insult to Bush, Sr. The US Army chiseled it out.

Let the libs scoff. The fact remains that today an American President can address the government of Iraq and one unhinged journalist can show his disagreement and disrespect. Not long ago an idiot who did such a thing to a visiting leader of whom Saddam approved would have been taken out and shot.

While it stinks for it to have happened, anyway you measure it, that's a sign of progress and a tribute to the sacrifice of our fine men and women in uniform. Iraqis have freedoms they could have never dreamed of under Saddam. And President Bush is the man most to thank for that.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - There was a bit of unfinished business left over in Baghdad from the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites). The U.S. Army has taken care of it.

At the Al-Rashid Hotel, President Bush (news - web sites) the elder — father of the current American chief executive who ordered this year's invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) — is a doormat no more.

U.S. soldiers visited the battered Al-Rashid on Thursday night wielding hammers and chisels, and dug out the intricate tile mosaic of the former president that was used for years as a state-sponsored insult.

In its place, they laid a portrait of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

"Everybody walked over it and wiped their feet on it," Lt. Col. Rick Schwartz, the battalion commander said. He left the Saddam portrait behind, on the ground for future use.

Comments

[jharp]

"The fact remains that today an American President can address the government of Iraq and one unhinged journalist can show his disagreement and disrespect."

And just think it only took 4,200 dead Americans, 30,000 wounded, and $1 trillion tax payer dollars. And the U.S. economy in tatters. And the rest of the world hating our guts.

For our President to get two shoes thrown at him.

Mission accomplished.

You are delusional.

[gocart mozart]

If the dude's aim had been better, that would have shown even greater progress in Iraq.

[BR]

Quote: "You are delusional" etc.

And yet, you keep faithfully reading every single article, jharp.

[Tuga]

I agree, Iraq has undergone a huge change, and Iraqis now enjoy freedoms they could not have dreamt of just over 5 years ago.

But I also think its time Iraqis themselves change, they should embrace more diplomatic means of expressing their views. This Iraqi journalist could easily have written an article depicting his hatred for Bush. I am by no means a fan of Bush, and should also note I am Iraqi myself.

I just wish to see Iraqis making better use of their voices - and use shoes for the more basic function they were intended for!

[low-tech cyclist]

And in addition to the costs we bore, summarized by jharp, there's the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis that we cared about so much that we never bothered to try to officially count, plus an indeterminate number of Iraqis who've lost limbs due to roadside bombs and whatnot, plus a couple million exiles, plus unemployment ranging somewhere between 30% and 60%, and so on.

Things in Iraq are better than they were two years ago. But hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are irrevocably worse off than they were six years ago.

[SacTownMan]

"Quote: "You are delusional" etc.

And yet, you keep faithfully reading every single article, jharp."

Not to mention racing to be the first to respond to every new post by Dan!

After being banned from Patterico's for his hateful posts where else can he go to repeat his favorite talking points and show his ignorance!

Keep holding out for that free healthcare Harpo! You need it!

[Todd]

Such great progress in Iraq !!! Wow !! Someone can throw a shoe at Bush and not get shot !! Do I see evidence of a fully functioning electricity grid, sewer system and water treatment plants, rapidly expanding oil production, roads and bridges, schools and hospitals? Not to mention peace, harmony and power-sharing among the 3 main sects of Iraq?

I hear the thunderous sound of one hand clapping for such amazing progress as a result of the most disastrous foreign policy decision in American history.