Behind the Scenes:
The 'Attack of the Flying Shoes'
What were the purposes of President
Bush's final visits to Iraq
and Afghanistan?
According to China's strictly state-controlled Peoples' Daily, the trip was
meant to show some results to a skeptical world and quell widespread discontent
over the consequences of the wars begun under Bush's tenure. Huang Beizhao, the
People’s Daily man in Egypt,
writes in part:
First, [the visit] was meant to
show results. … Second, it was intended to quell discontent … To exhibit his
'good yields,' Bush and al-Maliki signed the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement.
… But contrary to his wishes, his farewell trip turned into an 'attack of the
flying shoes.'
A Lebanese student
holds a photo of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, detained after he
threw his shoes at President Bush, during a demonstration to demand his
release from custody in Iraq, during a rally in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 17.
A few days ago,
U.S. President George W. Bush concluded a visit to Iraq
and Afghanistan.
This was his farewell tour to the two war torn nations. And since the prior political
administrations of the two countries were toppled by wars launched by the
United States, his visit attracted particularly acute attention.
Bush's Iraq visit
was shrouded in secrecy, which shows a continuing lack of confidence in the
Iraq situation. Although it was a surprise visit, Bush ran into trouble. During
a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, an Iraqi reporter
angrily threw both of his shoes at Bush as a sign of protest against the Iraq
War. Although Bush avoided both shoes with great agility and later joked about
the incident, in the end it was impossible to conceal the awkwardness of the
moment.
Throwing shoes at
someone is the greatest sign of contempt in Islamic culture. The event quickly
became a media sensation and had strong repercussions in Iraq.
Bush's sudden
visit had three major objectives.
First, it was meant
to show results. Iraq and Afghanistan
have been two "field experiments" that Bush has painstakingly
nurtured. Confronting his political legacy, he and his supporters would prefer
a good "harvest" from these experiments than a "poor" one.
To exhibit his “good yields," Bush and al-Maliki signed, during his visit,
the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework and Status of Forces Agreement
.
Second, the visit
was intended to quell discontent. The Iraq War, which was waged without United
Nations authorization, shattered the international order and the geopolitical
balance of the Middle East. And it gave rise to harmful global side-effects,
since it was widely opposed internationally and is regarded by most Americans
as the “wrong war." To dispel such sentiments, Bush has visited Iraq three
times. But contrary to his wishes, his farewell trip turned into an
"attack of the flying shoes."
Third, the
president wanted to boost the spirits of his troops. Bush addressed U.S. service people at “CampVictory" in northern Iraq, and in Afghanistan saw soldiers and
Marines at a hangar at Bagram Air Base. He stressed
that the wars being waged in both countries are indispensable parts of the
great battle against terrorism, and that the United States is "more
secure" after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban regime. His
remarks were intended to boost the morale of front-line officers and troops
alike.
During
Bush's visit, of greatest concern was Iran,
which is why he signed the agreement on the U.S. military presence. The
agreement provides for U.S. troops to withdraw in two phases, before pulling
out of Iraq completely by 2012. Bush, who long opposed a timetable for
withdrawal, agreed to the terms after citing Iraq's "improved"
security situation. Another reason he signed was the rush to make final
political arrangements before he steps down, to prevent his preferred
arrangements from being completely negated by his successor.
Finally, the
deal provides partial guarantees of American interests. When U.S. troops pull out of Iraqi
cities and towns in the first half of next year [2009], there will continue to
be barracks in these cities and towns for American military advisers and
instructors. The agreement also stipulates that the U.S. and Iraq need to set
up a joint committee to formulate rules and enforcement mechanisms. All of
these pave the way for a long term U.S. military presence.
It has
been reported that the United States
appropriated as much as $1.6 trillion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The overall trends of development
in those nations suggest that for a long time to come, their "liabilities
will outweigh their returns." Bush's motive seems to have been to “clear
up a bad debt" by declaring an end to the two wars he created. During the
trip he said, “The war isn't over yet," but added that “it is decisively
on its way to being won."
[Editor's
Note: It was precisely after President Bush uttered these words that the 'shoe attack'
took place. It was exactly 17 minutes and 35 seconds into his press conference
with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. This is the White House video of the
event, which shows the entire attack. Again - skip through to 00:17:35 to for
the shoe-throwing incident ]
President-elect
Obama was no doubt listening closely. As a matter of fact, Bush is heaping
tremendous political and financial burdens on Obama.
For the president-elect, who advocates the rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from
Iraq and troop increases in Afghanistan, filling the "huge black
hole" left behind by President Bush will be a very difficult challenge.
*Huang Beizhao is the People’s Daily resident reporter in Egypt
at a rally for his release outside the United States Consulate in Lahore, Pakistanis hold photographs of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who hurled shoes at U. S. President Bush, Dec. 17
Um Sa'aad, sister of Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi, cries as she holds one of her brother'ws shoes, at his apartment in in Baghdad, Dec. 15.
An Indian demonstrator in New Dehli, Dec. 18.
Mustafa Kir, head of a Turkish civil service union, displays a pair of shoes he plans to send to Muntadar al-Zeidi, at a rally outside the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, Dec. 18
An Iraqi journalist holds a sign of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi that reads 'throw off your shoe,' during a gathering to demand his release, at the journalist syndicate in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 16.
Children in journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi's apartment get in on the shoe-tossing action, tossing the reporter's very own shoes into the wall.
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[LATEST NEWSWIRE PHOTOS: Shoes that made history].
