Shi'ites pelt Bush's pick for Iraq prime minister with rocks and shoes

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04760714.htm

Angry Shi'ites pelt Iraq ex-PM Allawi - police

NAJAF, Iraq, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A crowd hurling shoes, rocks and tomatoes forced former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to cut short a visit on Sunday to Iraq's holiest Shi'ite shrine during a campaign trip to the city of Najaf, police officers said.

A spokeswoman for Allawi, a secular Shi'ite, said she had no information on the incident but confirmed that Allawi, who is challenging the ruling Shi'ite Islamist Alliance bloc at next week's parliamentary election, had been in Najaf during the day.

A police captain, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a large crowd of worshippers at the Imam Ali mosque hurled sandals and shoes at Allawi -- a grave insult in Iraqi culture.

A second police officer said some of Allawi's bodyguards fired in the air to disperse the crowd and that also threw rocks, sticks, tomatoes and other projectiles. Police also intervened to break up the disturbance, he said.

Pope liked him a lot better



Pope John Paul II speaks to Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 4, 2004. Allawi, in a recent interview to an Italian daily, called the pontiff "the figure who represents peace on a global level." This meeting demonstrates to the world that Muslims and Christians can live together, and it also demonstrates that there are many Moslems willing and wanting to live that way. Photo credit: Plinio Lepri, AP

[janx]

1. God forgive me, but I have been laughing uncontrollably,

watching as CNN plays the video OVER and OVER again!

Edit: I expect that they will continue to play it--it's great theater...

[thebigidea]

4. absolutely hilarious... funny as hell

CNN is trying to pretend its a response to his torture comments.

[janx]

5. So you were laughing too?

:rofl:

[thebigidea]

10. it looked like the end of a Three Stooges film...

at about the moment Moe says "scram" to avoid some chaos they've created.

[malaise]

8. Hysterically funny

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[janx]

9. A "campaign stop" at a mosque--

think he's taking lessons from Chimpy?

[malaise]

18. Clearly a big mistake

the flip flops were sure flying:rofl: :rofl:

[liveoaktx]

12. VIDEO

Robertson

[janx]

13. Excellent! Thank you! Now I can watch it all day!

:rofl:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. You are the Best liveoak! Downloading it now! eom

[Straight Shooter]

2. How popular are condoms in Iraq? They should throw used condoms at him.

I'm not kidding. It seems like an appropriate insult for someone like him.

[janx]

3. Turn on CNN and watch as the shoes rain down on Allawi!

Hear the gunshots fired into the air, see the SUVs whipping around turns as they whisk Allawi down desert roads!

[Straight Shooter]

14. I don't have cable.

I don't have any television reception at all. Maybe liveoaktx will make a video for us. :D

[Ilsa]

6. My SO is awaiting the completion of the cycle of corruption

with the election of Chalabi as PM. It will reflect to the world what a farce this whole thing is, except for the deaths of 2100+ Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

[janx]

7. If Chalabi is not elected PM, he will surely hold

a prominent place in the new administration. Isn't he already in charge of the oil over there?

[peekaloo]

11. Damn! We must convince the Iraqis to wear spiked heels!

:rofl:

[Al-CIAda]

16. ..or at least introduce the 'clog'..hehe -nt

[NNN0LHI]

17. The idiot brought his American mercenary body guards into the Mosque

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6288488&cKey=1133711430000

Iraq ex-PM says survives assassination

<snip>Police said some of Allawi's guards and police fired in the air around the sprawling mosque complex as the politician's party ran for safety under a hail of rocks, tomatoes and shoes -- the latter a mark of grave insult in Iraqi culture. snip

"His American and Iraqi guards fired in the air when everyone started throwing shoes and sandals at him."

[malaise]

19. rest assured that taking those infidels into

the mosque precipitated the pelting.

[peekaloo]

20. What a surprise...ABC News reported Allawi says he "escaped an

assassination attempt" today at the Mosque. Armed gunmen chased him away. No mention of shoes being thrown. Just a bumpy camera shot taken inside the car as it was leaving, with shots heard in the background.

:eyes: