Iraqi Shoe Thrower in three year jail term

Former Member

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7938947.stm

No hint of a puppet government bending over backwards for their colonial masters then?

Former Member

Martin_Bashir wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7938947.stm

No hint of a puppet government bending over backwards for their colonial masters then?

I think most countries would jail someone for attempting to assault a foreign leader. We're not great friends with Russia, but if you tried to shoe Putin when he was in the UK the Govt wouldn't be patting you on the back and saying well done.

Former Member

For some reason, I simply can't take this story seriously anymore. Even the BBC struggle to report on this with a straight face. On the Six O'Clock news, the Beeb's reporter spent most of his time talking about the Internet games that this incident had inspired, (google for "Sock and Awe" and you'll see what I mean) and the range of T-shirts which refer to the event. They even went to the trouble of going to the shop where the shoes were originally purchased from. When the owner was talking on camera about this, I was convinced that it was going to launch into a full-blown advert for his shop any second.

The worst thing is, the reporting elsewhere is probably even more tongue-in-cheek.

Former Member

Martin_Bashir wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7938947.stm

No hint of a puppet government bending over backwards for their colonial masters then?

no, their "colonial masters" would have given 10 year consecutive sentences for each shoe thrown.

Former Member

stargalaxy wrote: »

For some reason, I simply can't take this story seriously anymore. Even the BBC struggle to report on this with a straight face. On the Six O'Clock news, the Beeb's reporter spent most of his time talking about the Internet games that this incident had inspired, (google for "Sock and Awe" and you'll see what I mean) and the range of T-shirts which refer to the event. They even went to the trouble of going to the shop where the shoes were originally purchased from. When the owner was talking on camera about this, I was convinced that it was going to launch into a full-blown advert for his shop any second.

The worst thing is, the reporting elsewhere is probably even more tongue-in-cheek.

Unfortunately there is a less funny side to the story. Namely a suppossedly democratic and civilised government behaving a tyrannical one. The man has clearly been significantly mistreated while in custody (the Iraqi authorities didn't even seem to mind journalists seeing him with clear signs of beatings, or him stating that he'd been beaten). On top of that he gets a custodial sentence that is quite out of proportion with the 'crime' committed.

The only difference between the previous regime and the current one is that the man would have probably been killed instead of 'just' abused and given a ludicrous custodial sentence. Still lights years behind what anyone would call a civilised government or country. And that's without considering executions, which with the full support of Iraq's colonial masters (and how could it be otherwise, when the US itself is one of the world's most prolific State murderers) continue to happen in Iraq just as they did before.

Former Member

Flashman's Ghost wrote: »

I think most countries would jail someone for attempting to assault a foreign leader. We're not great friends with Russia, but if you tried to shoe Putin when he was in the UK the Govt wouldn't be patting you on the back and saying well done.

They would after he'd left.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote: »

The only difference between the previous regime and the current one is that the man would have probably been killed instead of 'just' abused and given a ludicrous custodial sentence.

Still an absolutely massive improvement wouldn't you say? Of course Iraq isn't going to become a perfect democracy overnight, but there is at least a chance for steady improvement...

Former Member

I think most countries would jail someone for attempting to assault a foreign leader. We're not great friends with Russia, but if you tried to shoe Putin when he was in the UK the Govt wouldn't be patting you on the back and saying well done.

Not for three years.

Former Member

He faced five-to-15 years if jailed for that crime, but would only have risked one-to-five years if charged with attempted assault of a foreign leader.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7938947.stm

He got a mid-way sentence. I think you might get a fair bit here, given that it wasn't a demonstrator on the street, but someone who'd been given secure access and betrayed the trust of his Government.

Personally I think it's slightly harsh (18 months I'd have given), but not unduly so

Former Member

Within the framework of a legal argument (comparing legal systems) I think you might be right, but I don't think it was even appropriate from a moral standpoint.

And in fairness I think I may have been over zealous in blaming this all on the US - that particular part of the world has never been particularly tolerant of this type of behaviour in any case, under any regime - could be a large element of the social context as well.

Former Member

it jsut gots to show you can't be too careful

Former Member

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7988035.stm

His sentence has been cut

Former Member

Hmm...seems fairer, although the idea that insulting a foreign leader should be a crime is a little dubious...