Iraqi who threw shoes at President Bush hates both US, Iranian role in Iraq

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Hartford Courant

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi TV reporter who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush was kidnapped once by militants and, separately, detained briefly by the U.S. military — a story of getting hit from all sides that is bitterly familiar to many Iraqis.

Over time, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a 28-year-old unmarried Shiite, came to hate both the U.S. military occupation and Iran's interference in Iraq, his family told The Associated Press on Monday.

~snip
"He hates the American material occupation as much as he hates the Iranian moral occupation," Dhirgham said, alluding to the influence of pro-Iranian Shiite clerics in political and social life. "As for Iran, he considers the regime to be the other side of the American coin."

That's a view widely held among Iraqis — including many Shiites — who believe the Americans and the Iranians have been fighting a proxy war in their country through Tehran's alleged links to Shiite extremists.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-iraq-shoe-tosser,0,4789203.story

[YOY]

1. He may not be all that wrong.

Stuck in the middle. Not a good place to be when the middle is a DMZ.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Interesting thing is, he's a young Shiite who was opposed to the clerical

influence of Iran. Our biggest fear was that the Shiite from both countries would unite. That young man's well-being is important to us in a strange sort of way. Even if he hates us, if he hates the Iranian Shiite's more, we still might come out of this ahead.

[YOY]

4. Sounds like the kind of guy who knows that a seperation of church and state are vital.

Quite agree with your ascertation.

Personally, I fear for the guy's life even though he may hate us. He may actually have the kind of sense to seperate hate of the American occupation and it's creators from hatred of the American People. I could be quite wrong about that.

[Why Syzygy]

2. k&r

Aren't they fighting for control of Iraq though? Poor Iraqi people.

[Wizard777]

5. FINALLY! A true Iraqi patriot. Get that man a campaign staff!

[no limit]

6. edit: never mind