A protester uses his sandal to strike an effigy of U.S. President George. W. Bush as thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr converged on Firdous Square in central Baghdad, Iraq for a mass prayer to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008.(AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
by Frank James
Shiite followers of the Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a persistent thorn in the Bush Administration's side, held a large demonstration in Baghdad's Firdous Square to protest the agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments that would allow the American military to remain in Iraq until the end of 2011.
Sadr has been mostly quiet during the period of the U.S. and Iraqi security surge. But the agreement gives him the perfect opportunity to rally his supporters around assertions of Iraqi nationalism.
Thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr bow in prayer as they converge on Firdous Square in central Baghdad, Iraq to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Here's a little color from the demonstration as reported by the Associated Press:
Chanting and waving flags, thousands of Muqtada al-Sadr's followers filled Firdous Square to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact that would allow American troops to stay for three more years. The Bush effigy was placed on the same pedestal where U.S. Marines toppled the ousted dictator's statue in one of the iconic images of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
After a mass prayer, demonstrators pelted the effigy with plastic water bottles and sandals. One man hit it in the face with his sandal. The effigy fell head first into the crowd and protesters jumped on it before setting it ablaze.
Before it fell, the effigy held a sign that said: "The security agreement ... shame and humiliation."
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Comments
Wonder if they will treat Obama this way?
Posted by: Inky | November 21, 2008 11:16 AM
NOOOOO, Inky. The great Obama is LOVED by everyone in the whole entire wide world, as we will soon enough see.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | November 21, 2008 11:45 AM
Ref-
NOOOOO, Inky. The great Obama is LOVED by everyone in the whole entire wide world, as we will soon enough see.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | November 21, 2008 11:45 AM
Not true- he didn;t get all the votes
Posted by: Inky | November 21, 2008 12:09 PM
Poor George, so misunderstood at home and abroad. Apparently the Iraqi's don't appreciate all that he's done to, er, for them.
Posted by: Quippy | November 21, 2008 12:26 PM
We're winning their hearts and minds! The liberal media won't report the truth....and Sarah Palin will lead us to victory!
Posted by: christiansoldier | November 21, 2008 1:34 PM
And Cheney said we would be greeted like liberators....not so much any more, and it didn't ever happen to begin with.
Posted by: michael | November 21, 2008 8:12 PM
the flowers at the feet of the liberators. flowery sandals and water bottles. flowery wars and flowery language. flowers to the people.
Posted by: crud | November 21, 2008 11:43 PM
how dare they oppose our war for democracy...
Posted by: movie fan | November 22, 2008 5:58 AM
Inky, you are too blank to even understand when some one is on your side!!! You are also too blank to understand that Obama did not drop the bombs on their innocent family members. Bush lied to everyone, and they feel the reprocusions the most.
Posted by: Xcellentform | November 22, 2008 10:09 AM