The Shoe attacker and American foreign policy

On Sunday morning President Bush suffered a rude awakening from an Iraqi news reporter at a press conference in Baghdad.  The attack consisted of the reporter throwing both of his shoes and yelling ” this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog”.  While to Americans the throwing of a show is slightly humorous, in the middle east it is considered a huge insult.  The bottom of the shoe is considered insulting to be shown to someone, similar to the American insult of turning ones backside.   Because the attack is more insulting than violent, I feel that it has created more attention around the world.  The constant use of violence by Iraqi revisionist has become so prevalent on the news headlines that something different and purely insulting catches every ones eye. 

What I feel should be alarming for the American government is the support by the general public given to the attack.  While the Iraqi people are demonstrating for his release from jail, many Americans feel that the attack was well deserved. I feel it is important to recognize that the reporter is not some uneducated hostile terrorist.  He is an educated, and involved citizen who felt so strongly against the policy decisions made under president Bush that he had the need to throw his shoes at him.  With President Bush on his way out of office and president elect Barack Obama on his way in, the foreign policy executives of the new administration must learn from the incident.  Foreign policy in Iraq is obviously not working if attacks such as this one are occurring after seven years of American presence.  American foreign policy must make the lives better for the Iraqi people and install some sense of trust in the American occupation.