President Bush’s surprise, valedictory trip to Iraq and Afghanistan this week was overshadowed by a bizarre incident during a Baghdad press conference, when an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at Bush—a profound insult in Arabic culture. Bush was touting Iraq’s “hopeful gains” when TV journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi launched his shoes at Bush’s head while shouting, “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.” Bush dodged the projectiles, and al-Zaidi was tackled by Iraqi security.
Prior to the incident, Bush virtually declared victory in Iraq, saying the war “is decidedly on its way to being won.” Bush later visited Kabul, where he acknowledged the resurgence of the Taliban and said the U.S. would not abandon Afghanistan. Al-Zaidi, meanwhile, quickly became a folk hero in Iraq, as thousands rallied, demanding his release from custody.
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Putin’s threat to fracture Ukrainefeature Fears that Russia was building a pretext for an invasion of eastern Ukraine grew, as pro-Kremlin protesters occupied government buildings in three cities.
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Curbing NSA surveillance
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Downsizing the military
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Putin ratchets up pressure on Ukraine
feature Russian President Vladimir Putin put 150,000 troops at the Ukraine border on high alert and cut off $15 billion in financial aid.
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Ukraine on the brink of civil war
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Ukraine at the breaking point
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Dim prospects for Syrian talks
feature A long-awaited Syrian peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland, quickly degenerated into a cross fire of bitter accusations.
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The fight over jobless benefits
feature A bill to restore federal benefits for the long-term unemployed advanced when six Republican senators voted with Democrats.