A Shoe Story Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Goes Marching On

The world media has leapt on the story of the shoe-throwing in Baghdad, parched after months of watching victory being snatched from their own declarations of defeat, leaving them with nothing to say about Iraq. This story has already had more coverage in 24 hours than the American victory in Iraq has had all year.

Here’s the BBC pretending to see both sides of this journalist’s disgraceful behavior:

“But others have called Mr Zaidi a hero, for striking a symbolic blow against someone they hold responsible for devastating wars in the Muslim world that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

“And they celebrate its occurrence at the very heart of American power in Iraq, the massively fortified Green Zone where US forces shelter Iraq's political leaders, American and UK diplomats, and visiting dignitaries, from the anger of Baghdad's streets.” (“Bush shoe-ing worst Arab insult”).

A misprint, certainly, since I'm sure they meant "we celebrate its occurence." Eh, Beeb?

And the New York Times, reporting on the reporting of the story:

“A thinly veiled glee could be discerned in much of the reporting, especially in the places where anti-American sentiment runs deepest.” (“Shoe-Hurling Iraqi Becomes a Folk Hero”).

Thinly-veiled is right. And it's pretty thin at the New York Times and the BBC.