Word: zeidi
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...opponents of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, it was an Eid bonus. With the hubbub over the Status of Forces Agreement having died down, the movement led by the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had run out of things to denounce: Zeidi's "heroism" was just what they needed to return to the streets, bearing the usual banners of protest and U.S. flags to burn. The Sadrists also made political hay of Zeidi in parliament, bringing it to a standstill. The gadfly speaker, Mahmoud Mashadani - no mean headline-grabber himself - threatened to resign.(See the Top 10 Awkward Moments...
...suggesting that cynical calculation was behind every expression of solidarity for Zeidi. He undoubtedly captured the zeitgeist in the Arab world (and beyond) over Bush and his calamitous foreign policies. Many Iraqis were genuinely moved by his actions, and want him to be released...
...travails of one angry journalist can't distract people from government corruption, the absence of basic services and the continuing bombings and suicide attacks. The arrests of dozens of officials in the Interior and Defense ministries - allegedly for plotting the overthrow of Maliki's government - have already replaced Zeidi as the biggest story of the week. Baghdad is awash with rumors of an impending coup...
...Zeidi story may last a little longer - Bush critics will want to savor the President's discomfiture for as long as they possibly can. But with most of the late-night hosts going into their holiday break, the jokes will dry up pretty soon...
What will come of Zeidi himself? It falls on the Baghdad press corps to keep up pressure on the Maliki government to give their brother reporter a fair hearing in court. With a major election coming up next week, there's reason to hope that the Prime Minister may make a magnanimous (and vote-catching) gesture toward Zeidi...