[Bob-Gmelin]

I just couldn’t believe what I saw last night on MSNBC ‘Countdown’ and perhaps you have access to it and can play back the portion of Mr. Allawi exiting from the Congress floor.  Never seeing him before, my first impression was that his right arm was injured or his right hand was missing, as it hung limply at his side.  All the while, he used his left hand to shake hands and to wave.  I saw him pass our generals, standing and applauding, as he acknowledged them with is left hand. I then saw, as he was leaving, that his right arm was intact and his right hand was functional. Sen. Lieberman step forward with a big cheesy smile and extended his hand. Both arms of Allawi were free.  I watched to see which hand Allawi would offer.  To my disbelief and shock Lieberman got Ayad Allawi’s left hand. You have seen pictures of our troops captured … Vietnam, Iran hostages, now Iraq.  They are often presented as willing soldiers for the enemy.  But with a closer look at the picture  we sometimes see that our soldier is ‘flipping the bird’ or showing ‘bull horns’.  It shows that the scene is inaccurate. And that is what I saw last night with Allawi.  I am retired military having been stationed in and traveled through much of the Middle East and I am aware of some of its customs.  One of the biggest insults an Arab can pay to another Arab or any person is to extend his/her left hand in a greeting.  And for the same reason when at a meal with family or guests, where diners eat from common bowls that are passed around the table, the greatest cultural sin to the host and everyone at the table is to reach for the food with the left hand. Why?  With few exceptions the Middle Easterners, to include the Persians of Iran, do not use toilet paper as we do in Europe and America.  Instead they use their left hand to clean themselves, followed by a vase-like vessel with a handle & spout to then wash the left hand. No way would Allawi get away with shaking fellow Arabs hands with his left hand in any Arab/Persian country.  Was he, like our captured soldiers, sending a message of his true intent and feelings about America, our government, our Prez, our invasion of his country? Are the people of the Middle East rolling on the floor laughing at us?

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Name : Bob-Gmelin, City : Sonoma, State : CA, Country : United States, 

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