Mark Bowden of the Atlantic Monthly has published a piece in the December 24 issue of the Wall Street Journal recommending an action that has probably occurred to no one in George Bush's White House, perhaps least of all Bush.
It is that the president publicly forgive the Iraqi "journalist"--why not call him what he claims to be?--and, by that gesture, give an indication
to the Baghdad government that it should lay off. Muntazar al-Zaidi might even in be embarrassed by Bush's gesture.
One other result would be that the mass demonstrations in Araby (where protests are mounted to protest whatever) might stop.There so many
indications of real improvement in Iraq that even the most hot-headed could notice.