Mr. President it is vitally important when dealing with other peoples to properly pronounce their name, nationality, dog's name, etc.
In the case of Iran & Iraq you have consistantly mispronounced the names of these countries so I'd like to offer a bit of assistance.
Iran is not pronounced "I Ran" but instead it is pronounced "Ee Ron."
Iraq is not pronounced "I Rack" but instead it is pronounced "Ee Rock."
I hope this helps. (As an aside, perhaps you should fire whoever it is who teaches you how to pronounce the names of foreign powers and individuals.)
On a personal note I loved your press conference today. Especially appealing was the sound of sirens in the background. It gave me goosebumps to think your life might be in danger as you bravely put yourself out there to make a speech when all around you are bombs going off from suicide bombers. You are a brave man for having a press conference in Baghdad at the foot of the Al Rashid hotel, whoops, I'm sorry I have been informed that the Presidential press conference is actually being held in Washington DC. Nevermind.
UPDATE Hey this post is in the Popdex Top 100, cool!
What? Fire Laura? Why how would that look with the Marriage Protection Week? Ya'll know she done taught him to read too. And Geography and them maps and all.
Posted by: ben | October 28, 2003 at 09:14 AM
That horrible man's voice makes my skin crawl. I'd like to hear him spit up the word "Iraq" the way an Arab speaker might pronounce it--the first letter is a gulpy vowel Gollum might make--it's not the same I as in Iran. And the final consonant is a gulpy even more Gollum like sound. Bush would sound as if he were coughing up a hairball if he tried it. At least, that's what I sound like.
Posted by: Kathy | October 29, 2003 at 12:59 PM
Just to be clear it is not my intention to give a definitive pronunciation guide. But rather, perhaps, to show how badly and with how much disrespect he speaks to the citizens of these countries.
My Iranian friend many years ago looked me right in the eye, sort of hurrumphed, and said "I didn't run anywhere. Did you?"
Posted by: filchyboy | October 29, 2003 at 01:15 PM