http://www.nationalledger.com/scribe/archives/2005/02/chris_matthews.shtml
[Safia Taleb al-Suhail] said she met the Norwoods for the first time last night at the speech. Safia walked in and was sitting next to Laura Bush, when she heard the couple behind her talking to the mayor of Washington, D.C. (Janet and Bill Norwood were explaining to the mayor why they had been invited... and how their son, a Marine, got killed in the battle for Fallujah.) Safia overheard the conversation... and on her own, she turned around and introduced herself. She said she told the Norwoods "Thank you" and "Words can't express how grateful my country is to you." Safia said she felt an instant bond with Janet Norwood and was soon looking at one of the last pictures taken of Norwood's son Byron.
There was an exchange of questions... and e-mails. (The women pledged to stay in touch.) Then, the President walked in and the speech began. Safia said she was honored when the President singled her out... and even more honored when he mentioned the Norwoods. Safia said the long hug with Janet Norwood was spontaneous and emotional. Both were crying.
There was a moment during this hug when it appeared Mrs. Norwood had given Safia the ID tags that belonged to Norwood's son. In fact, Safia said that during the embrace, the tags got caught on the jewelry Safia was wearing and on Mrs. Norwood's purse. "We were bound together," said Safia, "it was an accident but somehow appropriate."
So they introd themselves. It changes nothing. There is absolutely NOTHING either woman can say that proves it wasn't staged to the level I'm saying it was, because there is absolutely no part of that kind of staging either woman would have participated in. Find me a White House event staff member saying it never downed on them the two women would feel an emotional bond, those are the people that would be involved in the staging, those are the only people that would know about anything before hand, and those are the only people that can establish it wasn't staged. If either woman was involved in the staging then it would have looked stilted and forced, so obviously they weren't.