BUSH SHOED BUSHOED- SHOEING INCIDENT

Baghdad: The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush in a supreme insult has suddenly become the talk of Iraq.

The little known Shiite reporter said to have harbored anger against Bush for the thousands of Iraqis who died after the 2003 US-led invasion, had previously made headlines only once, when he was briefly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in 2007.

TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the Iraqi government of a barbaric act.

His employer, independent al-Baghdadiya television, demanded his release and demonstrators rallied for him in Sadr City in Baghdad, the southern Shiite stronghold of Basra and the holy city of Najaf, where some threw shoes at a US convoy.

Thanks be to God, Muntazers act fills Iraqi hearts with pride, his brother, Udai al-Zaidi, told Reuters Television, demanding that the Iraqi government free him.

Im sure many Iraqis want to do what Muntazer did. Muntazer used to say all the orphans whose father were killed are because of Bush.

Zaidi shouted this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog, at Bush in a news conference the U.S. president held with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during an unannounced farewell visit to Baghdad on Sunday.

The journalist then flung one shoe at Bush, forcing him to duck, followed by another, which sailed over Bushs head and slammed into the wall behind him. Throwing shoes at someone is the worst possible insult in the Arab world.

Zaidi was dragged struggling and screaming from the room by security guards and could be heard shouting outside while the news conference continued after momentary mayhem. The Iraqi government said Zaidi had carried out a barbaric and ignominious act that did not correspond to the role of the media.

He tried to attack the visiting president, the media center of the council of ministers said in a statement.

At the same time that we condemn this ignominious act, we call on the television channel of this reporter to deliver a public apology for this act which sullies the reputation of all Iraqi journalists and the whole media.

Al-Baghdadiya television demanded Zaidis immediate release, in accordance with the democratic era and the freedom of expression that Iraqis were promised by US authorities.

It said that any harsh measures taken against the reporter would be reminders of the dictatorial era that Washington said its forces invaded Iraq to end.

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News & Politics

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• GEORGE BUSH
• SOEING INCIDENT