Iraq shoe-thrower in court, admits "aggression" ("against a president")

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Dec 16 (Reuters) - An Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush appeared before a judge on Tuesday and admitted "aggression against a president", a judicial spokesman said.

TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi became an instant sensation in the Arab world when he called Bush a "dog" at a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday and threw his shoes at him.

"Al-Zaidi was brought today before the investigating judge in the presence of a defence lawyer and a prosecutor," said Abdul Satar Birqadr, spokesman for Iraq's High Judicial Council. "He admits the action he carried out."

The court decided to keep Zaidi in custody and, after the judge has completed his investigation, it may send him for trial under a clause in the Iraqi penal code that makes it an offence to try to murder Iraqi or foreign presidents.

The sentence for such a crime could be up to 15 years jail, Birqadr said.



Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LG643025.htm

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. If they want to make him a martyr,

this is the way to do it. The shoe throwing was meant as an insult, not as a way to physically harm Bush--the words Zaidi said bear this out. Keeping him in custody, having a trial, and convicting him to 15 years in prison will only bolster the anti-US elements in the area, and make the place even more dangerous for our troops.

[Warpy]

6. Yes, it will destabilize the goverment even more

but the Iraqis are far from stupid. My guess is that he'll be quietly released after Stupid is out of office.

In any case, I hope Amnesty International is all over this one.

[Cha]

27. Excellent

point.

[BOSSHOG]

2. My wife placed a pair of rolled up socks next to my chair

(several years ago) so that I would have something to throw at the TV when dickhead was on so I wouldn't break the TV. On several occasions she has run my ass out of the house because I got a little loud voicing my counter opinion at dickhead.

"Aggression against a President." I can relate.

I get upset at a liar war criminal, conservative guys get upset because a president gets a blowjob. Hmmmm. But, of course, they have values.

[Sequoia]

3. I used to have a nerf ball gun...boy was that fun

to shoot at the tv when jerks like him came on.

[Warpy]

7. I have to keep the remote right next to me at all times

I stopped watching news in 2004, but you never know when Fuckwit will intrude into a newsbreak. If I don't zap him with the remote and a few expletives, I risk needing a new TV because everything else on my desk is heavy--like printers, books, fax...

[Fumesucker]

18. I have a projection TV and my screen is painted on the wall..

It came in real handy the day after the RNC, just patch the hole in the wall and put a little more paint on. :)

[Posteritatis]

25. My grandfather had a styrofoam brick on a tether (nt)

[meegbear]

4. Trying to murder Iraqi or foreign presidents?

Must've been quite the shoe.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. Maybe he has athlete's foot? nt

[nykym]

5. I was just wondering when someone

would mention what the shoe throwing was really about, maybe it was and I missed it, can't be on DU all the time. Anyway thanks. This is from wikipedia.

In the Arab world: a gesture of contempt
In the Arab world, shoe flinging is a gesture of extreme disrespect. <1> A notable occurrence of this gesture happened in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. When U.S. forces pulled down a giant statue of Saddam Hussein during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, many Iraqi detractors of Hussein threw their shoes at the fallen statue. Another example of this took place on December 14, 2008. U.S. President George W. Bush was speaking at a press conference in Iraq when one of the reporters stood up and shouted "This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" and then proceeded to hurl both of his shoes at the president, one after the other.<2>

This may be an ancient gesture from the Middle East; Psalms 60:8, speaking of some of the traditional enemies of Judah, says that "Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe...." (KJV)

The shoe represents the lowest part of the body (the foot) and displaying or throwing a shoe at someone or something in Arab cultures denotes that the person or thing is "beneath them." Showing the bottom of one's feet or shoes (for example, putting one's feet up on a table or desk) in Arab cultures is considered an extreme insult. Examples include Iraqi citizens smacking torn-down posters of Saddam Hussein with their shoes, and the depiction of President of the United States George H. W. Bush on a tile mosaic of the floor of the Al-Rashid Hotel's lobby, forcing all visitors entering the hotel to walk on Bush's face to enter the hotel.

During President George W. Bush's surprise visit to Iraq in December 2008, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes in Bush's face during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki. The first shoe sailed by his right cheek and he had to duck to avoid the second one as it flew over his head. President Bush later told reporters that he did not feel the incident was a "big deal" and that it "did not represent the Iraqi media as a whole." <3>

[monmouth]

8. If Bush really didn't care, he could make a call and ask Al-Maliki to

release this guy. He could do it and end this poor man's misery...

[glitch]

31. that doesn't fit the profile of "petty" and "vicious" and a wannabe "tyrant"

more likely he'll be made an example.

And Bush would no doubt consider any destabilizing effect of martyrizing him double-plus good.

[Mari333]

9. lets see..man throws shoe, goes to jail, man kills 100,000 plus people

gets to live in wealthy home in dallas and receives taxpayer allowance for rest of life.
something wrong with this type of justice, meh.

[Zhade]

34. Man, isn't THAT the truth.

No justice.

[uppityperson]

10. k&r. Another article and a question.

He needs to be seen, otherwise the whole mid-east situation could blow up more. If there were no signs of excessive violence when he was carried out, how and when did his arm and ribs get broken?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article5354278.ece
“He has got a broken arm and ribs and cuts to his eye and arm,” he said. “He is being held by forces under the command of Muwafaq al-Rubaie ." Television pictures from the press conference show Mr al-Zaidi being carried away by prime ministerial guards but there was no sign of excessive violence.

[uppityperson]

11. Bush told al-Maliki to not “worry about it”...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16640.html
She was not asked specifically about reports that al-Zaidi was beaten up while in the custody of Iraqi police but did say that Bush told al-Maliki to not “worry about it” following the incident.

[BR_Parkway]

12. attempted murder by shoe throwing? ROFL

[pattmarty]

13. Yeah sure, after they beat the shit out of him for 12 hrs.

[Cha]

28. They must really like bush to react

so violently against the shoe thrower.

[truth2power]

14. Did he have black eyes? We should all start wearing

lapel pins fashioned like little shoes. :grr:

That man is a REAL patriot.

[OwnedByFerrets]

15. Torture will make a person admit to anything.

[winter999]

35. Please.

[PearliePoo2]

16. This guy is so screwed

" it may send him for trial under a clause in the Iraqi penal code that makes it an offence to try to murder Iraqi or foreign presidents."

You would think al-Zaidi knew damn well what the repercussions would be for his shoe throwing.
He may have given himself a death sentence.
And the rat-bastard smirking chimp says this is what "free people" can do.
The CriminalInChief should have to watch this guy get tortured for the crime of throwing his shoes.

(on second thought...the sadistic freak would probably "get-off" on watching.)

[stillcool]

33. seeing as he'd been tortured before..

what's the big deal? I wonder if they have any life expectancy figures for Iraqi's.

[Javaman]

17. "Iraqi penal code that makes it an offense to try to murder Iraqi or foreign presidents."

yeah, that shoe could have caught moron* right in the chest, thus causing the 1 in 3 trillion (dollar) chance of him* getting a cardiac arrest.

:eyes:

in other words, the chimperor* is not please with "this one", off with his head!

[tclambert]

19. A strong President and a good man would pardon the shoe thrower

and return his shoes. By mail, not in person. Let's not get crazy.

What do you think Cheney will do? Will al-Zaidi die in a prison "accident?"

[Marie26]

20. Murder? nt

[Sultana]

21. I fear that they may kill him and then hide all the evidence...

:(

But would they be bold enough to do it with whole world watching?

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. The sentence for attempted murder of a president is 15 years?

Setting aside the ludicrous assertion that he tried to kill him with a shoe, this sounds like an excuse to keep him in jail until the bruises go away.

[slackmaster]

23. In California he wouldn't be facing more than a year

Simple assault, a misdemeanor.

[Hulk]

24. Is it possible to "murder" someone by tossing a shoe at them?

Jesus, give me a break! This is ludicrous. It's time to let this man go home to a hero's welcome that is waiting for him on behalf of all the people of Iraq and the majority of the people of the world.

I'm curious what his physical condition was?? If he appeared in court, are any of these rumors true?...eg, broken arm, etc, etc??

[Cha]

26. He admitted Agression not

an attempt at murder. They better watch how they handle this..he has well deserved folk hero status.

[pacalo]

29. He didn't try to "murder" the "rugged cowboy" with a shoe!

C'mon, parder -- tell the judge that you're "alright; no harm was done". Show the judge pictures of the times you harmed yourself; you're more "rugged" than the Iraqi characterization of you; you're a bigger cowboy than that.

:sarcasm:

[Nikki Stone1]

32. The story that this man was tortured is believable and admitting guilty like this

makes me think they beat the crap out of him.

[winter999]

36. How'd he look? Was he beat up? Broken Ribs?

Or was it all a LIE?