Shoe Thrower "Asks" Al-Maliki For Pardon

But Iraqi Reporter's Brother Says Apologetic Letter Is A Fake, Suspects His Brother Was Severely Beaten

(CBS/AP)  The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President Bush is begging for a pardon for what he described as "an ugly act," the prime minister's spokesman said Thursday.

CBS News Baghdad producer Randall Joyce first reported the letter in a story for CBSNews.com's World Watch.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for an Iraqi-owned television station based in Cairo, Egypt, could face imprisonment for either insulting, or assaulting a foreign leader. He remained in custody Thursday night.

Joyce reported that al-Zeidi has been kept completely out of the reach of his legal representation and his family since the show-throwing incident late on Sunday - a fact which typifies a deeply flawed Iraqi justice system.

"It is too late to reverse the big and ugly act that I perpetrated," al-Zeidi wrote in a letter delivered to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, according to the prime minister's spokesman.

The spokesman, Yassin Majid, told The Associated Press that al-Zeidi went on in the letter to recall an interview he conducted with the prime minister in 2005 when al-Maliki invited him into his home, saying: "Come in, it is your home too."

"So I ask for your pardon, Excellency," Majid quoted the letter as saying.

However, the journalist's brother, Dhargham al-Zeidi, told the AP he was skeptical that his brother would write such a letter.

"I am suspicious that my brother wrote that letter to al-Maliki because I know my brother very well," he said. He added that family members and staffers from Al-Baghdadiya would stage a sit-in Friday near the U.S.-controlled Green Zone.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Thursday that she'd seen reports that al-Zeidi had apologized but that she did not know whether Mr. Bush was aware of them.

"The president harbors no hard feelings about it, and the Iraqis have a process that they'll follow," Perino said. "But he did urge them not to overreact, because he was not bothered by the incident, although it's not appropriate for people to throw shoes at a press conference, at any leader."

Perino suffered a bruised eye in the melee that followed the attack.

"What happened to me was just an accident in the melee. It's not - I'm not bothered by it. It's not all that pretty," she said referring to her bruise, "but I'm not worried about it."

Joyce reported that the law being used to prosecute al-Zeidi, and his possible sentence, are still unclear - as all the deliberations are taking place behind closed doors.

Prosecutors have discussed trying him under a law, which dates back many years, that makes it illegal to assault a foreign leader in Iraq. That law could carry as much as a 15 year prison sentence, though legal analysts say that, because neither shoe actually hit Mr. Bush, that could be reduced to seven.

Here's a closer look at that law from Joyce in another World Watch entry.

The AP reported, however, that al-Zeidi could be charged with insulting a foreign leader, as opposed to assaulting one - a lesser crime that carries a possible two-year prison sentence.

The case has riveted Iraq, with many in the country, and the wider Muslim world, considering him a hero for defying a president they blame for destroying the country.

A shouting match Wednesday between parliament members for and against al-Zeidi prompted the speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, to announce he was resigning.

Al-Mashhadani showed up at parliament on Thursday to resume his speaker duties. But so many lawmakers boycotted in protest of al-Mashhadani's outburst that the session was canceled.

Al-Zeidi's action was broadcast repeatedly on television stations worldwide. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack suggested that incident was overblown.

"We would hope that the fact of a U.S. president standing next to a freely elected prime minister of Iraq who just happens to be Shia, who is governing in a multi-confessional, multiethnic democracy in the heart of the Middle East, is not overshadowed by one incident like this," McCormack told reporters in Washington.

McCormack said he believed that in the coming years, "the fact of the president making that visit under those circumstances will probably overshadow any memory of this particular gentleman and what he did."

According to Iraq's constitution, President Jalal Talabani can issue a pardon if recommended by the prime minister, except under certain offenses including international crimes. That would enable the government to put an end to the affair without risking a backlash from al-Zeidi's admirers.

Such pardons are ordinarily issued only after someone has been convicted. An investigating judge is studying whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

Al-Maliki was standing next to Mr. Bush when the journalist threw his shoes and shouted at the American leader in Arabic, "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."



Al-Zeidi was tackled by Iraqi and U.S. security after throwing his shoes at Mr. Bush, who deftly ducked.

A judge visited al-Zeidi in his jail cell this week and the family was told to return to court next week, according to Dhargham al-Zeidi.

Dhargham al-Zeidi claims his brother was severely beaten after being taken into custody. However, Iraqi officials and another brother deny the journalist suffered severe injuries.

[woodjd42]

Maybe the secret service did not want to act too quickly.

[airboatboy1]

Suggestion, Georgy Boy. Don''t run in any popularity contests in any part of the world. Stay holed-up somewhere like a rat for the rest of your life.

[torva-2009]

Forget pressing charges on this man, I want ACTION TAKEN AGAINST those agents who failed and made a mockery out of the UNITED STATES becuase they failed to do their d.a.m.n job!!!!

Posted by thedarkgod2 at 03:45 AM : Dec 19, 2008

Did they? Really, did they fail to do their job, or was god acting through them?!?!?!?

[torva-2009]

If Bush had just nuked the entire Middle East after 9/11, the whole thing would have been forgotten by now. Actually, it''s still not too late.

Posted by BRdeckard at 01:22 AM : Dec 19, 2008

Actually Shrub is the only who could probably get away with it too...while he''s at it should nuke Somalia as well...just a thought...

[torva-2009]

I think Bush should pardon HIM...it would be very christian of him - for once!

[harbinger09]

Al Maliki. Devout collaborator of the invaders and occupiers of his country to the end.

Sort of reminds one of the stories of zealous local followers of Hitler in Poland, France, Holland, etc. Who went overboard to help beat and kill their own countrymen to collect the perks that come with collaborating.

Collaborators are filth at best--Americans may try to accept and defend Al Maliki---BUT to be a collaborator-one must aid and help the people who invaded, occupied and killed your own countrymen. IN short, a collaborator is a traitor to their own country and only is in power as long as the invader rules.

Take a lesson from Europe post WWII, Al Maliki--they drug the bodies of collaborators through the streets--often skinning them alive and torturing them--then killing them. After all, a collaborator IS a traitor--no matter how much they help their occupiers.

[puritan9]

In Iraq, throwing a shoe is probably freedom of expression - why stop democracy now? Perhaps rotten eggs an tomatoes would be more acceptable? First Ammendment baby - see how it feels when the shoe is off the other foot!

[downtowner97]

It was hate and fear that got Obama elected. The vast majority of the people in this country were not willing to learn to hate people who had done nothing to us, and not willing to fear people who are not a threat to us.

To the 29% of the people in the country who still support Bush, I pity you for being so afraid of the world.

[jerr11]

Give me a break...If someone had hurled a shoe at a guest of yours, you would probably press charges too...hypocrite.

Posted by ffoulkes at 01:20 AM : Dec 19, 2008



I''ll get him waterboarded, hang him up by his balls, get Private Englund to jab him in his eyes and have ******** Cheney take a picture of the happy couple.

[dennisgreen5]

George W. Bush is a disgrace to the American people for the way he has presided as president. He is a mean spirited person who has no regard for the constitution or the will of the people of the U.S. The vice-president, *** Cheney, is smarter than Bush but he''s even meaner and a cold hearted SOB.These guys will go down in history as the saddest pair of cut-throat morons to ever occupy the white house.

[downtowner97]

BRdeckard, it was ignorant, hateful fascists like you who got Obama elected. Thanks for your hard work!

[downtowner97]

If Roosevelt had walked into the middle of Tokyo or Berlin at the end of World War 2, no one would have thrown a shoe. Why? No lies, no torture, no blackwater, no arrogant "Bring it on" statements. We need to be an honorable nation again to get respect. By the way, if you don''t know who Roosevelt was, he was a Democrat who saved the entire planet from bad people like we have become.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Posted by cdfoxtrot6 at 12:06 AM : Dec 19, 2008
''By all accounts, the journalist has been beaten to a pulp.''
-----------
Actually...that is only by ONE person''s account and that is someone who has had NO contact with him and is only guessing.
-------------
''People need to decide what kind of world they want to live in. ''
------------------
Yeah, decide...do you want to live in a society where people are free to just take off their shoes any time they feel like it and hurl them at your face? Moron.

[ffoulkes-2009]

More and more, al Maliki is starting to sound like Saddam II, and with the encouragement of our moronic Busssssh!

Posted by excoachken at 07:02 PM : Dec 18, 2008
_______________
Give me a break...If someone had hurled a shoe at a guest of yours, you would probably press charges too...hypocrite.

[ffoulkes-2009]

All he did was yell in Arabic: This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.

Posted by sockpuppet4 at 07:01 PM : Dec 18, 2008
___________
What!!??

They yelling is not what got his stupid A$s in trouble...the hurling of a dangerous object at the face of the President of the United States of America who was a visiting dignitary to the nation of Iraq is what got the moron in jail. That was assault with a weapon...aka aggravated assault...can be considered a felony in some cases.

[pirmin3]

They ought to give the guy a medal!!

[lewiston14]

Morph: you are really sick. Take 2 asprin and drink 4 gallons of water in 10 minutes.

[jerr11]

Another math puzzle:

What''s the difference between Bin Laden And Bush?

1200 Dead Americans.

Bin Laden - 3000

Bush - 4200 and counting.

Bush wins hands down!

Heckuva job!

Mission Accomplished!

[jerr11]

this is the difference between bush and saddam..


Posted by LordSunTzu at 12:17 AM : Dec 19, 2008



Actually the difference is 4200 Dead Americans.

Saddam killed 0 Americans.

Bush killed 4200 Americans and counting.

Heckuva job!

Mission Accomplished!

[wtcmedic911]

the shoe thrower should be given time and motivation to think about his actions. he embarrassed his goverment and perhaps his countryman. He wanted to make a point and now he is being taught a lesson.