Iraqi Shoe-Thrower Freed, Claims Torture

Protestor Jailed 9 Months for Tossing Shoes at Then-President Bush; Says While He's Now Free, Iraq Still "Held Captive"

(AP)  Last Updated 8:35 a.m. ET

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush was released Tuesday after nine months in prison, and he said Iraqi security forces tortured him with beatings, whippings and electric shocks after his arrest.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, whose stunning act of protest last December made him a hero around the Arab and Muslim worlds, said he now feared for his life and believed that U.S. intelligence agents would chase after him.

"These fearsome services, the U.S. intelligence services and its affiliated services, will spare no efforts to track me as an insurgent revolutionary ... in a bid to kill me," he told a news conference at the TV station where he works.

"And here I want to warn all my relatives and people close to me that these services will use all means to trap and try to kill and liquidate me either physically, socially or professionally," he said, wearing a scarf in the colors of the Iraqi flag draped around his neck.

The 30-year-old reporter's act of protest deeply embarrassed Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who was standing beside President Bush at a Dec. 14 news conference when al-Zeidi suddenly shot up from his chair had hurled his shoes toward the podium.

Mr. Bush, who was on his final visit to Iraq as American president, was unhurt but had to duck twice to avoid being hit.

Al-Zeidi was wrestled to the ground by journalists and al-Maliki's security men.

The reporter said Tuesday that he was abused immediately after his arrest and the following day. He said he was beaten with iron bars, whipped with cords and was electrocuted in the backyard of the building in the Green Zone where the news conference was held.

"In the morning, I was left in the cold weather after they splashed me with water," he said.

He promised to reveal the names of senior officials in the Iraqi government and army who he said were involved in mistreating him.

An unrepentant al-Zeidi explained that his actions were motivated by the U.S. occupation and said that while he is now free, his country is still "held captive."

"Simply put, what incited me toward confrontation is the oppression that fell upon my people and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by placing it under its boots," he said.

In January 2008, al-Zeidi was arrested by U.S. soldiers who searched his apartment building and released him the next day with an apology.

The year before that, al-Zeidi, a Shiite, was kidnapped by gunmen while on an assignment in a Sunni district of north Baghdad. He was freed unharmed three days later after Iraqi television stations broadcast appeals for his release.

Those experiences, his family has said, helped mould his resentment of the U.S. military's presence in Iraq.

Outside his home in central Baghdad, celebrations erupted at the news of his release, with women crying out and breaking into traditional Iraqi dances.

"I congratulate the Iraqi people and the Muslim world and all free men across the world on the release of Muntadhar," his brother Uday told a crowd of dozens of journalists and others. "Every time Bush turns a new page in his life he will find Muntadhar's shoes waiting for him."

Al-Zeidi's brother said the reporter will travel to Greece on Thursday for medical checkups and because he had concerns about his safety.

"He fears for his life," Uday said, adding that he would sleep at an undisclosed location Tuesday night.

Al-Zeidi's protest stirred millions across the Arab world who have been captivated and angered by images of destruction and grieving since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"This is your farewell kiss, you dog!" he shouted at President Bush in Arabic as he hurled the shoes. "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq," he continued.

For days, the scene was played endlessly on regional and international TV channels.

Al-Zeidi was to have been freed Monday, but the release was held up for a day because of delays in processing paperwork.

After his release, al-Zeidi was driven first to the offices of Al-Baghdadiya, the TV station where he works. Later, he is expected to rejoin his family at their apartment in a rundown two-story building in central Baghdad.

His relatives have been preparing for days to welcome him, hanging balloons and posters of the reporter.

Several children from the family gathered outside the home, carrying posters of al-Zeidi that said: "Release the man who restored national unity."

There were also about a dozen sheep and a butcher standing by to slaughter some of them upon al-Zeidi's return in a traditional practice on celebratory occasions.

His protest was widely celebrated and even inspired Internet games and T-shirts and led some to try to offer their daughters to him in marriage. There were also reports that a Saudi man wanted to pay $10 million for one of the shoes.

Shortly after his arrest, a charity run by the daughter of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi bestowed a medal of courage on al-Zeidi.

Al-Zeidi, who turned 30 in prison, was convicted of assault in March. His three-year prison sentence was reduced to one because he had no criminal record before the shoe-throwing incident. He was released three months early for good behaviour.

The family says al-Zeidi might use his celebrity status to promote humanitarian causes such as the rights of orphans and women.

His employer, Al-Baghdadiya TV, expects he will return to work as a television reporter for the station, though some have questioned how he would be able to work again as a journalist in Iraq.

[love2ridend]

I like all the no torture comments. I wonder if a terrorist had your child and was taking a finger off an hour. You had someone who knew where he was at and you could stop it. You have a choice torture to get the info or wait for him get legal help. I personally would torture him "guess I love my kids"

[hower4]

by love2ridend September 16, 2009 12:54 PM EDT
I like all the no torture comments. I wonder if a terrorist had your child and was taking a finger off an hour.
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Go back to watching trash TV, because that's the only place where anything like that happens. If you know better then please tell us all about JUST ONE case................. but you, love2ridend, won't even reply because you're a ****ing idiot, like the vast majority of Americans.

[taxchurches]

"These fearsome services, the U.S. intelligence services and its affiliated services, will spare no efforts to track me as an insurgent revolutionary ... in a bid to kill me"

Right. What a nut. The Obama Administration is going to whack a guy for throwing shoes at Bush. That doesn't even make sense. Maybe this "reporter" doesn't follow politics.

[earth562]

by earth562 September 15, 2009 12:32 PM EDT
Funny, there wasn;t this kind of complaining when Sadaam used chemical warfare on the Kurds or the Sunnis in the south ...............
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Yes there was!!!! Why don't you try looking at world news sources, not just American? Just because you don't see something on Fox News doesn't mean it's not happening. The REAL problem was that the American government (and the supine media) wasn't interested then, because it thought Saddam was on its side against Iran.
_________________________________________________________________

Really ? hmmm..I didn;t see too many protestors in Europe or anywhere . I've watched France 1, Sky News,BBC, and other media as I live in 3 different countrys my friend. By the way those stations are biased beyond anything your spouting about "Fox" .

I prefer reading articles in Newspaers anyways instead of blips.

[hower4]

by earth562 September 15, 2009 3:46 PM EDT
Really ? hmmm..I didn;t see too many protestors in Europe or anywhere . I've watched France 1, Sky News,BBC, and other media as I live in 3 different countrys my friend. By the way those stations are biased beyond anything your spouting about "Fox" .

I prefer reading articles in Newspaers anyways instead of blips.
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Well..... if your English comprehension is no better that your written English then I suggest you stick to Fox News!

[prometheus21]

"His protest was widely celebrated and even inspired Internet games and T-shirts and led some to try to offer their daughters to him in marriage. There were also reports that a Saudi man wanted to pay $10 million for one of the shoes."

Of course, with Bush and all of that sociopath's secrecy and ties to wealthy Saudi's and common interests in 9-11 terrorists, you're left wondering if this Saudi man wasn't making the purchase on behalf of Bush who catching a scent of the passing shoes has been suppressing crazed foot fetish desires all this time. No gift being too great for friends of 9-11. A 10 million dollar riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery.

[earth562]

by jumkey September 15, 2009 3:21 PM EDT
earth562:

I "believe" him because he publicly attacked his oppressor: George Bush
_________________________________________________________________


Good for you............and Santa is coming on Dec. 25th..so be good

[credibility2]

Perhaps Reid and Pelosi should invite this guy to publicly apologize to them for what he did to former President Bush. Knowing the likes of these two, they probably did their usual happy dance when the shoes were thrown.

[raskal_2]

Maybe protesters need shoes to get Congress and the president to listen about big government spending. I also like the roman tradition of the Senate killing the Caesar when policy was in argument

[thgdriver]

The Liberals have their hero, what a joke they all are. A true hero would have thrown his shoes at Saddam for killing and gassing his own people. Where were the Liberals and their hero's shoes when Saddam was in power? This coward never stepped up to the plate when Saddam was in power. Anybody know why? I do, the headline would have read--Man shot dead on spot for assault on Saddam.

[hockeymom441]

Anyone who thinks that throwing a shoe at someone's face is acceptable, under any circumstances, has become too comfortable living in the freedom most Americans have come to take for granted.

I could not have disagreed more w/ Bush on our move into Iraq... However, I saw RED when this occurred. This was a slap in the face to all the men and women who gave their lives for that good-for-nothing country. What irritated me more, was that Bush just smirked, instead of being angry... as if it was all some sort of joke.

[clowry1611]

Reading these comments (of which i could only get thru 2 of the 5 pages at the time i am typing this) i realize how bleak the future for this country has become. I mean back during WWII if our president had been even sneezed at by a nazi/japanese sympathizer this country would have raised up and brought that person down lke the dog they would have been. You see just because you do not agree with Bush does not mean you should not support him 100% as YOUR president. The same as even though I do not agree with Obama (did not vote for him, and will not vote for him in 2012), i still support him as MY president. Even worse is that the democrats do their thing because of Bush. The republicans are at least rising up due to present problems. I do not consider myself repub or dem. In fact i voted for repubs and dems in the last election. Registered dem because you have to be in my backwards county to vote on local elections. Oh well just my 2 cents worth (if that much, lol)

[iocor]

Arabs dancing in the streets-reminds me of their reaction to 9/11.

[bubbadubba]

I would like to throw my bank statement at GW Bush because he made it what is is now.

[bubbadubba]

<<<<oh thats right !...............a trillion dollar spending on health care won't add to a deficit (Obama) even though the budget office says its even worse over ten years.>>>>

But the two trillion dollar + spending on Iraq and Afghanstan does not affect anything right?
Oh I forgot, a Republican got us into Iraqi-Nam and Afghanistan-Nam so that is fine and dandy and we should ignore the debt and deaths associated with them.
I guess some people think it is more important to spend money for a few oil companies and few corporations than to help 45 million fellow Americans who need health insurance for their children.
We call them Republicans.

[bubbadubba]

We should bring the shoe thrower to the US and give him the Medal of Freedom.
If everyone who wanted to to was able to throw a shoe at GW Bush we would all be barefoot.

[faceofus]

The remarks here prove a sad commentary on Americans today. It is okay to vilify one person who holds the office of the president of the United States while voicing outrage over remarks on another person who holds the same office.

[stinger1z]

I think his sentence was 9 months too long, and am glad to see some common sense has returned. BTW, I can forward him Bush's Dallas address if he wants to know where he can "hand-deliver" some more shoes.

[DaVicar6]

Since when do we free prisoners just because they were tortured?
This kind of thing would never happen in the United States!

[lemonskinkus]

George Bush could not be reached for comment.

[nirak2-2009]

I am sorry the guy missed his mark.

[fedup12]

You know I was embarrassed by this President but I think he still deserved all the respect that the office deserves.

The Presidency is larger than the man.

That said we were/are an occupying army bent on regime change with questionable reasons for the invasion. Do they have a right to be mad? Probably.