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Iraqi Parliament Suspended Over Shoe Thrower Uproar
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by Rob Walker | December 17, 2008 at 12:39 pm
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The Iraqi parliament is in an uproar this week after a journalist was arrested for throwing a pair of shoes at visiting US president George W. Bush. Parliament was suspended until Thursday as discussions grew heated around whether the government should free the journalist.
Muntadar al-Zaidi was due to make a court appearance, but was instead visited by a judge in jail. His brother told reporters that he had been badly beaten, and authorities fear his current appearance could cause unrest.
There have been scenes of uproar in the Iraqi parliament as MPs discussed whether to free a journalist who threw his shoes at the US president.The scenes forced the speaker to suspend parliament until Thursday.
They came as two of the journalist's brothers said he had appeared before a judge but not in public.
The 29-year-old journalist may face up to seven years in prison for 'offending the head of a foreign state'.
The Iraqi journalist who became an instant media star for hurling his shoes at US President George W. Bush appeared on Wednesday before a judge investigating the incident, his brother said.
Meanwhile a Saudi Arabian man is offering $10 million for the shoes of the journalist. It is highly doubtful he'll get ahold of them, as I'm sure they're undergoing ballistics testing by the secret service.
A Saudi Arabian man has offered $10 million for the shoes of an Iraqi journalist hurled at U.S. President George Bush in Baghdad Sunday.
Speaking of the secret service, they've released a statement saying they would be investigating their actions during the shoe-throwing incident, and review their procedures if it is necessary. Their spokesman claimed they knew no one was armed, so I guess threat level shoe isn't part of their game plan.
"We'll be our own harshest critic regarding this incident" Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said Monday, "and we'll make any appropriate changes to security."
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Karenke4
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 14:30 on December 17th, 2008
It bothers me that Journalists are trying to make the news not report it. Reporters are given priviledges to cover government and have respocibilities and rules to follow. Throwing ones shoes is outside of what journliast are sopposed to do while cover stoies. I have UN Credentials. Let me tell you it is no easy to get and impossible to get back if suspended.