Iraq Shoe Thrower, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, Wants Pardon According To Prime Minister's Spokesman

From AP
A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says the journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush has asked for a pardon.

Spokesman Yassin Majid says that in a letter sent Thursday to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the journalist described his behavior as "an ugly act" and asked to be pardoned.

Majid says that Muntadhar al-Zeidi in the letter recalls the kindness the prime minister once showed him during an interview in 2005 and asked for al-Maliki to show him kindness once again.

Al-Zeidi, a correspondent for an Iraqi-owned television station based in Cairo, Egypt, could face two years imprisonment for insulting a foreign leader.

Reuters goes into more detail about the letter that Muntadhar al-Zeidi sent to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki:

"Zaidi said in his letter that his big ugly act cannot be excused," Majeed said...

...One of Zaidi's brothers said he had no information about him but found the idea he sent Maliki an apology unbelievable.

"This information is absolutely not true. This is a lie. Muntazer is my brother and I know him very well. He does not apologize," Udai al-Zaidi said. He added: "But if it happened, I tell you it happened under pressure."

Zaidi was brought before an investigating judge on Tuesday and admitted "aggression against a president," a crime that could incur a 15-year sentence, judicial officials said. He could face trial soon.

Comments

[thegeniusfiles]

12:21 PM on 12/21/2008

Time Magazine has already selected Barack Obama as Man of the Year, which is a good choice. But in my book, al-Zeidi is truly the Man of the Year. Who else in the world has had the raw courage to stand up to W so bluntly, in person, and take his lumps for it to boot? Al-Zeidi: Man of the Year. His courage will be remembered just like Tank Man from the Tienanmen Massacre:
http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/T­ank_Man
Al-Zeidi is Man of the Year!

[SeriousBlack]

01:51 AM on 12/19/2008

I think we can all figure out where this "apology" came from.

It was tortured out of him.

Standard operating procedure 90 miles off our shores. Obviously standard operating procedure with someone who dared diss dubya in Iraq.

[smag]

01:10 AM on 12/19/2008

I can't think of one reason Bush should even comment on this incident. Let every one say what they wish. The "thrower" did what he wished and when you act you accept the conswquenc­es; good or bad. Leave it to the Iraqies. If it had been BO bleeding heart liberals would have wanted him shot.

[LeftLeftLeft]

12:57 AM on 12/19/2008

Aw, c'mon! You wouldn't catch me apologizin­g! And I wear clunky, size 11 Dansko's !

[smag]

04:45 PM on 12/19/2008

So when those who hate Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, Schumer, Kennedy, or other left wing Senators or Congress persons start throwing shoes at them you won't consider that disrespect­ful of them and their Office and while you may disagree them you won't condem them even if you think they have discraced their office as Markos Moulitsas thinks is the case of Reid.? Is that right? WRONG!!!!

[leftLibertarian]

12:52 AM on 12/19/2008

The shoe thrower is a Hero

Bush is a War Criminal

[xstevejx]

12:48 AM on 12/19/2008

I know islamic countries have more harsh penalties in general, but this was only really an ATTEMPTED assault. Up to several weeks in jail doesn't seem too unfair, but I'd rather see him freed if the other alternativ­e is several months to years of imprisonme­nt and/or any bodily harm. Still, if we're to see Iraq stand for itself, it's up to them to decide.

[judi4hope]

11:37 AM on 12/19/2008

Ironic contradict­ion! You mention "see Iraq stand up for itself", yet gestures are very telling there. I was told by friends that even showing the sole of one's shoe is an insult. Does Joe Iraqi have the freedom to do much to stand up for himself? How about Jane Iraqi; does she have any freedom? I wonder if they will be allowed "to decide"? Living overseas for 11 years showed me many things that most Americans will probably never understand­. Our expectatio­ns are not the norm over there. Be careful when making cultural comparison­s.

[thegeniusfiles]

12:28 PM on 12/21/2008

Up to Iraq to decide? Are you serious? If it was up to Iraq to decide, Bush would have been the one to be pummeled and dragged off to prison. Not al-Zeidi. You have no clue about the Iraqi people.

[alexpaul]

12:08 AM on 12/19/2008

AFTER HIS BALLS WERE REMOVED

[alabaman]

11:20 PM on 12/18/2008

I'd like to know why a Secret Service agent didn't bodily shield the president after the first shoe was thrown. Isn't that the protocol they follow? Yes, it was funny to see the shoe thrown and Bush ducked and wasn't hurt. But what if that had been Obama and what if that journalist had drawn a gun or thrown a grenade instead?

[gwazdos]

08:14 AM on 12/19/2008

The reason the Secret Service did shield the Bobble Head Pres. is that they hate him as much as 76% of the American people. The guy that threw the show has more courage than Pelosi, remember her comment - Impeachmen­t is off the table - she was to busy make herself rich and not standing up for the American people that elected her fat ass in office. This guy that threw the show should get a peace prize for having the courage to speak up even though it was through his shoes, i think they - people like Blackwater may have already cut his toung out for daring to speak what all Americans feel. Americans want justice in the form of War Crimes be brought against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Hadley, Feith, Wolfitz, Rice, Addington, and finally Treason charges be brought against Karl Rove and his brother Robert Novak for their role in the Outing of Valerie Plame. Americans do you have balls? them demand action be take- call your fake representa­tive in Congress, give them you shoe!

[DaveC19]

11:09 PM on 12/18/2008

No this guy shouldn't be pardoned, forgiven, anything. He should be punished.

After all... He MISSED!

[Turtleposer]

11:48 PM on 12/18/2008

Ha ha good one! Who can be faulted for the natural urge to throw a shoe at Bush? Missing on the other hand is a serious offense.

[Chip W]

10:56 PM on 12/18/2008

I hope the Iraqis protesting in the streets are aware that lots of people in the US agree with them.

[dphilip]

11:25 PM on 12/18/2008

I'm sure that the insurgents know how much the democrats support them.

[RickMcd85]

12:23 AM on 12/19/2008

This simplistic black and white thinking on the right is the reason Iraq was such a debacle.

Anyone in Iraq opposed to the US invasion of their country is an "insurgent­"? Please. Enough of this childish "with us or against us" lunacy.

[neuron]

10:47 PM on 12/18/2008

Bush is lucky it was only a pair of wingtips..­.

[RickMcd85]

09:56 PM on 12/18/2008

I hope this guy is released.

It's not like he hurt anybody. His act was symbolic and designed to insult George Bush. Can you blame this man for being angry? George Bush is responsibl­e for the destructio­n of his country and for the deaths of thousands of his fellow citizens. Also, Iraq wasn't a terrorist haven until terrorists had a reason to be there, thanks to George Bush.

[john stevens 26]

11:49 PM on 12/18/2008

If this guy had done this to Saddam, he would be dead by now, no pardon needed..

[peterg76]

09:48 PM on 12/18/2008

Ridiculous­. What, are we supposed to believe the shoe was thrown by accident? Al-Zeidi is a hero who stood up to a tyrant. I'll believe he wants a pardon when he freely acknowledg­es it while outside the power of the occupation­.

[bronzy]

09:29 PM on 12/18/2008

Well they certainly had a few days to beat that out of him, I am sure he could barely speak an apology much less write one.

[SeriousBlack]

01:57 AM on 12/19/2008

I'm sure that's why it was a written one. They'll have to give him a few weeks to recover from the beatings before they stand him up in front of reporters (after informing him that snipers are aiming at his head and his entire family is in custody with guns to THEIR heads).

[lungfish]

09:22 PM on 12/18/2008

I applaud Zaidi's actions and appreciate the indelible imprint this will leave on Bush's "legacy". It is quite a legacy... you can smell it for miles....a­nd it will reek for years.

The office of the POTUS is expected to be conducted with dignity and respect...­... and if a sitting President is undignifie­d and disrespect­ful, then he deserves to be confronted­. Zaidi did a very good thing. He did what Americans, our gov and our media won't do.

I am sure the people of Iraq are confused. After decades of tyranny, and 8years of occupation­, death and destructio­n, they probably don't know what to say about it . There is no tradition of dissent in Iraq and I think that there is one now...

Dubya and co need a pie in the face everytime they open their mouths....­. until we can haul them into court...

Frankly I would like the opportunit­y myself to cuff Dubya in the back of the head and ask him what his malfunctio­n is. For a guy like al Zaidi to see first hand the death and destructio­n that this POTUS has created and has literally no shame about I am surprised that he didn't throw a grenade instead,

Respect is earned and regardless of the dignity that comes with the office, the actions of the sitting POTUS are hardly worthy of respect. He himself said that the US Constituti­on is "just a g....d..md piece of paper."

[calipublican]

09:27 PM on 12/18/2008

but you wont do anything but complain as you are a limp wristed liberal and thats all you do.

[lungfish]

09:50 PM on 12/18/2008

is an ad hominum all you can come up with? Geez, hardly enough there to bother with. Take another run at it and this time really try to connect all three brain cells and come up with a coherent argument..­. if you can...

[RickMcd85]

09:54 PM on 12/18/2008

And what exactly do you "do", calipublic­an to further your own beliefs?

I suppose if somebody was imprisoned in Iraq and you disagreed with it, you'd hop on a flight over there with your shotgun and go bust him out?

Get over yourself.

[karlpilkington]

12:20 AM on 12/19/2008

Regardless of your feeling about President Bush, or mine for that matter, we Americans do not solve our problems in this heathen manner. The mentality of Middle Easterners is so low that I'm afraid any further involvemen­t in their world will render this no long true. However, please understand that here we don't throw things at leaders. From kindergart­en on up we learn to use our words.

[RickMcd85]

12:25 AM on 12/19/2008

Um....we Americans killed thousands of Iraqi's with bombs. We are a violent nation.

Also I wish you wouldn't name yourself after such a funny guy like Karl Pinkington­. What would Ricky Gervais think?