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

[bmickey31]

Pardon him, if bush didn't liberate him he would be dead, end of discussion

[BannedInBoston]

Why do I suspect that they tor.tured the apology out of him?

[Aabby]

sadly , i suspect the same thing.

[Donnat]

Because without a doubt they did, or some U.S. soldiers may have.

[walk0nwalls]

Funny, I thought it was a foregone conclusion already

[kimmerleigh]

I think everyone world-wide should mail a shoe to the dub. What a great show of protest for all the garbage he and his administration have done to the Iraqis and the world if everyone in the United States were to mail GW a pair of shoes? Go to Salvation Army, buy some old shoes, put one in an express envelope and mail it to the President. Give the other shoe to a neighbor to do the same thing. His address is:

President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

One of Bush’s comments concerning the journalist’s obvious protest was “that’s what happens in a free society”. This comment was made with that stupid smirk on his face and an insolent shrug of his shoulder. Well, THIS is a free society, fellow Americans. What more perfect form of protest can we perform? What more eloquent form of support for that distraught Iraqi journalist whose family, friends and country have suffered so much because of Mr. Bush’s dishonorable actions? Yes, maybe Bush will never see any of the shoes, but if the USPS is inundated with these packages, word will get out! Do it! Unite! Then, push for impeachment of Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove and any other guilty party in his Administration. They can be impeached even after they leave office!

[aloha43]

But people better hurry and send them....or find out his new address.

We don't want Obama getting them after W is gone.

[Southrnbelle]

EXCELLENT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!

[BannedInBoston]

I think we should all gather in the street in front of White House and, on the count of three, remove our shoes and throw them over the fence....

[aloha43]

I wan't to come! Just let everyone know when...... LOL

[Aabby]

I think I’ll bring an extra shoe. It’s too cold to throw the one I have on.

[bmickey31]

From what I don't understand, No body likes people in their own territory telling them what to do. The Iraq war is just that. Plus the fact of innocent civilians being killed due to the war that we have brought to the table. Being this said and President Bush not being one to boost his own popularity. Does anyone like the fact that this reporter can dissent with the President and go to jail rather than be executed or tortured by Sadamn. It doesn't make sense, people hate bush so they like this guy, but yet bush gave this guy freedom so he could do what he just did and still live. I think jail time is well deserved considering the alternatives.

[1201SLD]

Well, there is certainly a time for insincerity. At least Mr. al Zeidi has good reason to cringe and recant, more than the Dixie Chicks. And if the nice man who sold the Pakistani nuclear recipe to all comers can be pardoned, then Mr. al Zeidi must be not pardoned but acquitted, with prejudice, just before we give him The Freedom Medal and his late-night talk show.

[alexpaul]

which ball did he lose to want to apoligize??

[BannedInBoston]

My first thought too. Electrodes at the very least....

[barrycourage]

Yeesh.

If the guy really wanted to hurt The Oval Office Floor Vase he'd have thrown Prada stillettos.

[BannedInBoston]

As I remarked earlier on Huffpost, he should have thrown a bag like the one Borat brought back to the dinner party from his bathroom break....

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Pardon him and send him to New York.
We need middle relief.

[sloreader]

LOL

[Amennyc]

Bush only pardons crooks. This guy is a "hero". Speaks for many and shows courage. Throwing a shoe gets you 8 years... starting a war of lies get you away with murder.

[bmickey31]

umm bush isn't the one he is asking the pardon from, no wonder you don't know what your talking about

[myangeldog1]

Funny how you skirted around that "starting a wa r of lies get you away with murder" part.

[Amennyc]

their asking Bush to ask the Iraqi's for the pardon. you got my point.

[BannedInBoston]

Maliki won't pardon him without Bush's OK. And you know, I'll bet Bush DOESN'T give his OK. He might have made a joke about it but secretly I'll bet he's extremely p.issed off at the guy for embarrassing him like that.

[wrenny]

Time for Bush to step up and humbly ask for a pardon for the poor man. And for his brother to shut up while some progress may be happening.

[GaiaTerra7]

He should be released immediately without charges and presented with a Medal!

[aloha43]

Yep...and I think most of the whole world thinks so too!

[JoeBlough]

I thought he had been executed, already? Where are they keeping him?

[spandautoseattle]

When I ask for application of the law under consideration of the US Constitution in the case of GWB I also have to support use of (Ir@qi) law in the case of Mr Al-Zaidi. Acknowledged, laws need to be obeyed.
But this logic needs to be followed also - the other way around.

[jemiltd]

President Bush should ask the Iragi government to pardon him. That would show some semblance of class.

[Witchitalineman]

But Bush has absolutely no class.

[BannedInBoston]

Ergo, Bush will NOT ask the Ir.aqi government to pardon Al-Zeidi. (I'd already concluded this....)

[LoveOverGold]

might as well try to teach a pig to sing

[ellawensmom]

Bush may have shrugged it off in public, but I can guarantee you that the type of personality he has is not one to forget an insult. We all know how he treated journalists who questioned Bush, Sr.'s judgment. Cussing them out in public in front of their wives and kids, etc. I promise you Bush doesn't have the soul to want compassion shown to this man.

[teasley]

You people all seem to have a corner on intelligence and compassion. Too bad you guys aren't running the world I'm sure the worlrd would be a much finer place.

[ScapeGoat]

I would pardon him so he can do it again and hopefully, he won't miss the second time.

[lisakaz2]

CodePink is doing a petition for the release of this guy (they did the DC protest with shoes). If you want to support the shoe thrower and feel 15 yrs (potentially) is outrageous, sign it:

ht tp://salsa­.democracy­inaction.o­rg/o/424/s­ignUp.jsp?­key=3909

[GaiaTerra7]

Thanks for the link.

[robertjames]

Apparently T O R T U R E IS effective.

[lisakaz2]

I shoulda realized that word got my one comment scrubbed.

[DMcD]

"apologizes , according to Maliki's spokesman" --- that and a rubber hose I'll bet

[WaspMan]

Yeah, it's an excellent method for "encouraging" people to apologize, for acts which they do not actually regret committing. It's also great for forcing people to confess to crimes to crimes they did not commit, and to give false information to questions they can not answer.

Not particularly useful for gaining accurate information, but doing it makes right wing blowhards feel better about themselves. Apparently.

[SantaFeConservative]

Nah, you lefties always say that torture doesn't work. Which is it?