Iraqi Journalist Beaten over Shoe Incident

al Zaidi, who threw the shoes has not been allowed legal representation. He is being held without charges. His brother reports multiple injuries. al Zaidi probably knew he would be facing a beating if he proceeded with his plan to throw the shoes at Bush.

It would be no surprise if the Americans were involved in the beating, especially since the U.S. government has been so supportive of torture in general since 9-11. It is also no surprise that the Arab world is celebrating al Zaidi. It is important to remember that over 1,000,000 Iraqi´s have died in the war.

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link to video on Gaza rally for al Zaidi: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/dec/16/1

article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/16/shoe-protest-bush-iraq

Bush shoe protester 'beaten by Iraqi military'• Brother claims al-Zaidi was
beaten in custody

• Hundreds protest for second day in support of journalist
Mark Tran and agencies guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 December 2008 16.55 GMT
London Guardian
December 16, 2008

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush has been beaten in custody, his brother said today.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi suffered a broken hand, broken ribs, internal bleeding and an eye injury, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC. He has since been handed over to the Iraqi judiciary, a step that normally heralds a criminal case.

Iraqi security took al-Zaidi into custody and interrogated him about whether anybody had paid him to throw his shoes at Bush on Sunday, according to officials. He could face charges of insulting a foreign leader and the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush. The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

His act has generated a wave of support across the Arab world, and hundreds took to the streets of Baghdad, Mosul and other towns yesterday, demanding his release.

"Muntadhar al-Zaidi has expressed the feelings and ambitions of the Iraqi people toward the symbol of tyranny," Nassar Afrawi, a protester in Nassiriya, said.

In Baghdad, the head of the Iraqi union of journalists described al-Zaidi's action as "strange and unprofessional", but urged clemency.

"Even if he has committed a mistake, the government and the judiciary are broadminded and we hope they consider his release, because he has a family
and he is still young," Mouyyad al-Lami said. "We hope this case ends before
going to court."

Ten of thousands of people throughout Iraq have demonstrated in support of al-Zaidi. Throwing shoes is a deep insult in the Arab world, and Iraqis showed their contempt for Saddam Hussein when they removed their shoes to beat his statue with, when Baghdad fell to US forces in 2003.

Dargham al-Zaidi said he believed his brother had been taken to a US military hospital in Baghdad. Despite many offers, his brother had not been given access to any lawyers since being arrested by forces under the command of Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser.