Iraqi judge: Shoe-tossing reporter was beaten

[helomech]

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer Qassim Abdul-zahra, Associated Press Writer 2 mins ago
BAGHDAD – The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during a news conference was beaten afterward and had bruises on his face and around his eyes, a judge said Friday.
Judge Dhia al-Kinani, the magistrate investigating the incident, said the court has opened an investigation into the alleged beating of journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi.
Al-Zeidi was wrestled to the ground after throwing his shoes during the news conference Sunday by Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and there has been conflicting claims on his condition since then. One of his brothers said he was harshly beaten, but another said he seemed to be in good condition.
Al-Zeidi "was beaten in the news conference and we will watch the tape and write an official letter asking for the names of those who assaulted him," the judge told The Associated Press. "Al-Zeidi has the right to drop this case."
The journalist was in custody and was expected to eventually face charges of insulting a foreign leader. A conviction could bring a sentence of two years in prison.
Al-Kinani also confirmed that the journalist had written a letter of apology to al-Maliki. Iraq's president can grant pardons that are requested by the prime minister, but the judge said such a pardon can be issued only after a conviction.
He added that he could not drop the case even though neither Bush nor al-Maliki had complained. "This case was filed because of an article in the law concerning the protection of the respect of sovereignity," he said.
A spokesman for al-Maliki said Thursday that the letter contained a specific pardon request. But al-Zeidi's brother Dhargham told The AP that he suspected the letter was a forgery.
The incident, a vivid demonstration of Iraqis' dismay over the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of the country for more than five years, turned al-Zeidi into an instant folk hero. Thousands of Iraqis have demonstrated for his release.
The judge said the investigation would be completed and sent to the criminal court on Sunday, after which a court date would be set within seven to 10 days.
Al-Zeidi's action was broadcast repeatedly on television stations around the world. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack suggested that worldwide attention to the shoe-tossing was overblown.
"We would hope that the fact of a U.S. president standing next to a freely elected prime minister of Iraq who just happens to be Shia, who is governing in a multi-confessional, multiethnic democracy in the heart of the Middle East, is not overshadowed by one incident like this," McCormack told reporters in Washington.
McCormack said he believed that in the coming years "the fact of the president making that visit under those circumstances will probably overshadow any memory of this particular gentleman and what he did."
In the Iranian capital Tehran, hard-line Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati praised the act at Friday prayers, calling it the "Shoe Intifadha."
Jannati proposed people in Iraq and Iran should carry shoes in further anti-American demonstrations. "This should be a role model," said Jannati.
Also Friday, the head of a large West Bank family said it is willing to offer one of its eligible females as a bride for al-Zeidi. The leader, 75-year-old Ahmad Salim Judeh, said that the 500-member clan had raised $30,000 for al-Zeidi's legal defense.
(This version CORRECTS that court is opening an investigation instead of filing case in beating)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_shoe_tosser

The guy threw a shoe at a visiting foreign leader and expected to get away with it?
You get arrested in the US for making verbal threats against the POTUS

Let the beatdowns continue......

[Holycrusader]

The guy threw a shoe at a visiting foreign leader and expected to get away with it?
You get arrested in the US for making verbal threats against the POTUS

Let the beatdowns continue......

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...

[helomech]

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...

Easy Francis,your sarcasm filter seems to be inoperative at this time-get with your local logistics department and order another one

[LineDoggie]

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...

"Civilised" :roll:


Ok Firstly, Iraq isnt in Europe, and its laws arent those of "Civilised" Europe or the USA.
Secondly, Bruises dont show evidence of Torture, He could just as easily, and More likely suffered them during the incident as he was being subdued.

[oldsoak]

I'm not surprised. This is not "civilised" Europe. This is Iraq.
In Arab eyes the man has embarassed President Bush's host the Iraqi PM by showing him to be powerless to stop the journalist - even if they agreed with the act - and the weakness of Bush. If he'd done it to Saddam, his fate would still be discussed in terms of Saddams power, his wrath and the extent of his ferocity. The opinion would be that it would no less than what is expected of one who is not to be treated lightly.

[Holycrusader]

So lets kill that guy because he throw a shoe!
I thought Maliki wasn't supposed be just "another" Saddam. If Iraq pretend to be a rolemodel of democracy state in ME, then it should start to act as one. Beating people in prisons is not a way to go...

Im sorry that some people failed to understand that. Treating that journalist bad will only fuel antiamerican sentiments in Iraq. Its counterproductive at last....

[socom6]

I'm not surprised. This is not "civilised" Europe. This is Iraq.
In Arab eyes the man has embarassed President Bush's host the Iraqi PM by showing him to be powerless to stop the journalist - even if they agreed with the act - and the weakness of Bush. If he'd done it to Saddam, his fate would still be discussed in terms of Saddams power, his wrath and the extent of his ferocity. The opinion would be that it would no less than what is expected of one who is not to be treated lightly.

^^^^ Oldsoak speaks the truth. The man totally embarrassed the host of a visiting foreign head of state. The guy is lucky that the power structure of Iraq has changed and I bet he will be released sooner than later.

[oldsoak]

So lets kill that guy because he throw a shoe!
I thought Maliki wasn't supposed be just "another" Saddam. If Iraq pretend to be a rolemodel of democracy state in ME, then it should start to act as one. Beating people in prisons is not a way to go...

Im sorry that some people failed to understand that. Treating that journalist bad will only fuel antiamerican sentiments in Iraq. Its counterproductive at last....


How much has changed in Iraq ? Do seriously you think that in 5 years we can completely re-align a culture ? What would have happened if this had happened in Libya, Syria, Egypt with a visiting Arab head of state ?

[LineDoggie]

So lets kill that guy because he throw a shoe!
I thought Maliki wasn't supposed be just "another" Saddam. If Iraq pretend to be a rolemodel of democracy state in ME, then it should start to act as one. Beating people in prisons is not a way to go...

Im sorry that some people failed to understand that. Treating that journalist bad will only fuel antiamerican sentiments in Iraq. Its counterproductive at last.... He isnt Saddam V2.0 as evidenced by the factr that not only isnt this asshat dead, but his family not only still walks the earth but is free to bitch and moan to everyone

[Holycrusader]

All that you saying do not mean that we need to be happy that they only beat him, even when they could kill him and his family...

As i said this is not good for anyone! Maliki make a mistake and he should leave that case before its to late...
Sometimes doing nothing its a best action possible... especially when you fight propaganda war.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

He isnt Saddam V2.0 as evidenced by the factr that not only isnt this asshat dead, but his family not only still walks the earth but is free to bitch and moan to everyone

Yeah I'm kinda wondering where all this respect for law and transparency was a few years ago. I suppose it's a good sign but it makes me wonder how much of this is genuine, and how much is simply an effort to make trouble.

[KET]

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...

ahaha I loved the "here in civilised Europe" part. Besides the fact that you can't spell civilized, you're an idiot for comparing Europe and Iraq. Anyway what he did was idiotic and I heard he can be jailed anywhere from 2 to 7 years. Frankly, I could care less.

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

Anyway what he did was idiotic and I heard he can be jailed anywhere from 2 to 7 years. Frankly, I could care less.

What he did was idiotic and he should be punished but 7 years seems excessive. Make him clean up trash in the street for 50 hours or something.

[LineDoggie]

Megaraptor;3777230']What he did was idiotic and he should be punished but 7 years seems excessive. Make him clean up trash in the street for 50 hours or something. Do You Know how much Trash is on the Streets of Baghdad? You just sentenced the guy to Life without Parole there........

[LineDoggie]

All that you saying do not mean that we need to be happy that they only beat him, even when they could kill him and his family...

As i said this is not good for anyone! Maliki make a mistake and he should leave that case before its to late...
Sometimes doing nothing its a best action possible... especially when you fight propaganda war.

I'm happy they beat him while taking him down. He was carrying out an Assault, He Physically resisted efforts to make him stop, while resisting he recieved Injuries.

Experiment in Action. Take your shoes off and throw them at someone while in the presence of a cop. Physically Resist the Cops efforts to have you stop. Count your bruises afterwards......


Mans already a Hero to the Radicals in the ME and Leftists across the globe, why reward him? There was an old TV show who's theme song you to have this Line:

"Don't Do The Crime, If You Can't Do The Time"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQeVIJ8e_z8

[Johnny_H02]

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...
Someone needs to reread some European History books.
I don't believe this guy should be beaten or tortured, but it could happen and he probably did get beaten. I would be careful though before holding Europe as the pinnacle of civilization one need only glance at the last few thousand years of history to see the folly in such a precedent.

[KoTeMoRe]

I'm happy they beat him while taking him down. He was carrying out an Assault, He Physically resisted efforts to make him stop, while resisting he recieved Injuries.

Experiment in Action. Take your shoes off and throw them at someone while in the presence of a cop. Physically Resist the Cops efforts to have you stop. Count your bruises afterwards......


Mans already a Hero to the Radicals in the ME and Leftists across the globe, why reward him? There was an old TV show who's theme song you to have this Line:

"Don't Do The Crime, If You Can't Do The Time"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQeVIJ8e_z8

What...come again please?

Johnny H: Indeed but let's not be stopped by history!

[Holycrusader]

ahaha I loved the "here in civilised Europe" part. Besides the fact that you can't spell civilized, you're an idiot for comparing Europe and Iraq. Anyway what he did was idiotic and I heard he can be jailed anywhere from 2 to 7 years. Frankly, I could care less.
Oh, look what I found in dictionarys

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/civilised
http://megaslownik.pl/slownik/angielsko_polski/56873,civilised

Do u know kid what synonime means? English its not even my third language, so if I make some mistake I do not feel to bad :)

[Johnny_H02]

What...come again please?

Johnny H: Indeed but let's not be stopped by history!
I wasn't saying that we should be stopped by history, rather holding Europe as the top of what is "Civilized" is hypocritical. The guy shouldn't be beaten or tortured by our standards in the West, however that doesn't mean other people likewise and you cannot forcibly change their minds on the matter.

[The Mighty Quinn]

awww did someone get a ****oo. Awwwww. As much as an idiot as bush is he is still my President. And how dare this POS throw a shoe at the very man that gave him the right to do so. In the previous regime, I believe he would of been executed on the spot.

[LEB101]

there lucky he didnt hit the iraq PM or he really would have got a beaten

[budgie]

Look the guy committed a crime and deserves to be locked up for a while or at the very least fined heavily. Iraq has laws, fine. Nobody thinks he should be let off scott-free.

But it is immature to suggest that he somehow deserves to be beaten in custody, either because it was the beloved Bush who he threw his shoe at or because they do things "differently" in Arab countries (Republicans are surprisingly PC when it comes to excusing torture).

Yeah, things are better than they would be under Saddam but if it is true he was beaten (and multiple bruises on the face and black eyes suggest more than being merely restrained at the scene) then it shows the vaunted success story of Iraq still has a long way to go before being a truly modern society.

[snafu_72]

Let's change the circumstances slightly. Iraqi PM comes to White House and as he is speaking to reporters in the Rose Garden a neophyte reporter from an Internet Blog slings a Birkenstok or two at his head. Imagine the outrage at this attack carried out in a supposedly secured area while the President and the PM are making nice! Imagine the heat our country would receive from enemies foreign and domestic related to our image as a superpower and our sanctity as a soverign nation. Imagine how angry Iraq would be and the Arab world at the insult to the PM.
What would happen to the miscreant? He'd be in club fed or Gitmo for an indeterminate amount of time as an enemy of the state IF he didn't get a magazine of M4 rounds across his a$$ for his troubles.

While I do not condone torture it may be something that a more "civilized" country would not participate in although if the shoes fit, eat them!

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

[tea drinker]

"Don't Do The Crime, If You Can't Do The Time"
You hit the nail on the head there.
Seriously, whatever you think of Bush he still represents the USA and should be respected as such. We all have a laugh and giggle about GWB but throwing shoes is the absolute height of disrespect.
If he had an overbearing urge to throw a shoe as a protest, so be it, good for him, but now we are back to Linedoggies quote above.

A lot of protestors get worse treatment in civilized EU.
Sh/t look at the way French riot police beat their own.... nobody beats the French .... at beating the French.
:bash:

[Sinaloense]

I just wish it would have hit Bush.....It would've made his torture worth it...

[INAT]

Al-Zaidi has been beaten up, he has a broken hand, broken ribs as well as internal bleeding.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11419
Story about the media response.


Considering what has happened to his country the shoe symbolizes the anger and frustration that Iraqi people feel.His treatment after the incident is no surprise.

[smalandian]

I think some countries in Europe have laws for Lèse majesté
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A8se_majest%C3%A9)

[Mr.Flint]

Al-Zaidi has been beaten up, he has a broken hand, broken ribs as well as internal bleeding.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11419
Story about the media response.


Considering what has happened to his country the shoe symbolizes the anger and frustration that Iraqi people feel.His treatment after the incident is no surprise.
Oh come on! Not globalresearch again...

[PeoplesPoster]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_shoe_tosser

The guy threw a shoe at a visiting foreign leader and expected to get away with it?
You get arrested in the US for making verbal threats against the POTUS

Let the beatdowns continue......

Huh, why wasn't that Falun Gong advocate beaten when she heckled the president of China awhile back? Your priorities are pretty ****ed.

[BugHunt]

Any man challenging the emperor and telling him his clothes are non-exsistent, SHOULD be publicily hung or perhaps beaten into screams as the emperor talks about the democracey and freedom hes brought.

Its common sense really ;)

[tea drinker]

Any man challenging the emperor and telling him his clothes are non-exsistent, SHOULD be publicily hung or perhaps beaten into screams as the emperor talks about the democracey and freedom hes brought.

Its common sense really ;)
It's not that you don't have a point, there are a lot of people who blame GWB for their grief... but the guy should have expected a few slaps.
Resisting arrest could get you a slap, there are many people who have got a slap from the cops.

If the guy has been tortured, that's different, and I believe he doesn't deserve torture.

[Fargin]

Being forcefully apprehended hurts, resisting increases the pain exponentially.

[KoTeMoRe]

Got any hint on the exp. Factor?

[budgie]

Now we can all try the "Sock and Awe" tactic without running the risk of being beaten by the Mukhabarat:

http://www.sockandawe.com/

[LineDoggie]

Being forcefully apprehended hurts, resisting increases the pain exponentially. There it is........

[Currahee 1SG]

You got serious problems...
Here in civilised Europe nobody is tortured because he throw cake or egg on president.
People got arrested on few hours and the pay a penalty.

This is civilised way...


Anyone seen what happening in Greece?