Iraqi Journalist Would Throw Shoes at Obama

Famous Shoe Thrower Dodges Shoes, Speculates About Throwing More Shoes

Exiled Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi, who leapt into the international spotlight last year when he threw a shoe at outgoing President Bush during his farewell visit to Baghdad, has had an interesting year.

Captured, beaten and held incommunicado by the Iraqi government, Zeidi spent about a month in the hospital, a couple of months in detention awaiting trial, and was sentenced to three years in prison. Six months later he was released and fled the country.

But now, still less than a year after finding his sudden fame, Zeidi’s whole life is about shoes. Today, in a speech in Paris, Zeidi was speculating about how much he would like to throw a shoe at current President Barack Obama, when someone threw a shoe at him.

This time, Zeidi faced a pro-US shoe, as an Iraqi who defended the American occupation and accused Muntadar of being in league with Saddam Hussein hurled a shoe at him. The as-yet-unnamed Iraqi was chased from the room by Zeidi’s brother, who reportedly threw another shoe at him.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.