Al-Zaidi: Pro-US Iraqi politicians are working with US to create conditions to extend occupation Story Transcript PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome back to The Real News Network, I�m Paul Jay. We�re in Beirut. When Muntadhar al-Zaidi got out of jail in Iraq after his famous throwing of the shoe at President Bush, he had […]
Author Archives: Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi (Arabic: منتظر الزيدي Muntaẓar az-Zaydī) was an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Baghdadia TV. Al-Zaidi's reports often focused on the plight of widows, orphans, and children in the Iraq War.
On November 16, 2007, al-Zaidi was kidnapped by unknown assailants in Baghdad. He was also previously twice arrested by the United States armed forces. On December 14, 2008, al-Zaidi shouted "this is for the widows and orphans"" and threw his shoes at then-US president George W. Bush during a Baghdad press conference. Al-Zaidi suffered injuries as he was taken into custody and was tortured during his initial detention. There were calls throughout the Middle East to place the shoes in an Iraqi museum