Above is a report from the pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera (unfortunately it's in Arabic, if you would like a translation please leave a comment below) .
The video clip deals with the aftermath of "Shoegate." An episode in which Iraqi journalist Muntazer Al-Zaidi threw his shoes at American President George W. Bush during a farewell visit to Baghdad.
Now Al-Zaidi is Iraqi custody and earlier today confessed in front of an Iraqi court to his crime. Thousands of demonstrators from cities around Iraq have marched for his quick release:
"An Iraqi journalist who was filmed throwing his shoes at President Bush appeared in court today and confessed to the attack....
..."Al-Zaidi was brought today before the investigating judge in the presence of a defence lawyer and a prosecutor,” said Abdul Satar Birqadr, a spokesman for Iraq’s High Judicial Council. “He admits the action he carried out."
...Thousands of Iraqis, both Sunni and Shia, took part in a second day of street protests today demanding Mr Zaidi’s release and hailing him a national hero. In Mosul, Iraq’s third largest city, north of Baghdad, an estimated 1,000 protesters carried banners and chanted slogans in his support.
Several hundred more also protested in Nasiriyah, a Shia city about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad, and in Fallujah, a Sunni area west of the capital. "Muntazer al-Zaidi has expressed the feelings and ambitions of the Iraqi people toward the symbol of tyranny," said Nassar Afrawi, a protester in Nasiriyah.
...Thousands of Iraqis, both Sunni and Shia, took part in a second day of street protests today demanding Mr Zaidi’s release and hailing him a national hero. In Mosul, Iraq’s third largest city, north of Baghdad, an estimated 1,000 protesters carried banners and chanted slogans in his support.
Several hundred more also protested in Nasiriyah, a Shia city about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad, and in Fallujah, a Sunni area west of the capital. "Muntazer al-Zaidi has expressed the feelings and ambitions of the Iraqi people toward the symbol of tyranny," said Nassar Afrawi, a protester in Nasiriyah.
In Baghdad, the head of the Iraqi Union of Journalists described Mr al-Zaidi's action as "strange and unprofessional" but urged Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to give him clemency." (Source: The Times)
For more on Bush's "shoegate":
- MSNBC Video: George W. Bush Escapes A Shoe Attack
- Liveleak Video: Fox News Rips Into Bush "Shoe-Attacker"
