BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi journalist jailed after hurling his shoes at former President George W. Bush will be released next month after his sentence was reduced for good behaviour.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi's act during Bush's last visit to Iraq as president turned the 30-year-old reporter into a folk hero across the Arab world amid anger over the 2003 invasion.
He has been in custody since the Dec. 14 2008 outburst, which occurred as Bush was holding a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
He was at first sentenced to three years after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign leader, then the court reduced it to one year because the journalist had no prior criminal history. Three years did seem a little harsh after all it was a shoe not a missile.
The bizarre act of defiance transformed the obscure reporter from a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year U.S. presence here.
Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture, which came in the waning days of the Bush administration. The incident also embarrassed al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush at the time.
Neither leader was injured, but Bush was forced to duck for cover as the journalist shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.
Perhaps he should not even have been punished , after all he only bared his sole to Bush.
ok great he was released early for lunching a shoe at bush, my worry is what happend to the shoe, i saw it was a dr martin and they dont come cheap,,anyone know a one leged man, i new one but he kept falling over stupid git,,anyway anyone like bush i do but it sends me crazy somtimes,i like polen it beter ,wright again soon M.O
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