Muntazer al-Zaidi, Al-Baghdadia Journalist Hurls Shoes, Insults at Bush in Iraq Press Conference

December 15, 2008

At a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi from Al-Baghdadia channel threw his shoes Present  George Bush.

Muntazer al-Zaidi rose from the third row and screamed, "It is the farewell kiss, you dog," and threw his shoes one after the other towards Bush.

Bush ducked and the shoes missed him. The Cairo journalist was apprehended and removed from the room by security staff. Soles of shoes are considered a terrible insult in Arab cultures.

Bush said: "Thanks for apologising on behalf of the Iraqi people. It doesn't bother me. If you want the facts, it was a size 10 shoe that he threw."

Playing down the incident, the president later added: "I don't know what the guy's cause is... I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."

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George Bush is in Baghdad for a surprise farewell visit to Iraq. He slipped out of Washington unannounced, and headed directly for the Iraqi capital.

The president flew overnight to Iraq, arriving in the middle of a Baghdad afternoon.

Unlike his three previous surprise trips, this one began with a modest arrival ceremony - a sign, perhaps of an improving security situation in the Iraqi capital.

Iraq is likely to be the focal point of the Bush legacy, and the president's trip is, in part, a chance to put the best possible face on the situation there as he prepares to leave office.

Mr. Bush is meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani. He is also expected to visit with U.S. troops in Baghdad - his last opportunity to speak directly to them as commander-in-chief before turning over the reins of power to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.

The visit coincides with the signing of a new security agreement governing the future presence of American troops on Iraqi soil, and setting the stage for a pull out of U.S. forces by 2011. During the flight to Baghdad, White House National Security advisor Stephen Hadley told the small group of reporters traveling with the president that this agreement is unique in the Arab world. He called it a remarkable document, noting that it was publicly debated, discussed and adopted by an elected parliament.

About 150,000 U.S. troops and support personnel are now deployed in Iraq. More than 4,200 have died since American forces moved in to oust Saddam Hussein in March, 2003.