Iraqi shoe thrower gets the book thrown at him

and three years in the slammer.  And did you know he practiced his throw in front of a video camera?  (doesn't that strike you as a bit nuts?) 

From the Daily Mail.

The Iraqi journalist who threw a pair of shoes at George Bush was today jailed for three years.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi had earlier pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting a foreign leader and said his action was a ‘natural response to the occupation.’

But judges disagreed, despite both hurled shoes missing the former president who was filmed twice ducking at a Baghdad press conference in December.

TV reporter al-Zeidi has been in custody since the incident, which was observed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who was standing next to Mr Bush.

His defence lawyers had  argued that the charge was not applicable because Mr Bush was not in Baghdad on an official visit, having arrived unannounced and without an invitation.  The judge says the Prime Minister’s office has responded that it was an official visit.

Last month al-Zeidi said he threw his shoes because Mr Bush’s ‘icy smile’ had filled him with uncontrollable rage, he said today. He also said that he had videotaped himself practicing the traditional Arab insult two years ago and had hoped to accost the former president in Jordan but this did not take place.

Comments

[WAKE UP]

Three years ... how many minutes would Sadaam Hussein have given him?