it used to be before bush invaded tryin to gain control of the oil fields .
On Dec 20, 8:54 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Why didn't the EGYPTIAN reporter, al-Zaidi , return to Egypt if he was > being harrassed in Iraq??? > > Iraq is a free country. > > No one made him stay in Iraq. > > Free to go at any time. > > On Dec 20, 8:33 am, Florida Cracker 532 <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Meet the Man Who Threw His Shoes at Bush: Muntader > > al-Zeidihttp://www.alternet.org/blogs/waroniraq/112991/ > > Learn more about the man who threw the 'shoes heard round the world,' > > and find out what's happening to him now. An Iraqi journalist who > > threw his shoe at President Bush has been hailed as a hero across the > > Middle East, and is receiving so much attention Wikipedia already has > > an entry for him. > > > Reuters reports that Muntadhar al-Zeidi will be given an award by a > > Libyan charity group called Wa Attassimou. > > > "Waatassimou group has taken the decision to give Muntazer al-Zaidi > > the courage award ... because what he did represents a victory for > > human rights across the world," the group, headed by Aicha Gaddafi, > > said in a statement. > > > The group said the Iraqi authorities should honour the journalist for > > his actions. > > > Zaidi, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric and ignominious > > act" will be tried on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the > > Iraqi prime minister's media advisor, Yasin Majeed. > > > The AP reports that thousands took to the streets Monday to demand > > his > > release from jail. > > > Journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who was kidnapped by militants last > > year, was being held by Iraqi security Monday and interrogated about > > whether anybody paid him to throw his shoes at Bush during a press > > conference the previous day in Baghdad, said an Iraqi official. > > > He was also being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were > > being held as evidence, said the official, speaking on condition of > > anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. > > > Showing the sole of your shoe to someone in the Arab world is a sign > > of extreme disrespect, and throwing your shoes is even worse. Iraqis > > whacked a statue of Saddam with their shoes after U.S. Marines > > toppled > > it to the ground following the 2003 invasion. > > > Al Jazeera reports that the journalist's employer, Al-Baghdadiya > > television, has demanded his release as well. Zeidi faces a minimum > > of > > two years in prison if he is convicted of insulting a visiting head > > of > > state, according to the report. > > > On Monday, al-Baghdadiya suspended its normal programming and played > > messages of support from across the Arab world. > > > A presenter read out a statement calling for his release, "in > > accordance with the democratic era and the freedom of expression that > > Iraqis were promised by US authorities". > > > It said that any harsh measures taken against the reporter would be > > reminders of the "dictatorial era" that Washington said its forces > > had > > invaded Iraq to end. > > > Al Jazeera also reports that Saddam Hussein's former lawyer, Khalil > > al- > > Dulaimi, is organizing a team to defend Zeidi. > > > "It was the least thing for an Iraqi to do to Bush, the tyrant > > criminal who has killed two million people in Iraq and Afghanistan," > > he said. > > > "Our defence of Zaidi will be based on the fact that the United > > States > > is occupying Iraq, and resistance is legitimate by all means, > > including shoes." > > > The AP reports that al-Zeidi's family members expressed bewilderment > > and pride over their brother's defiance of Bush. > > > "I swear to Allah, he is a hero," said his sister, who goes by the > > nickname Umm Firas, as she watched a replay of her brother's attack > > on > > an Arabic satellite station. "May Allah protect him." > > > The family insisted that al-Zeidi's action was spontaneous -- perhaps > > motivated by the political turmoil that their brother had reported > > on, > > plus his personal brushes with violence and the threat of death that > > millions of Iraqis face daily. > > > The New York Times Baghdad Bureau Blog quotes al-Zeidi's brother as > > saying that he hated the American occupation of Iraq so much he was > > willing to cancel his wedding over it. > > > Maythem al-Zaidi said his brother had not planned to throw his shoes > > prior to Sunday. "He was provoked when Mr. Bush said [during the news > > conference] this is his farewell gift to the Iraqi people," he said. > > A > > colleague of Muntader al-Zaidi's at al-Baghdadiya satellite channel, > > however, said the correspondent had been "planning for this from a > > long time. He told me that his dream is to hit Bush with shoes," said > > the man, who would not give his name. > > > Muntader al-Zaidi appears to have a long-standing dislike of the > > United States presence in Iraq. He used to finish his reports by > > saying he was in "the occupied Baghdad." His brother said that he > > hates the occupation so strongly that he canceled his wedding, > > saying: > > "I will marry when the occupation is over." > > > The AP also reports that al-Zeidi was kidnapped by gunmen while on > > assignment as a journalist in a Sunni district of Baghdad. he was > > also > > arrested by American soldiers. Al-Zeidi is a 28-year-old unmarried > > Shiite. > > > He was freed unharmed three days later after Iraqi television > > stations > > broadcast appeals for his release. At the time, al-Zeidi told > > reporters he did not know who kidnapped him or why, but his family > > blamed al-Qaida and said no ransom was paid. > > > In January he was taken again, this time arrested by American > > soldiers > > who searched his apartment building, his brother, Dhirgham, said. He > > was released the next day with an apology, the brother said. > > > Those experiences helped mould a deep resentment of both the U.S. > > military's presence here and Iran's pervasive influence over Iraq's > > cleric-dominated Shiite community, according to his family. > > > "He hates the American material occupation as much as he hates the > > Iranian moral occupation," Dhirgham said. "As for Iran, he considers > > the regime as the other side of the American coin."- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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