December 16, 2008
Shoe-hurling Iraqi journalist gains notoriety

The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush is now the focus of political, legal and very loud public debate.

Iraqi officials say 29-year-old Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a reporter for a Cairo-based television station, is now in judicial custody.

On the streets of Baghdad, protestors called for the reporter’s release and some journalists urged the government to set al-Zaidi free.

Raghida Dergham, the senior diplomatic correspondent and columnist for Al Hayat, joins Martin Savidge from the United Nations to discuss Iraqi and Middle Eastern reactions to the shoe incident, reasons for persisting anger in Iraq and the fate of Muntadhar al-Zaidi.

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3 comments

#3

12/20/2008 :: 04:33:31 PM
susan Walsh Says:

Ms. Dergham provided very poor cultural and political analysis of the incident. Her perspective lacks depth and information

#2

12/17/2008 :: 10:48:56 AM
Roberto Antonio Eder Says:

I disagree with comments made by Raghida Dergham,on World Focus last night, regarding the show-throwing incident in Baghdad. Dergham said it was disgraceful. But I think it broke through the Bush spin about doing great things for the Iraqi people, and showed that many if not most Iraqis hold Bush in rightful contempt. Because of Bush and his unjustified invasion and war, more than 600 thousand Iraqis have lost their lives. The entire Iraqi society has been destroyed and broken. Instead of obsequious comments from politicians like al Maliki thanking Bush for his intervention, Muntander threw his shoes, nearly hitting Bush twice. Now that deserves a medal of honor.
PS Raghida Dergham is just a Bush lackey. Why do you have her on World Focus?

#1

12/17/2008 :: 03:49:37 AM
Annjell Says:

Thanks to the late night t.v. show here in America, Conan O’brien should the clips of the shoe throwing incident.

After people subdued Mr. al-Zaidi, there was an unidentified man in a seat with his shoe off, in a position to throw towards the stage.

***The show was trying to show how can a person throw a shoe that fast. That’s when another unidentified person was caught in the frame with he shoe off, appearing ready to throw.

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