Muntadher al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist on trial for throwing his shoes last year at then-President George W. Bush, said the former American leader's "bloodless and soulless smile" and his joking banter provoked him.
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"I could only see Bush and feel the blood of the innocents flow under his feet, as he was smiling that smile -- as if he had come to bid farewell to Iraq and with the last support and more than 1 million martyrs," al-Zaidi said. "At that moment, I felt this is the man who killed our nation ... the main murderer and the main person responsible for killing our nation."
TV reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi, shown in a file photo, appeared in court to loud applause and cheers.
Speaking in his first public appearance since his arrest two months ago, al-Zaidi told the court he "got emotional and threw the shoe at him" and "the second one was involuntary."
"I had no intention to kill the commander of the occupying forces ... even if I had a weapon ... I was expressing my inner feelings and those of all the Iraqi people from east to west and north to south and the feelings of hatred they hold for him," he said.
Al-Zaidi told the judge that he had intended to humiliate Bush in the past. As Bush listed the gains made in Iraq during the mid-December news conference, al-Zaidi said he was thinking about the millions of civilians who had been killed, widowed or displaced. He talked about the sanctity of mosques being violated, the rape of women and daily humiliations.
"I don't know what accomplishments he was talking about. The accomplishments I could see were the more than 1 million martyrs and a sea of blood," al-Zaidi said. "There are more than 5 million Iraqi orphans because of the occupation. ... More than a million widows and more than 3 million displaced because of the occupation.
Muntadher al-Zaidi, we salute you.
3 comments:
It was the smirk that put him over the edge, huh? We completely understand.
Well Mr Muntadher al-Zaidi, Bush is hated in the USA too. I'm only sorry that you missed with both throws. Should have hit him straight in the face. Now that would have been a good thing to see.
I don't think this Journalist is brave enough to throw shoes to Saddam Husein if he had a chance. Saddam killed a lot of people in Iraq and it was really horrible time during his rein. But no one dare throw shoes to him. This journalist is very rude indeed. He just exploited his opportunity to get into news conference and did this shameful thing for his life.
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