Shoe Throwing can get Complicated…
The infamous shoes thrown at President George W. Bush last week and more importantly their pitcher, Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, are drawing even more attention now that Zaidi faces trial in Iraq for his threatening actions. Though President Bush has brushed off the strange incident as just that, the Iraqi government is taking it much more seriously and initiaited pre-trial hearings immediately. The High Judicial Council has begun investigating the incident, particularly the motives behind it, in order to determine whether to charge Zaidi with insulting a foreign dignitary or even attempted murder of a president. If Zaidi is so charged and subsequently convicted, he could find himself in prison for a maximum of 7 to 15 years respectively.
To make the story even more complex, Zaidi has selected
Khalil al-Dulaimi, known for his representation of Saddam Hussein, as his own legal counsel. Dulaimi along with Zaidi’s family have alleged that he has been severely beaten while being held and are
demanding more humane procedures be used. While the Iraqi government vehemently denies any wrongdoing, the US has already taken steps to condemn the possibility of such actions. The State department specifically stated that while they respect the ability of Iraq to follow its own procedures accordingly, they
would not condone the inhumane treatment of anyone, even if that person had threatened the President of the United States. It is clear that the government wishes for its involvement in this particular case to end with the landing of the shoes.
