By Dale McFeatters
Scripps Howard News Service
Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the world's most famous shoe thrower ― not that there's much competition for that honor ― appeared in a Baghdad courtroom, almost 10 weeks after he flung his footwear at then-President George W. Bush at a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Despite the fact that al-Zeidi has been in jail since, has been roughed up by Iraqi police and, he says, subjected to electric shocks ― and is going back to jail until his next court date, March 12 ― throwing those shoes was a career-maker for al-Zeidi.
He was an obscure reporter with an obscure Cairo, Egypt-based satellite TV channel, and is now a folk hero in the Arab world. A large throng of relatives and other supporters greeted him at the courthouse.
This is the first time the world got an explanation for his bizarre action other than what he shouted at the time: ``This is your farewell kiss, you dog!" A simple wave goodbye might have sufficed.
So what possessed him to get off a quick volley of two shoes at the leader of the free world? It was all George Bush's fault. The two Washington Post reporters who were there wrote: ``Bush smirked `icily' as he spoke, al-Zeidi said, and flashed a `smile with no spirit.'" Well, that would cause anybody to crack.
Al-Zeidi then went on, according to the Post: ``In that moment, I only saw Bush. I was feeling the blood of innocent people flow under my feet as he was smiling. I felt that he was the killer of my people … I became emotional because he's responsible for what's going on in Iraq, so I hit him with my shoe."
Actually he missed ― twice ― and from point-blank range. But then, al-Zeidi said, ``I did not mean to kill the leader of the occupation force." That's good to know.
Bush sloughed off the incident and didn't seem to mind. But al-Zeidi's real crime was embarrassing al-Maliki in the prime minister's own office before a major world leader.
If Iraqis knew baseball, al-Zeidi might be forever remembered as ``Shoeless Muntadhar," but first he has to get out of jail. He faces 15 years for his outburst.
Dale McFeatters is an editorial writer of Scripps Howard News Service (www.scrippsnews.com).