Shoe Thrower Gets Sentenced
By: Nic Robertson, CNN
Updated: March 12, 2009
The Iraqi journalist who grabbed headlines after throwing his shoes at former President Bush has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Muntadher Al-Zaidi's family protested loudly against the three-year sentence for assaulting a visiting head of state.
His brothers and sisters cursed both former President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki.
Back in December, Al Zaidi's shoe throwing stole the lime light from President Bush's farewell visit to Baghdad while simultaneously capturing the hearts of some in his nation and many in the region, for an act seen in the Mideast as a huge insult.
The local news reporter says he acted out of passion, angered by Bush's talk of Iraq's achievements. As he threw his shoes he says he was thinking of all the Iraqi deaths and suffering that he blames on President Bush.
Iraq's lawyers flocked to his cause. He had 17 of them in court for the trial. They say Al-Zaidi never intended to harm the former president and had already had the trial successfully suspended almost a month ago, claiming Bush's visit was not official.
The judges asked the government to clarify, and when the trail resumed inside the central criminal court normally used to try terrorists, the judges got their answer: Bush's visit was official.
Within an hour the trial was wrapped up and the verdict delivered...Muntadhar Al-Zaidi's lawyers say they'll appeal.
