Bush dodges flying shoes in Iraq

Bush administration at the beginning of Iraq invasion in 2003 had assumed that Iraqi people would welcome them with garlands. But nobody would have ever imagined that President Bush would receive such a surprising farewell from Iraqis.

Muntazer al-Zaidi, a reporter for the TV channel Al-Baghdadia hurled his shoes at President shoes and described it as "farewell kiss". Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East. President Bush called it a bizarre behavior, and tried to underplay the anger that motivated Zaidi to risk his career.

However, protests against his arrest in Baghdad show what he did was a representation of Iraqi emotion and anger, even though the action was inappropriate. Al-Baghdadia is devoting round-the-clock coverage to the incident and calling for the immediate release of the reporter in accordance with democracy and freedom of expression the Iraqis were promised by the American authorities.

As a journalist Zaidi was not expected to show such a behavior, but looking from a human angle, his frustration and his action seems to be justified.

He is an angry man who has filmed and reported innocent killings in his country. His inappropriate action was his protest against the people who are responsible for those killings. So what if he forgets his profession in order to protest for millions of Iraqis who would never get a chance to register their protest.

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