Iraqi Man throws shoes at George W. Bush

POLITICS - Yesterday an Iraqi reporter called U.S. President George W. Bush a "dog" and threw his shoes at him, during Bush's farewell visit to Baghdad.

Throwing shoes at a person is considered the greatest insult in the Middle East. Iraqis whacked a statue of Saddam Hussein with their shoes after U.S. Marines toppled it to the ground following the 2003 invasion by the United States.

Bush was in Iraq seeking to push his idea of improved security in Iraq by landing in daylight and venturing out beyond the city's heavily fortified international Green Zone, where he declared the War on Terror and the Iraq War was "not over" despite any gains in security.

"I consider it an important step on the road toward an Iraq that can sustain itself, govern itself and defend itself. There's still more work to be done. The war is not over." - George W. Bush.

While in a press conference briefing with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at Bush and shouted in Arabic "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog!"

The journalist was Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo Egypt. He was jumped on by Iraqi security officials and U.S. Secret Service agents and dragged from the room kicking and screaming.

Bush had to duck twice to avoid getting hit by the shoes and later joked "It was a size 10." and then went on to insult the Arab tradition of throwing shoes.

"So what if a guy threw his shoe at me? It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention. I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it." - George W. Bush.

Bush is in Afghanistan today to look at the deteriorating situation in the seven-year-old Afghanistan war and to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. His surprise stop marked his first visit in over 2 1/2 years and is only the second time he has visited the country.