Muntader al-Zaidi gave a press conference in Baghdad after his release on Tuesday.
Posted on 09/15/2009 5:14:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
BAGHDAD — On the same day that an Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at former President George W. Bush was freed from prison, he said that he was fleeing Iraq, fearing for his life, and claimed that he had been tortured while in jail.
“Here I am free and my country is still captured,” said Muntader al-Zaidi during a press conference at the television station where he had worked.
He claimed that he was beaten with pipes, steel cables and electric shocks while in custody. He added that he believed there were many who would like to see him dead, including unnamed American intelligence agencies.
Mr. Zaidi did not take questions following his brief remarks, but family members said he would travel to Greece, where he would receive medical and psychological care.
“He is going to flee,” said his brother, Uday Zaidi. Part of the reason he fears for his life, his brother said, is that he plans on releasing the names of people who played a role in his being tortured while in custody, including what he said were high ranking security officials.
Ali al-Mosawi, an advisor to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, said that the accusations should be viewed skeptically since Mr. Zaidi had just been released from prison. He did not address the specific charges.
In a room packed with reporters and family members, Mr. Zaidi described once again the anger and helplessness he experienced following the American invasion,
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Not to worry, Obammie will invite him to Washington for
celebrations and a million shoe march.
tortured by the evil Dr. Scholls...
This from a Baathist Saddam Hussein supporter. I don’t believe a word he says.
Oh, yeah, CIA frequently offs shoe throwers. He**, they must have capped about a million of them since 2003./SAR
The bastard is mad because he lost all his perks when the nut job was offed. I bet he was real close to Uday and Hussay!
Too bad that hero boy didn’t throw his shoes at Saddam.
Hey mohammed, or whatever your name is...
Unless they wired a car battery to your testicles and juiced you up, I don’t wanna hear about ‘torture’... boo hoo to your momma.
He’s lucky he was not shot on the spot, mid-throw.
Just because someone appears to be throwing a shoe shaped object does not mean it’s a shoe, or not lethal.
Biden is on his way there to offer him the president’s medal of honor award.
Yea!He was forced to wear shoes.
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