We Americans do understand the right to disagree, we just don't understand why a journalist is unable to express himself with his voice or pen. After all, that would be his forte. Since when is the UK so hostile to the US.

Susan Rosenow, Milwaukee, Wi., USA

Dear America
The Vietnamese didn't want your "freedom", the people of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Chile didn't want your "freedom", Cubans don't want your "freedom" and neither do the people of Iraq.
When are you going to learn?

Dan, Wimbledon, England

I'm only an American. A free, healthy, educated, capitalist, generous, charitable, and thankful American. What do I know? Except this....Even an idiot knows not to throw objects at a Heads of State. It threatens a nations security. What was he thinking? Charge him with assualt.

Lucy, Kansas City, USA

Dear America
You are making friends into enemies and have turned a trickle of terrorism into a flood.

Jacinda, London, UK

After he threw his shoes, his throwing arm was likely twisted behind him and he was thrown to the ground, likely injuring him. This was a normal 'takedown' move as done by law officers the world over and sometimes minor injuries result. Charge him with assault.

Kevin Finnerty, Atlanta, USA

All the American posts here keep referring to how short his life would have been if he'd thrown the loafers at Saddam.... Maybe he felt Bush deserved it more? I'm thinking half the world would've had a go if they knew democracy was that lenient....

Raj, Nairobi, Kenya

Bush tell them to let him go. On a side note, let's not throw around the "hero" title so easily like that. And, how in the world did Bush dodge those shoes? He really gets away with everything.

Linda, Toronto, Canada

"j ram, taos" - you are utterly wrong. The Iraqis longed to get rid of Saddam for over 30 years - they just didn't have the wherewithal to do so.
I lived in Baghdad for 4 years and I know what I'm on about. Critics of the US and Bush have no idea how horrendous Iraq was before.

JohnW, Manchester, UK

Jack from Sydney, says most Iraqis are thankful? Has he spoken to them?

Mike Ash, London, United Kingdom

Jack, Sydney, Australia says:
"MOST Iraqis ARE thankful "

I can only guess that you don't know any Jack - I was married to one.

Jacinda, London, UK

Hero indeed, you have sullied the word with your diluted logic. When you celebrate mediocrity and insanity and even dysfunction as excellence, you lower the bar for us all. The man was probably paid. These people in Iraq don't even recognize that they have been removed from under Sadam's thumb.

Paul, Indianapolis, United States

Does anyone know if he got his shoes back?

Rufus, London,

It shows that Iraqis are still angry. Meaning they dont see the US as a saviour but as an aggressor. Lets not blame Bush. Blame the CIA for having misled the President out of their eagerness to please. Lets hope Obama has an exit strategy for the US else this anger will boil over as terror later.

ramesh, Madras , India

Yeah Yeah - if he'd thrown shoes at Saddam, he'd be dead...blah blah. Fact is he didn't and he wouldn't have done because Saddam did not give press conferences. If all you can do is compare GW to Saddam - you have destroyed your own arguments about freedom and democracy vs dictatorship!

Rob Goodall, London, Uk

Harley and other Americans posting pro-US war propaganda on this British website: The man who made this impressive anti-Bush gesture has almost certainly lost family, friends and neighbours in GW 's illegal invasion of Iraq. Removing Saddam was solely the right of the Iraqi people, not the USA!

K Waldron, London, UK

Iraqi people hate Saddam Hussein for his dictatorship, but all of them hate Imperialism even more! No country in this world have the right to tell other country to what they should do. Is it democracy to what USA do to Iraq now? Is bombing civilian part of democracy? I say it's DEMOCRAZY

Piko, Bandung, Indonesia

Mr. Zaidi may not be a hero, but the accident itself showed how much pain and sufferings have been caused to the Iraqis by Mr. Bush.

I think that there is nothing heroic about insulting any human being.

Good Causes like Democracy aren't welcomed, if they come with killing and destruction.

Jacob, Amman, Jordan

My old Latin teacher once got so fed up with us girls chatting in the back of the classroom that he picked up a bottle of ink and threw it at us. My best friend, Susan, caught the bottle in mid air and, laughing, threw it back at him! Would that Bush had caught that stupid shoe and tossed it back --

Sally, virginia, u.s.a.

Saddam would have thrown the shoe-thrower into the famed industrial plastic shredder.

bill, huntsville, USA

I think Bush should retaliate. Order the Air Force to dispatch a B-52 with a full warload of shoes and drop them on Mr. Al-Zaidi;s house!!

mike, Jacksonville, USA

One man's traitor is another's hero.
He deserves a medal and a instant release.
More than a million Britons will want to throw their shoes at Bush without any doubt.

Peter Casie Chetty, Liverpool, England

POMs (Arab POMs?) conveniently ignore the MILLIONS of rallying Iraqi's when Saddam was ousted; Yanks ignore civ casualties. Most civs are killed by Iraqi's, not US military. The US won't sacrifice sons & daughters for thankless Iraqis. MOST Iraqis ARE thankful AND deserving, but they aren't big news

Jack, Sydney, Australia

It was a shoe!

He was a very angry man and whether or not you believe in his reasons, you cannot deny him his anger.

It would be good if people in this country (and the US) had the courage of their convictions and did a few things like this. It might make the powers that be actually listen to us

kim, london,

An Iraqi throwing a shoe is an insult. It says 'I don't like or trust you' and is the same as someone spitting at you - hardly an arrestable offence. It is his arrest and detainment that has made him a hero, not his action. He has a right to his opinion, isn't that the cornerstone of democracy?

Ron, Milton Keynes, UK

The man is a hero. This is obviously due too ill treatment as he did not seem that violent in general, just a but crazy with the shoes.

The man should take a bow for sahowing his feelings and being true.

John Kerr, Glasgow, UK

Anyone think about what Saddam(or a number of other dictators) would have done to this guy?

Adam, Virginia,

I think this is the best demonstration of the advantages Iraqis obtained with the removal of Saddam. Fancy this: some guy tosses shoes at a head of state and suppose that was under Saddam - this guy would be mincemeat within an hour, along with his family, and no TV coverage.

Bob Lepage, Brunswick, US

everyone kept saying that if he threw a shoe at Saddam he would be dead.......maybe he didnt want to or need to throw a shoe at Saddam.....maybe he hates Bush more cos he believes he may have caused more atrocities than saddam?

K, Wilts, UK

Some of the comments from across the pond are absolutely stunning in how totally insane they appear.

"We have shed enough blood and money for people that don't appreciate what we have done for there freedom."

It is worrying to think just how out of touch some of these people are!

Jamie, Halifax, West Yorkshire

It is not Mr al-Zaidi who should be in jail but the war criminal G W Bush, for the war of aggression against Iraq, the million plus deaths it has caused, the brutal sacking of the city of al-Fallujah, the CIA kidnappings and secret prisons and the torture policy among other crimes.

Richard Cheeseman, Wellington, Aotearoa/NZ

Today America celebrates the 235th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, which by law was a criminal act of vandalism. So, given self-righteous comments on shoe-throwing in Iraq, we should consider Sam Adams & the Sons of Liberty as criminals rather than patriots. Perspective eh? Nice beer though

Dan, Wimbledon, England

I guess the comments given on this forum show diverse and opposing views on this subject. The fact that President Bush showed much more class than the Iraqi has been missed by most. The United States has sacrificed more than once for freedom of others. The future may show us less willing.

Harley, Medford, USA

How many civilians died during WWII? I wasn't aware that war had become a pastime played by Marquis of Queensbury rules. But perhaps we can hope that our esteemed brethren across the pond could secure us peace in our time in some more Chamberlainian way.

Patrick Bryant, Grand Prairie, United States of America

To the Iraqis, America's imperialistic invasion of Iraq is identical to the 'invasion and takeover' of Palestine.

Most Iraqis fear their country being taken over by jewish, american interests and eventually being driven out and made into refugees (as in Palestine).

Peter, Cambridge, UK

He should consider himself lucky to just get away with a broken arm and a few broken ribs.

Just think if this was done in an Arab land against an Arab leader. If the tables were turned, this guy probably would not be alive, and the world wouldn't even care.

Michael Mandahl, Fort Worth, USA

A "statistical survey" claims 655,000 civilians dead in Iraq. Please then, where are the bodies? Are there pictures of cemeteries not there a few years ago? Perhaps new mass graves not the work of Saddam? Can you present any evidence at all to prove this assertion?
The number is a fabrication.

Bill Wolf, Rochester NY, USA

So Iraq does have Weapons of Media Diversion after all. The worrying thing is that with a population of 28 million (albeit in decline since 2003), Iraq is estimated to have an arsenal of at least 56 million of these missiles. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Dan, Wimbledon, England

if he had thrown his shoes at saddam hussein, he would have been shot dead within 5 minutes of the first shoe toss. He should really appreciate American style democracy. I bet he thinks twice before he throws his shoe at the most powerful man in the FREE WORLD next time.

Daniel, Erie Pa., USA

The protestor had every right to cry out over his 6 year nightmare, perpetrated by the blinding incompetence of the US military. To those claiming that he should be incarcerated, consider what he would be punished for. Two failed attempts of battery, a touch worse than throwing a tomato.

Aaron , Bristol,

"Muntazer al-Zaidi rose to fame on Sunday"
How can this man be held as a hero?
Sadam would have had him shot and you would never report that.
President Bush and our Troops fought and gave him the FREEDOM to disagree and thanks to that FREEDOM, he lives today.
GOD BLESS President Bush!

John Threadgill, Monroe, THE USA

George Bush was the visionary and history will prove this true.
Like the country of my parents' birth Albania, Iraq's democracy is a concept that is met by political conflict, corruption and disregard for individual life. I will miss Mr. Bush,and loathe his socialist replacement,Obama.

Dr. N, Harwinton,CT, USA

"If courageous soul throws their shoes as Obama is being sworn into office, will you declare that that person should be given clemency?"

Yes!

I may not approve the reasons for their deed, nor would I approve the deed itself, but a shoe is hardly a good reason to torture anyone, I guess.

Harry, Oxford,

There is nothing heroic about throwing your shoes at someone. As for the Insult, Perhaps the Muslim world fails to Realize that there lack of Human rights, lack of cleanliness, appaling treatment of woman and Support of Terrorists is a much bigger insult than a pair of old shoes.

Erica , Orange, CA , USA

Yet another protester who can't take it as much as he can dish it out. He attacks someone and then cries when someone attacks him back. Bush should have retaliated. I'm sure he's a much better shot and justice would have been served with the man humiliated on camera being hit by his own shoes.

J Harker, London, UK

I can't believe how well American Propaganda works on American people. It appears that the only people supporting Bush, who has illegally invaded a country. Remember, you liberated no-one, just replaced one dictator with another.

Dale, Bristol, UK

More than likely the Iraqis despise Bush much, much more than Saddam...A friendly reminder to all of those who are willfully ignorant of geopolitics, the Iraqis did not ask for this "so-called" liberation...Probably 90% of the worlds population was amused and felt vindicated by the episode...

j. ram, taos, usa

As much as I disagree with the way Bush has handled his presidency, I would still respect his position if I had the opportunity to meet him.

The mere thought of throwing anything at one of his country's leaders would have never crossed his mind because they would have killed him and his family!

dw, dallas, GA, USA

Bush dodged the flying shoes.

It would have been far better had he caught one and thrown it back at the hypocrite .

steiner, worchester, england

I hope the SF Giants sign him. A near miss sounds good.

Peter, san francisco, san francisco

If they over-punish this guy, its gonna look really bad. Besides, how can you punish a guy that has provided this much comic relief?

phs, Sacramento Ca., USA

To quote Austin Powers: " Who throws a shoe? Honestly! You fight like a woman!"

Robert Peterson, Paris, France

10/10 to Mr Bush for his ability to react quickly enough to dodge the size 10 shoes. The best was when Mr Bush was interviewed
later and he said "he did not know what this man's beef was", priceless Mr Bush, we will miss you.

Paul Gibbons, Milton Keynes, UK

What is most insightful and galling about all the comments here, from our friends across the pond is the sincerity with which they believe the war in Iraq was about freedom and democracy. As inspiring as it may seem, one man (Obama) will not change a nation's collective ignorance and obtuseness.

Anthony Harvey, London, UK

Just to put American "scrifices" in context ...
The Lancet, a respected British medical review, quoted a statistical survey which found that as of July 2006 some 655,000 more civilians had died than would have been the case if there had been no war.

JJ, London, UK

The Cleveland Browns should sign al-Zaidi. They need a quarterback with a strong right arm. His arm looked strong.

clb, medina ohio, U.S.A.

Let's see, they think he's a hero because he threw shoes at the man who got rid of the man who would have killed him if he he thrown shoes at him.

I understand...

When was the last time somebody threw shoes at a leader in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, etc.?

jv, jackson,

Steve Miller, Las Vegas, United States says:
"Billions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in securing freedom for the Iraqis"
But they didn't want you, didn't ask you and most of the lives lost were Iraqi - at the hands of Americans. Oil, not freedom.

JJ, London, UK

So, rosemary...If courageous soul throws their shoes as Obama is being sworn into office, will you declare that that person should be given clemency?

amac, durham, USA

"He may be a hero to millions"..."Mosul, Iraq’s third largest city, north of Baghdad, 1,000 protesters"..."Several hundred more also protested in Nasiriyah"... This is a country that can raise a protest of 100,000 people in a minute, as we have seen before...perhaps they overestimated the popularity

Bill Hodge, Nashville, USA

Let him go, That's the stupidest thing that I have ever heard. Charge him with a crime that he committed. We have shed enough blood and money for people that don't appreciate what we have done for there freedom.

rich, port richey , USA

A physical attack on a visiting foreign dignitary requires that jail time be served by the perp.

John , Braselton, USA

Good dodge by the President. The guy who threw the shoes should play for the England cricket team at least he was more or less on target.

Sam, Notts,

Billions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in securing freedom for the Iraqis and this one thinks to repay us by attempting to assault the man most responsible for securing their freedoms. Thank you President Bush for staying the course in the face of extreme opposition. Truly a great president

Steve Miller, Las Vegas, United States

Bernard A. Haines, Charlottesville, VA, USA says;
"So This Is What Our Brave Men & Women Died For. "
I have a Question Bernard ...
What did those hundreds of thousands of brave civilian men, women and children killed by American forces die for ???

Sean, Coventry, UK

Iraq is supposed to be a democracy and I think they should act like it. Give this man a lawyer and a trial. Even Saddam was given that much.

Rick, Dallas, USA

If you took off your shoes and threw them at another person here in the US that would be assault. Just because he is a reporter doesn't mean he is not subject to the laws of Iraq. He is certainly welcome to protest, but he also needs to be a man and accept the consequences of his actions.

Jeff, Encinitas, CA, USA

Two things come to mind here. One that he hurts the image of "professional journalist," and second, If he did this 8 years ago, he and his family would probably be never heard from again.

Bob, St.Charles, MO , USA

It's amazning how the 'american' comments on this topik DO NOT understand the simple fact behind the whole shoe throwing incident. Bush is reviled by most of the arab people, no matter which country they live in, apart from some of the corrupt people that have been put in charge of their govts!

Arvin, Lon, GB

So This Is What Our Brave Men & Women Died For.

Would this guy have thrown his shoe at Saddam?

Bernard A. Haines, Charlottesville, VA, USA

As an American minority of Bush supporters, I even think we should let this guy go. Even though it is not Bush's country to run or decision to make, he should suggest to the Iraqi PM to release him.

Jeff, Ventura, CA, USA

Beating someone with a shoe is considered the ultimate insult in Muslim countries. Nonetheless, the diplomatic thing for Mr. Bush to do would be to ask Iraqi authorities to consider this a minor offense. Such a gesture might also show our good will toward those whom we have liberated from tyranny.

Neil A, Nicholasville, KY, United States

President Bush should urge the Iraqis to let this man go and not to abuse him further. We claim we set up a democracy in Iraq, and in a democracy protestors are not beaten and detained without access to family and a defense lawyer. It is hypocritical of President Bush to not ask for his release.

Rosemary, White Plains, USA

If he had thrown shoes at Saddam Hussein, how dead would he be now?

Richard, Marysville, U.S.A.

If this man was beaten by official parties, George W. Bush should be a real man and a real leader against the brutality that plagues Iraqi society. Bush must demand that an official apology be offered to the seriously injured man and that, at the very least, he be tried for assault.

Eldy McHugh, Arlington, VA, USA

I hope the irony of what would have happened to him had he done this under Saddam is not lost on Mr al-Zaidi

Dan Rossiter-Poulton, London, UK

How did this chucklehead get in a briefing with our President? I bet the Secret Service is looking hard at how they do business. As far as the protests, they were all bought and paid for which is a common thing in the Middle East, ever wonder how the poor saps in Sadr got those signs in english?

Bill Hinman, Baghdad, Iraq

The tape of the incident was shown multiple times and I have one provocative question: WHERE WERE the US Secret Service???? I was shocked that it took eons for them to get to the dais.

Isabelle, York,

A "hero to millions" ? A hero to dishonest US liberal and world liberal media is more accurate! Mookie made a 1000 go to the streets is more likely. Bush haters rejoice. Bush haters(after 8 years of hate propaganda) loved their country so much they elected the least experienced person EVER!

DAVID, Tampa, USA

Has everyone forgotten the hundreds of thousands that went missing and have turned up in mass graves in the desert courtesy Sadam and his sons? And who's fault is it that the security situation is as bad as it is, the Iraqi people. They allow the foreign fighters in and give them sanctuary.

Pete, Glendale, US

Change that first line... "He may be a hero to millions of Iraqis"

It is not millions... you say 1000 showed up to protest... then at the very most it should be thousands. The thousands who want to control others by fear.

Brian, TX, USA

Mr. al-Zaidi would be a true hero if he had thrown a shoe at Saddam Hussein a few years back. Unfortunely, no one outside the witnesses no one in the world would have known of his bravery. Is his current action a positive sign of increased freedom in Iraq or negativity toward the intent of the war

Buck Yelverton, Wilson, NC, USA