Zaidi Says He Was TorturedAfter release, Iraqi shoe-thrower says he was tortured after his arrest, vowing to reveal the names of senior Iraqi officials involved in his mistreatment. Freed on Tuesday after some nine months in prison, Muntazer al-Zaidi joined his relatives and supporters, who gathered to give him a blissful welcome, sacrificing sheep and hanging laurels of flowers around his neck. Appearing with a missing front tooth, Zaidi told bitter stories of beatings and whippings, and expressed deep fears of US intelligence services and their affiliated services. "And here I want to warn all my relatives and people close to me that these services will use all means to trap and try to kill and liquidate me either physically, socially or professionally." He also explained how he had been beaten with iron bars, whipped with cords and electrocuted in the backyard of the building in Baghdad's so-called 'Green Zone'. "In the morning, I was left in the cold weather after they splashed me with water," he said. Still, Zaidi defended his action of throwing his shoes at former US president George W. Bush at a news conference as an opportunity he could not waste to respond to 'the screams of victims and the cries of bereaved women', Press TV reports. “ I demand from him to apologise for covering up and keeping the truth from people,” Mr al-Zaidi said. “I will talk later about the names that got involved in torturing me, including some senior officials in the Government and army.” Despite his defiance and smart appearance, Mr al-Zaidi appeared physically weak and sometimes required help. While his friends celebrated his release and his family embraced him, his brother held his hand for support. Mr al-Zaidi shook as though he were braving a sudden chill. Asked by The Times how he was feeling, he managed a faint smile. “Not too well,” he said. “But that’s OK.” Ali Khdayar, a family member, pointed to pockmarks on Mr al-Zaidi’s head. “That’s from the cigarettes that prison guards used to burn his face with. He got even more scars and damage that’s hidden by his clothing.” Last night Mr al-Zaidi left on a private jet for Syria on his way to Greece for medical check-ups, according to his brother Uday. His cousin, Haidar al-Zaidi, said: “Muntazer will go to Greece for medical treatment because he was injected with unknown chemical drugs and he suffers from a continuous headache.” The journalists’s story dominated the news in Iraq yesterday, where his “heroic” deeds were their top bulletin. Everyday conversations in Baghdad were dominated by his release, Times Online reports. Arriving at the al Baghdadiya compound, a trumpeter and two drummers sounded a welcome for Mr Zaidi - and in his honour, three sheep were slaughtered live on his own channel.At his modest central Baghdad flat, his family prepared an exuberant and emotional welcome home. They danced, they put up balloons and posters, and his young nephews and nieces practised a celebratory song - roughly translated as "Bush Bush listen well, we said goodbye with a pair of shoes". On the open corridor outside his flat, another sheep waited patiently for its end - six more were assembled down in the street. As the day - and the heat - wore on, the family handed out soft drinks to waiting reporters. Non-Muslims (and the non-observant) accepted eagerly - but for the rest it is Ramadan, and a fast is a fast, even if it is 40C (104F) in the shade. But Mr Zaidi never turned up. Reporters dispersed, the family went back inside, and the six sheep in the street were taken away - leaving the one animal upstairs alone there again with its bowl of water. Not all Iraqis admire him - may thought his gesture was rude and unjustified. According to Arab tradition, throwing shoes and calling the intended target a dog was a double insult, BBC News reports.
