Man who threw shoe at George W. Bush seeks parliament seat in Iraq

Muntazar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush in 2008, is running for parliament in Baghdad, BuzzFeed News reported on Tuesday.

بعد التوكل على الله عقدنا العزم على كنس الفاسدين
منتظر الزيدي #تحالف_سائرون 156
تسلسل 95#العراق#الانتخابات_النيابية #الانتخابات_العراقية pic.twitter.com/0rm5vF8VIf

— الصحافي منتظر الزيدي (@muntazer_zaidi) April 13, 2018

“This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog,” Zaidi yelled in Arabic while throwing both his shoes at Bush during a visit by the 43rd president. “This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq.” 

{mosads}He was tackled by then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bodyguards shortly after he threw the second shoe. Bush was uninjured in the incident.

Zaidi was arrested and sent to prison. He was released early for good behavior after nine months and left Iraq in 2009.

In 2011, he returned to Iraq but kept a low profile and focused on his foundation that worked to help children who had lost their parents during the American occupation of Iraq, BuzzFeed News reported.

Zaidi’s platform or the coalition he is hoping to work with in parliament are not yet clear.