zaidi

But he revealed that Muntazer had told him he had pre-scripted at least one line ahead of the fateful press conference.

Jouda himself decided to sell half his herd of goats; another man asked if he might offer a young woman from his family as a bride.

He never learned the identity of the kidnappers, who questioned him about his work but did not demand a ransom.

Zaidi's lawyers said he would appeal against the sentence.

Zaidi has been criticised by fellow Iraqi journalists, who said he had allowed his emotions to overcome his professionalism.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi will serve one year in jail instead of three, the attorney said. Bush was able to duck, and was unhurt in the incident.

Prior to the start of the trial, Zaidi claimed he had been beaten and tortured while in custody.

Zaidi, an Iraqi Shia, has had the common Iraqi experience of being caught between the warring parties.

Iran's main shoemaking federation also offered to supply a lifetime of shoes to Zaidi, who remains in a Baghdad jail awaiting trial.

One unnamed journalist even told the New York Times website it was Zaidi's "dream to hit Bush with shoes" .

Zaidi, who admitted his action in court on Tuesday, remains in custody pending an investigation by the judge.

But that does not mean that the judge will not rule against Zaidi.

But all the optimistic talk of progress on the battlefield was overshadowed by Zaidi's surprise attack.

In contrast to yesterday, Zaidi's three brothers were remaining tight-lipped about his next move.

Some Iraqi officials regarded Zaidi's actions as an insult to the Iraqi state.

Zaidi, who admitted his action in court, remains in custody pending an investigation by the judge.

Also on Saturday, rebels with the Shi'ite Zaidi sect said they shot down a Saudi military helicopter in Yemen.

"I am innocent, " Zaidi said. "What I did was a natural response to the occupation. "

A Libyan charity group chaired by leader Muammar Gaddafi's daughter, Aicha Gaddafi, gave Zaidi an award for bravery.

"Thanks be to God, Muntazer's act fills Iraqi hearts with pride, " his brother, Udai al-Zaidi, told Reuters Television.

When President Bush looks back and turns the pages of his life, he will see the shoes of Muntazer al-Zaidi on every page.

The Zaidi sect is a big one of the Islamic Shiite.

Zaidi's three brothers had said that they feared for his life.

Al-Baghdadia issued a statement Sunday demanding al-Zaidi's release.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi's two dirty shoes will be forever beside your nose.

Zaidi has been in custody since the shoe-throwing incident, amid claims that he has been badly beaten.

The world saw Zaidi's shoes fly and heard his cry: "That is a farewell kiss, you dog. "

"This is your farewell kiss, you dog! " Zaidi yelled, delivering a second insult, popular in Arabic.

zaidi Statistical data compilation based on geographic locality