Iraqis demand release of shoe thrower. Want him to have his shoes back and a second chance at Bush. "We are confident he will hit him this time!"

Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to demand the release of a reporter who threw his shoes at President George Bush during a press conference.

Protesters hailed the journalist as a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the US president.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who was kidnapped by Shiite militants last year, was being held by Iraqi security and interrogated about whether anybody paid him to throw his shoes at Bush during Sunday's press conference in Baghdad, said an Iraqi official. He was also being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were being held as evidence, said the official.

Showing the sole of your shoe to someone in the Arab world is a sign of extreme disrespect, and throwing your shoes is even worse.

Newspapers across the Arab world printed front-page photos of Bush ducking the flying shoes, and satellite TV stations repeatedly aired the incident, which provided fodder for jokes and was hailed by the president's many critics in the region.

"Iraq considers Sunday as the international day for shoes," said a joking text message circulating around the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Ungrateful. That is the only word to describe these people.

If it was not for George W. Bush these people would still be living under the rule of a dictator.......not the third most corrupt government in the world which was put in place with the help of America's election rigging know how.

They would have more then a few hours of electricity a day, which means that all their children would do all day is play video games instead of getting into great shape by dodging car bombs and trigger happy Blackwater mercenaries.

They would not have had all of the bombings, that started well before the actual Iraqi invasion, which has made it far less crowded during family reunions.

They have all of these reasons to like and respect George bush, and yet they throw shoes at him?

What else could you call it except "ungrateful"?