BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) - The monument commemorating the journalist who hurled his shoes at President Bush was taken down a day after it was erected, local officials in Tikrit told CNN.
A huge sculpture of the footwear hurled at President Bush last year during a trip to Iraq has been unveiled at the Tikrit Orphanage complex during a Thursday ceremony.
Assisted by kids at the home, sculptor Laith al-Amiri erected a brown replica of one of the shoes hurled last month by journalist Muntadhir al-Zaidi during a press conference in Baghdad at Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
But officials from Salaheddin province told CNN that the monument was removed after a request from the central government, which has charges pending against al-Zaidi - now in an Iraqi jail.
After the request was made, Iraqi police visited the location to make sure that the shoe monument was removed.
"We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives," said Abdullah Jabara, Salaheddin deputy governor.
Al-Zaidi's angry gesture touched a defiant nerve throughout the Arab and Muslim world. He is regarded by many people as a hero and demonstrators last month took to the streets in the Arab world and called for his release.
Made of fiberglass and coated with copper, the monument consists of the shoe sitting on a concrete base. The entire monument is 3.5 meters high. The shoe is 2.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide.
The orphans helped al-Amiri build the $5,000 structure in 15 days, said Faten Abdulqader al-Naseri, the orphanage director.
"Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush's war," Al-Naseri said. "The shoe monument is a gift to the
next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist."
Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader toppled by the United States in
2003, was from the Tikrit region.
Al-Zaidi marked his 30th birthday in jail earlier this month. One of his brothers told CNN he "in good health and is being treated well."
Al-Zaidi's employer, TV network al-Baghdadia, keeps a picture of him at the top left side of the screen with a calendar showing the number of days he has spent in detention. The network has been calling for his release.
By tradition, throwing a shoe, is the most insulting act in the Arab world.
–CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story
From CNN Politics
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I guess it's a case of the third shoe falling.
Since they were made to remove the monument in Iraq, they should ship it over here to the U.S. where I think it would be gladly welcomed.
I have to say though, not all arabs are that way but most of them in their country are.
Wow, that is exactly what Saddam would have done if he didn't like the statue.
So much for the supposed democracy we are supposed to be spreading.
This is so disgusting. Maybe we should take these people and throw them to the terrorists they apparently love so much.
The Central government is going down a dark alley and will be "mugged" by more acts of true democracy as the people have an insatiable appetite for justice and truth. I predict that this course of action from the unelected government will fail to create a stable country and I hope that our blood and money is not used to prop them in power.
Wow thats a huge shoe, and for the people who keep saying they want their vote back from President Obama if you feel like Sarah Palin would have came up with a better plan than you belong in a room with padded walls I don't agree on this bill either, but he has to do something the GOP has not came up with anything it's not like this happened over night this happened when your leader was in office, I don't remember Bush doing anything to help the economy, he told us to go shop after 9/11, where is Paulson he said his plan was going to work WHAT HAPPENED GOP, so all you Republicans need to shut the HE// up if you don't have a plan, I can see Mccain now sleep in the Oval office.
AWWWWW... why?!
If anything, leaving it up is a pressure release to ordinary Iraqis!
Would you rather have Iraqis chuckling at a bronzed shoe or joining forces with insurgents? And greeting us with flowers isn't an option. Iraqis are justifiably p.o.'ed at how their country has been handled these last 6 years. There needs to be an outlet somewhere for people who have been kicked around for that long...
Put the shoe back up!
so much for a democratic iraq where they have freedom of speech and expression......what a failure george w. bush was.....
I agree with the first part of your sentence Wayne. Not the second.
I am glad we replaced one goverment that does not allow dissent with another goverment that does not allow dissent. That was a really worthwhile exercise.
Jon - They have freedom of speech and expression. But they need to erect monuments on their own property, not the public's.
Tonya - Get a Grade Four Grammar textbook, and study it
Wow, now that's hate x 10....
If a citizen of Germany were to ignite a large burning cross during Obama's next Euro-tour, will you Bush-Bashers be applauding THAT expression of speech too??
END THE WAR!...KEEP THE SHOE!
Too bad Bush did not pardon the journalist and admit invading Iraq was a mistake
$This probably will not get posted since CNN does not believe in freedom of spech either. It is not the first time my comments do not get posted. $
Wasn't democracy the 2nd objective in Iraq. There is no freedom of speech??? I say put that shoe back on...and lets not forget to name the Waste Water Treatment plant in California after Bush.
Yay Democracy?
Hey Janet,
So throwing a shoe makes a man a terrorist? I am an American! I love my country and work to make it better every day! I was even a Republican and voted for Bush the first time. He really let us all down. I wish I were the one who had thrown the shoe. Am I a terrorist? I applaud this man for doing what we all would like to do. That man had a right to much more than that. I say we put Bush on a pedastal and let Iraqies throw shoes at him until their hearts content.
The notion that was made by a commentor yesterday that liberals like myself are against the soldiers because we like the unvealing of the shoe is preposterous. What we like is to use cold hard facts to back up our rhetoric, unlike our Republican counterparts who like to just throw things out there and use fear to sway public opinion. What this monument is symbolizing, is the failure of the preceding president to create a democratic state in iraq – Most of the Iraqi public share the same views that this monument represents. In yo face!
It's called "freedom of expression". As Americans we should be embracing Iraq's experiment with democracy, which might be the only legacy left for Bush W.
Bush the Great Liberator.He promises to liberate your country from it's OIL.,and the US from Billions(can you say no bid contracts)and he didn't care how many have to die from either side USA,Iraqs or any country foolish enough to join in.
It's called "freedom of speech". As Americans we should be embracing Iraq's experiment with democracy, which might be the only legacy left for Bush W.
I'm not so sure that's a democracy over there, no freedom of expression=no democracy
I guess they have liberals in Iraq also.
Let's build one here to show our support for freedom of expression in Iraq. The hapless government installed by the Bush Administration just doesn't get it. George W. is long gone.
wow !!!
wow !!! look Bush.
We need more of this, not less. It's a little thing called FREEDOM!
Well, what goes around comes around.
A Belated Response: Re: Bush closing statements, Bush complained that he had to make "tough decisions" as President. A "tough decision" was for he and Cheney to have gone to Vietnam, especially since they were great exponents of it!. To be a US Soldier and sign up as a result of 9/11 and to end up in Iraq, having had to leave your wife and kids behind (then coming back missing a limb or eye –or in a body bag!)(And, why didn't Bush and Cheney send their daughters to Iraq, rather other people's kids)(All the more absurd and ill advised since we had two "No Drive/No Fly Zones" with the world's most powerful militaries there, keeping secular anti-AL Qaida Saddam boxed in). Other tough decisions that Bush and Cheney will never have to make, being a single mother and being laid off and somehow trying to feed your kids (as a result of the disastrous Bush years).
John W. Adams Presidential descendant and social scientist
PS Said statue is more than appropriate, how about war crimes?
So much for freedom. At least the Iraqis now know that we invaded their country so they would be free to do exactly what we tell them to do.
Beware of countries offering you "freedom".