Shoe-Tosser to Maliki: Pardon Me

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush is appealing to PM Nouri al-Maliki for a pardon, the Guardian reports. Calling on Maliki's "fatherly feelings," Muntadar al-Zaidi expressed remorse, saying the "big ugly act cannot be excused," Maliki's office said. He also reminded the PM of an interview in which Maliki said, "Come in, this is your house."

Zaidi's brother questioned the account, saying, "he does not apologize. But if it happened, I tell you it happened under pressure," Reuters reports. The PM can recommend a pardon to the president, Jalal Talabani, but that normally happens only after a conviction, the AP reports. Zaidi has admitted to "aggression against a president" but has not been seen in public since the incident Sunday. (More Muntadhar al-Zeidi stories.)