Al-Iraqiya, the state funded Iraqi television channel says one of its correspondents has been seriously injured in that attack as well. There are reports of other injured journalists but not as serious as the Iraqyia reporter who had neck and head injuries.

The killed journalists are cameraman Haider Hashim Suhail and reporter Suhaib Adnan.

Incidentally, you might find the name of the television station is ringing a faint bell.. That's because of this. The two killed journalists work for the same station Muntadhar al Zeidi works for, al-Baghdadyia.

And while we've mentioned al-Zeidi it seems a demonstration by his supporters and family that was supposed to take place at al-Firdaws square was not allowed to take place today. The reason according to police is that they haven't applied for a permit. Zeidi's brother says they had but go no response for days. That story didn't get a mention in any of the main TV news broadcasts by the way.

Aram says while they and the other Iraqi reporter held invitations to the event from the ministry of cultural affairs the only Iraqi journalists allowed in were those covering the event for the state funded Al-Iraqiya Television. Favouritims? well, it won't be the first time. And al-Maliki's government has been known to keep those it doesn't like away. But this was basically a PR event for his government so why would you want to keep Iraqi journos away from it.. unless it's really just directed at those abroad, but that's just cynical me talking.

The journalist's aunt, Nawal Lazim, who handed him the scarf as he entered the court, said Iraqis should be proud of al-Zeidi's act. "What Muntadhar has done is revenge for Iraqi widows and for the bloodshed caused by the occupation and policy of Bush," Lazim said. AP

Well, maybe.. I don’t know. But Muntadhar is an Iraqi journalist too and I think what he’s done makes us a bit of a joke. We Iraqi journalists don’t have the best of reputations anyway.. remember this a couple of weeks ago?..

For Iraqi Journalists, Free Press vs. Free Land
[...] Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki made a pledged [that] the government would give plots of land to thousands of journalists, for a nominal price or possibly even free...

... “Support from the government is not a right, but it’s a necessity,” said Maher Faisal, the managing editor of the independent newspaper Addustour.... Mr. Faisal said he hoped that the deal was not politically motivated. “But,” he said, “journalists need to eat.” NYT

*sigh* Journalists need to eat... yes, but not from government handouts. We've been there before, not wise. But I see we haven't learned our lessons.

Anyway.... The trial has been adjourned until the 12th of March while the judge is trying to find out whether president Bush was here on an official visit, invited by PM Maliki or not. Apparently being an official guest or not has a bearing on the sentence al-Zeidi might get.

Look, we are still a very tribal society. A lot of our traditions and laws stem from these tribal customs. And a guest is to be honoured no matter what.

The whole shoe-throwing thing doesn’t register much in Iraqi media these days, it’s been a while and we had elections in the meantime which buried all other stories. But while it was still being debated on television a tribal sheikh who was vehemently defending al-Zeidi during an on-air debate was asked by the presenter what he would do if a guest at the sheikh’s house had a shoe thrown at him.. in the sheikh’s house at the sheikh’s presence?
The sheikh didn’t answer, it is a huge insult. Not only to the person who had the shoe thrown at him but to the host as well.

But regardless of the insult to the Iraqi state what matters to me is that al-Zeidi has insulted us Iraqi journalists.

Too many of us have died in Iraq while working for local and international news organisations and many more still brave the dangers of being a reporter in Iraq…  sadly this shoe incident made journalism in Iraq the butt of jokes... Muntadhar al-Zeidi the Iraqi citizen expressed eloquently with that shoe what many Iraqis felt about Mr. Bush, but al-Zeidi the journalist did us all a disservice.

It's back! And what is even more heart warming is that I saw the same faces selling from the same stalls. And the price of getting the street back to it's former glory and keeping it safe? Armed Iraqi military personnel walk constantly up and down the street and at the other end there is an Iraqi military humvee. 

Look, the whole country is a militarized zone.. so am I going to complain about this? No. As long as my beloved Mutanabi Street is kept safe.

Most of the work is only as deep as a single row of bricks, you peek down the alleyways and you'll see how run down and dirty it is but people don't tend to look at those bits too much. It destroys the air or normality we're working on here. The same happens once you're out of the street... not much has been done to any of the streets around al Mutanbi although we're talking about Baghdad's commercial heart.

But why dwell on the sad bits... don't leave the street, stay on it, browse and haggle for second hand books and once you're done walk down to the river front where a lovely new seating area has been built and there is a dock for little boats to cross the river too. It is quite handy when the bridges are closed to traffic which happens every Friday.