The White House declared on Tuesday there were "no hard feelings" over the shoe assault on President George W Bush during a weekend trip to Baghdad, and said it was up to the Iraqi government to determine if the assailant should be punished.
"The president harbours no hard feelings about the incident," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
The incident happened as Bush spoke at a press conference Sunday with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. A reporter for al-Baghdadiya television hurled two shoes at the president, who managed to duck both of them as other journalists and security personnel dragged the thrower to the ground.
"Obviously, he was very angry," Perino said of Muntazer al-Zaidi.
"The president believes that Iraq is a sovereign country, a democratic country, and they will have a process that they follow on this," Perino said.
Muntazer brought before Iraqi judge
Muntazer al-Zaidi, the man who has become a star in the Arab world, appeared before a judge on Wednesday, his brother said.
Durgham al-Zaidi said he and another brother were told by the investigating judge that 29-year-old Muntazar al-Zaidi "had cooperated well," but gave no details.
{{/usCountry}}Durgham al-Zaidi said he and another brother were told by the investigating judge that 29-year-old Muntazar al-Zaidi "had cooperated well," but gave no details.
{{/usCountry}}Under Iraqi law, Zaidi faces up to seven years in jail for "offending the head of a foreign state."