Bush ducks flying shoes

Dec. 14 - An Iraqi reporter called U.S. President George W. Bush a 'dog' in Arabic and threw his shoes at him during a news conference in Baghdad.

Bush was forced to duck to avoid the thrown shoes, one sailing over his head and smacking into the wall behind him as he stood next to the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Iraqi security officers and U.S. secret service agents leapt at the man and dragged him struggling and screaming out of the room where the U.S. leader was giving a news conference with the Iraqi Prime Minister.

Bush smiled uncomfortably and Maliki looked strained.

"It doesn't bother me," Bush said, urging everyone to calm down as a ruckus broke out in the conference room.

When asked about the incident shortly after, Bush made light of it. "I didn't feel the least threatened by it," he said.

Other Iraqi journalists apologised on behalf of their colleague, a television journalist.

Bush arrived in Baghdad earlier on Sunday on a farewell visit before he leaves office in January.