Fallujah Shoe Thrower Killed by U.S. Soldiers

According to witnesses, Ahmed Latif, 32, shouted abuse before throwing a shoe at a U.S. army vehicle. He was shot dead as soldiers at first thought it was a grenade attack. The sole of the shoe is considered a severe insult in Arab cultures.

Further, witnesses indicated that Latif was mentally disturbed. The US military's official stance was that the incident was treated as a suspected grenade attack. They said:

“Positive identification of the attacker was made, and US forces fired in self-defence wounding the attacker.

“Local Iraqi police secured the scene and transported the wounded attacker to a local hospital for medical care."

It was later confirmed that Latif died of his wounds. In the original incident, as he threw his shoes, al-Zaidi shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."