I’m not sure what he is smiling about in the background as they’re taking the journalist away… In many parts of the Middle East, shoe-throwing is one of the harshest gestures one can make. Note that shoe-throwing also made news in 2003 when Iraqis threw their footwear at the toppled statue of Saddam Hussein.

See also:

• BBC: Bush shoe-ing worst Arab insult
• Reuters: Iraqi shoe-throwing reporter becomes the talk of Iraq
• IHT: Shoe insult against Bush resounds in Arab world