Michael Ware

Journalist

AAM: "This guy obviously had become pretty disenchanted. That, unfortunately, is not uncommon here in Iraq."


Length: 3:08

LARGE (36.5 MB) ----- SMALL (3.8 MB)

Michael updates the current status of the Iraqi journalist as well as the reactions from the Iraqi people.


JOHN ROBERTS: President Bush says he saw the man's soul... Iraqi government officials say the journalist who threw his shoes at the president is now in the custody of Iraq's military command. We're learning more now about why he did it. And now he's become something of a folk hero in Iraq and other parts of the Muslim world as a result.

CNN's Michael Ware is live in Baghdad for us this morning. What do we know about this young man's story, Michael?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good day, John.

Look, he's a 28-year-old Shia who works for this Iraqi network that runs of Cairo in Egypt. Now, he's been living and working in Sadr City, the sprawling slum of more than two million Shia, mostly loyal to rebel anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Now we know that last year he was kidnapped for three days by insurgents or militia. This year he was detained for a day by U.S. forces but then released. And we know that he's been covering, in the words of his family, lots of stories about orphans and widows and generally the carnage from this war. And they say it's deeply affected him.

And we do know that in a few of his reports, he's signed off with his name and the location of "occupied Iraq." So this guy obviously had become pretty disenchanted. That, unfortunately, is not uncommon here in Iraq -- John.

ROBERTS: What's the reaction been to him there on the ground in Baghdad, Michael? And also, we have been hearing some reports coming from his brother and others that he may have been beaten while in Iraqi custody and it did seem when he was taken down there during the press conference that the Iraqi authorities were pretty harsh with him.

WARE: Yeah, surprise, surprise. Iraqi police, you know, giving someone a touch up. That would be a first.

He actually -- if they don't give you a flogging that's the grounds for complaint over here. But, you know, what happened in the press conference was, you know, I would imagine perfectly legitimate. What's happened after we don't know.

A Sadrist politician and his brother claimed that he's got a broken arm or a few other injuries. We don't know until he's handed over to the court system.

Now in terms of reaction, obviously, he's become a folk hero across the Middle East with outpourings of support. And just here today and it's only just past lunchtime, we've had a demonstration by high school students in Fallujah calling for his release, supporting him. More high school students in northern Baghdad demonstrating for him. Journalism students at Baghdad University protesting for him. Students at Diyala University protesting for him.

People are texting each other on their phones like crazy with jokes and poems and words of support for him. And he's even got a Facebook fan site, where hundreds are already signing up, John. So he's become a rock star in some ways.

ROBERTS: Yes. The Maliki government officially not very happy with him, though. We'll see how this goes and continue watching. Fascinating story.

Michael Ware for us this morning from Baghdad. Michael, thanks so much.