Jackson Free Press

President Bush made a surprise trip to Iraq, but he got a surprise of his own when an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at him during a press conference.

As he addressed a news conference in Baghdad, an Iraqi journalist flung his shoes at the American leader and called him a "dog."

"This is the farewell kiss," reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi yelled as he hurled the footwear -- a strong sign of contempt in Arab culture.

But Bush, who ducked the flying footwear, told reporters aboard Air Force One afterward that the "bizarre" incident was not a sign of popular opinion in the country he ordered U.S. forces to invade in 2003. Watch Bush duck to avoid flying footwear »

"I don't think you can take one guy throwing shoes and say this represents a broad movement in Iraq," he said. "You can try to do that if you want to. I don't think it would be accurate."

Al-Zaidi works for the Iraqi-owned, Egypt-based network Al-Baghdadia. He was wrestled to the ground by security guards and arrested after the incident.

The network demanded his release late Sunday "in accordance with democracy and freedom of expression Iraqis were promised by the new era and American authorities," it said in a statement read on air.

Bush dismissed the incident was an attempt to draw attention from U.S. news outlets.

"I don't know what the guy said, but I saw his sole," he joked.