Iraq trial date set for Iraqi who threw shoes at Bush

BAGHDAD -- A judicial spokesman says a new trial date has been set for the Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at then-President George W. Bush.

The spokesman for the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar says Muntadhar al-Zeidi will face the court on Feb. 19 on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader.

Al-Zeidi has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst at Bush's joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

He had been due to face a trial in December on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader but his defense team won a delay. The defense wanted to reduce the charges to simply insulting Bush.

But Bayrkdar told The Associated Press on Sunday the charge of assaulting a foreign leader will stand.