There was no apology from the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush as his trial began.
Instead, Muntadhar al Zeidi struck a defiant tone, telling the court he was trying to restore Iraq's pride.
He said: "What made me do it was the humiliation Iraq has been subjected to due to the US occupation and the murder of innocent people.
"I wanted to restore the pride of the Iraqis in any way possible, apart from using weapons."
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Al Zeidi, 30, gained instant international fame when he threw his shoes at the former president during his farewell visit to Iraq on December 14 last year.
Shoe-throwing is considered a grave insult in the Arab world.
