In a speech late on Monday, Olmert said Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, was left “pretty shamed” at the vote and had to abstain on a resolution she had helped arrange.

The Israeli prime minister said on Monday that he demanded to talk to Bush last Thursday, minutes before a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“When we saw that Rice, for reasons we did not really understand, wanted to vote in favour of the resolution … I looked for President Bush,” Olmert said.

Bush, who Olmert said was taken off a stage in Philadelphia where he was making a speech, said he was not informed on the resolution and was “not familiar with the phrasing”.

“I’m familiar with it. You can’t vote in favour.” Olmert claimed telling the US president.

“He [Bush] gave an order to the secretary of state and she did not vote in favour of it, a resolution she cooked up, phrased, organised and manoeuvred for,” Olmert said.

Bush was in Philadelphia on Thursday morning and gave a 27-minute speech on education policy that ended about 10 hours before the UN vote and there was no interruption of the public event.

The Israeli prime minister described Bush as an “unparalleled friend” of Israel.

US official denies the Olmert confession as untrue.

The shoe-thrower — identified as Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist with Egypt-based al-Baghdadia television network — could be heard yelling in Arabic: “This is a farewell … you dog!”

According to Al Jazeera:

An Iraqi reporter called Bush “a dog” and shouted out “this is the end” at Sunday’s news conference in Baghdad, before throwing his shoes at the US leader.

Bush, who had been giving a joint press statement with Nuri Al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, ducked behind a podium as the shoes narrowly missed his head.

He was reported to be unhurt after the attack by Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadiya television, the Associated Press news agency reported.

The outgoing US leader had just told reporters that while the war in Iraq was not over “it is decisively on its way to being won,” when al-Zeidi got to his feet and hurled abuse – and his footwear – at the US president.

Sign of contempt

In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt.

The incident will serve as a vivid reminder of the widespread opposition to the US-led invasion of, and subsequent war in, Iraq – the conflict which has come to define Bush’s presidency.

Picture: the shoe-throwing incident happened as Bush discussed falling levels of violence in Iraq. Muntadar al-Zeidi, an Iraqi reporter of Al Baghdadiya television, the shoe thrower seen in this photo [Photos courtesy: AP]

Watch the Video of Shoe Throwing incident

Watch President Bush’s Reaction after the Incident

It doesn’t matter and will be forgiven and forgotten if the mistake, regret and apology came from a common Joe. The horrifying damages & destruction of lives and dignity of Iraqi people–caused by the same mistake- will be remembered forever when it’s done by the president of only world super power.

Definition of terrorism should not be confined to “act of terror done by individual or groups of individual”. It should also extend to “act of terror done by state” which carrying attack against other nation without the authority of UN Assembly (not only UN security council member).

State terrorism is real. And it’s just been carried out by  the US under Bush and is now still taking place in Iraq. It’d been also done by the US in Vietnam. There’s no guarantee it won’t take place again in future. Any terror act done by Bush means it’s under the authority and consent of at least 51 percent American people who voted for him in the election.