Washington, Dec 23 Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush says he would do it again and that he was forced to write a letter of apology after being tortured in jail, his brother said.

Oday al-Zaidi said that the apology letter from Muntadhar was written against his will after he was tortured in detention. Muntadar, who became an overnight sensation after the act, spent his first days behind bars believing his family, co-workers and tribe would forever shun him, the man's brother said.

Oday said that the men guarding the 29-year-old journalist at a detention center in the Green Zone forced him to watch a television channel run by Sunni extremists loyal to Saddam Hussein and told him that was the only news outlet in the world that was applauding his act. "They told him, 'Your tribe and your family reject you,' " the Washington, Post quoted Oday, as saying.

In fact, his employer, al-Baghdadia channel, his relatives and people across the Arab world have praised him, he said.

Oday said his brother was gaunt, devastated and bruised - but unrepentant.

"'If I had the same opportunity again, I would throw my shoes,' " Oday said, quoting his brother.

Oday said his brother told him guards beat him with a metal pipe after the Dec. 14 incident.

He said his brother had a bruised eye, is missing an upper canine tooth and has cigarette-burn marks on the backs of his ears.

"I didn't recognize him when I first saw him," Oday al-Zaidi said. (ANI)