BAGHDAD — Iraq's parliament speaker says he's resigning after legislators argued about the journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush.

Iraq's parliament erupted into chaos today as lawmakers argued over whether the journalist should be freed from jail.

An official in the speaker's office says he is unsure about the seriousness of Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's announcement, but says it may have been made because he was nervous. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The speaker's announcement comes as the reporter, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, saw a judge today in his jail cell, his brother says, alleging he may have been too seriously injured to appear in a courtroom.

By The Associated Press