Posted on 08/22/2004 4:35:47 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
Saturday 21 August 2004, 11:54 Makka Time, 8:54 GMT
Iraqi football players, who have performed exceptionally well at the Olympics, are cautioning President George Bush not to use their success in his re-election campaign, according to the US monthly Sports Illustrated.
US media has touted the success of Iraq's under-23 team as it beat Portugal 4-2 and Costa Rica 2-0 and sailed through to the quarterfinals.
However, the sudden interest in the team - particularly from the US Republican re-election campaign platform - has irked some of its members.
"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Iraqi player Salih Sadir told SI.com.
"He can find another way to advertise himself."
Sadir has so far scored two goals for the team.
But some players went further: substitute Ahmad Manajid, who played as a midfielder in Wednesday's match against Morocco (1-2) told the monthly sports magazine "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?"
"He has committed so many crimes."
Manajid went on to say "I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the people resist, does that mean they are terrorists?"
"Everyone [in Falluja] has been labelled a terrorist. These are all lies. Falluja people are some of the best people in Iraq."
According to Sports Illustrated, one of Manajid's cousin was a resistance fighter who was killed by US occupation forces. He allegedly told SI.com that he would have become a resistance fighter had he not been on the Olympic team.
Iraq's second coach, who filled the gap left behind when German manager Bernd Stange left the team due to security concerns, told SI.com that he believed US occupation forces destroyed everything in his country.
"My problems are not with the American people," Adnan Hamad told the sports monthly.
"They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything. The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom when I go to the [national] stadium and there are shootings on the road?"
So it's the coaches who are indoctrinating these kids.
We should FedEx the team concrete soccer balls, iron maidens, and cattle prods if they lose...
That's discouraging to hear, I was rooting for them.
Excellent idea!
"The American army has killed so many people in Iraq."
Yeah...how bout them Marines! Good job, men! Let's hope these terrorist punks join the resistance when the Olympics are over and our boys throw a surprise victory celebration for them complete with 72 virgins.
That's pretty impressive. Portugal and Costa Rica must SUCK!
Or what?
Makes you realize how hopeless it is to try and help islamicics. I think they'd rather be tortured from their own kind for losing than excelling under our help.
he's a Sunni - what do you expect.
hey, if they don't win the gold, maybe we can use some of that torture equipment that Uday and Qusay used on other iraqi athletes who failed to win. then perhaps his opinion of the US and Bush will change.
Perhaps these players would like to go back to their old system. You know? The one where, when the Iraqis don't get gold, they get shoved into wood chipping machines feet first.
he's a Sunni - they were the elites in iraq, the ruling class who had all the corrupt privileges.
"the agony of defeat"
Course some of this might be propaganda to show that the Iraqi success at the Olympics isn't US-bought.
It wouldn't surprise me if some team members with family links to terrorism or sympathy to terrorism are causing the rest of the team to not speak out.
"They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything..."
Sheesh.That's the thanks we get for liberating a few million people.Watta bunch of crap.
Evidently these Iraqi idiots preferred life with cattle prods stuck up their asses.
Oh, Al Zazeerha - the KERRY media outlet form the DNC convention,
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