Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. wrestlers receive warm welcome in Iran despite tension with Washington
msnbc/AP ^ | Jan 16, 2007

Posted on 01/16/2007 12:37:10 PM PST by nuconvert

U.S. wrestlers receive warm welcome in Iran despite tension with Washington

Associated Press Sports

Jan 16, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -Twenty U.S. wrestlers received a warm welcome when they arrived in Iran on Tuesday for a tournament, despite the high running tension between Washington and Tehran.

The U.S. wrestling team arrived in Bandar Abbas, a southern Iranian port, only a week after U.S. President George W. Bush called for increased pressure on Iran and Syria as part of his new strategy to defeat the insurgency in Iraq.

Local government officials met the American wrestlers and 12 young girls, dressed in traditional Iranian dresses, gave them bouquets of white and pink flowers. One of the girls greeted the Americans in English.

The Americans were exempted from having their fingerprints taken - a normal requirement for U.S. citizens visiting Iran - and boarded a bus to their hotel. Police escorted the bus as it drove away from the airport.

Bandar Abbas lies on the northern side of the Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the Gulf, which is patrolled by U.S. warships. American battleships can be seen from the city.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iran; rassling; takhticup; us; wrestlers; wrestling
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

1 posted on 01/16/2007 12:37:13 PM PST by nuconvert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

(sob) The Iranians are always just so nice to us and we're such big meanies!


2 posted on 01/16/2007 12:39:18 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (Celebrate Mediocrity!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VeniVidiVici

The Hulkster always gets a round of applause..Hogan Knows Best.


3 posted on 01/16/2007 12:43:25 PM PST by Patrick1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Patrick1

"That's right, brother!!!!"


4 posted on 01/16/2007 12:45:29 PM PST by RexBeach (In war there is no substitute for victory. - Douglas MacArthur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

"In the last decade, USA Wrestling has competed in Iran six times. It's a competitive necessity, wrestlers said.

"To be the best, you have to wrestle the best -- and a lot of the best guys in the world are over there," said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling."

more here...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/13/AR2007011301044.html


5 posted on 01/16/2007 12:45:34 PM PST by nuconvert ([there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business] (...but his head is so tiny...))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

This is a bit bizarre, I find. We're on the verge of nuking these guys practically but we still play refereed grab a$$ with them?


6 posted on 01/16/2007 12:47:41 PM PST by Prodigal Son
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert
The title should be:

Twenty American potential human shields arrive in Iran

7 posted on 01/16/2007 12:47:53 PM PST by edpc (The pen is mightier than the sword......until you fight someone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RexBeach
The Iranian team is coached by none other than the Iron Sheik.
8 posted on 01/16/2007 12:50:01 PM PST by Patrick1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: edpc

The title should be:
Twenty American potential human shields arrive in Iran
____________________________________________________

Here we go again. Hostage crisis redux?


9 posted on 01/16/2007 12:51:16 PM PST by racing fan (Go Team Israel!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Patrick1
Iran, Numba One!!! U.S.A., *hack* *ptooey*!

10 posted on 01/16/2007 12:51:56 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture (Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs! Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: racing fan

They are not FedGov employees. It's just luck that Iran is such a strong ally of the US$ that this traveling show is perfectly safe.


11 posted on 01/16/2007 12:55:40 PM PST by RightWhale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert
Iran does have some of the best wrestlers in the world and the US team has gone over there several times and has always received a good welcome.

Also, I dont think the average Iranian gives a bleep what the Mullahs and Ahm-a-nut-job say.

12 posted on 01/16/2007 12:58:53 PM PST by keithtoo (Moveon.org is a cult, Freerepublic is the cure.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RightWhale

I wouldn't want to take these guys hostage, would you?


13 posted on 01/16/2007 12:59:25 PM PST by princess leah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Patrick1
This is Olympic Freestyle & Greco Roman - wrestling the sport - not the fake but real WWF etc.Iran has always had a world class freestyle wrestling program.
14 posted on 01/16/2007 1:01:55 PM PST by Apercu ("A man's character is his fate" - Heraclitus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

"American battleships can be seen from the city."

15 posted on 01/16/2007 1:02:37 PM PST by Daaave (The flesh eating jinn of Komari.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daaave

"American battleships can be seen from the city."

I thought that was the best line of the story!


16 posted on 01/16/2007 1:07:26 PM PST by enraged (A short drop and a quick stop, oops! sorry about that head popping off thing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

W doesn't like wrestlers? What tension with Washington?


17 posted on 01/16/2007 1:08:44 PM PST by dashing doofus (Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

why were these people allowed to go to Iran? All it does is promote propaganda.


18 posted on 01/16/2007 1:10:28 PM PST by balch3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Apercu

Fake! It is not fake. Wait until one of the Iron Sheiks guys but the Iranian nuclear atomic drops on one of the members of the Great Satan team, I will show you fake.

What you gonna do when the Iron Sheik runs wild on you!!


19 posted on 01/16/2007 1:10:34 PM PST by Patrick1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: CounterCounterCulture
There was a good article about the Iron Sheik shortly after 9/11. He absolutely loves the USA.
20 posted on 01/16/2007 1:16:50 PM PST by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson