2 Iraqi Athletes Set for Beijing After IOC Lifts Ban

Washington Post ^ | July 30, 2008 | Amit R. Paley

[Kaslin]

BAGHDAD, July 29 -- Two Iraqi athletes will be allowed to participate in the Beijing Olympics after a last-minute pledge by the Iraqi government Tuesday not to interfere politically in the country's Olympic movement.

The agreement reversed a decision last week by the International Olympic Committee to ban Iraq from competing because of allegations that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had compromised the independence of the national Olympic committee. The government dissolved the panel in May and replaced it with a new group headed by a cabinet minister.

But after negotiations between Iraqi officials and the international committee at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the government agreed to reestablish an independent committee and hold transparent elections for it by November, Olympic officials said. They added that five government representatives could attend the Beijing Games as observers.

"We look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing," the president of the international committee, Jacques Rogge, said in a statement.

[Kaslin]

I hope they will bring a medal back to their country, even if it is the bronze

[MetalHeadConservative35]

I hope they will bring a medal back to their country, even if it is the bronze

i dont get it, why did they ban Iraq, a country that i thought the rest of the world wanted to grow and succeed? when i heard of the band it didnt make any sense at all, i could see them Banning us just because the rest of the world hates us. but why iraq?

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This just shows what a joke the committee is. Under Saddam, the government “interfered” in the country's Olympic program to the point where Uday tortured athletes who didn't win yet the committee turned a blind eye. Now that Iraq is perceived as an American ally, the committee holds their feet to the fire with trivial complaints.

[GulfBreeze]

You know what I can't understand is why CHINA is being allowed to compete. It is well publicized that they have made many many politically motivated changes to their team.

That would be a riot if the host was kicked out.

[Kaslin]

It didn’t make sense to me either and I agree 100 percent with Opinionated Blowhard’s post

[Kaslin]

Obviously the Olympic committee is as useless like the Useless Nations

[GloriaJane]

"I hope they will bring a medal back to their country, even if it is the bronze"

So do I. I think it would be really good for their people. Too bad they didn't let the whole team go. But two of them is better then none.

[Redbob]

Funny, the IOC wasn’t at all worried about an independent Olympics committee in Iraq when Uday Hussein was running it...

Maybe it’s the current LACK of corruption that makes the IOC nervous.

[DoughtyOne]

The IOC has such high standards. I can see how the Iraqis could fail to measure up. /s

[monday]

I think we should ban the International Olympic Committee until they quit acting like stupid two year old toddlers.