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Iraqi football players caution Bush
Al Jazeera ^ | Aug. 21, 2004

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?"


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: iraq; iraqiathletes; olympics; salihsadir; soccer
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To: Buffettbassman
Makes me want to adopt an isolationist point of view.

Big time bump!

21 posted on 08/22/2004 5:02:41 PM PDT by JPJones
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To: secret garden

All I can think is these athletes world is incredibly insular and controlled. In spite of the media bias, there have been a few reports of Iraqis gratefully cheering us on
for liberating them.


22 posted on 08/22/2004 5:05:26 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: Rennes Templar

Shove it Al Jazeera! Bush don't need no stinky Iraq soccer team, to help him win the Presidential Election!


23 posted on 08/22/2004 5:05:41 PM PDT by AmericanMade1776 (John Kerry is a doofus dork FLIP FLOPS on Swift Vets.)
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To: Rennes Templar

That's because of the LSM. I have it on authority of a family member who recently served there that the people are extremely grateful.


24 posted on 08/22/2004 5:07:00 PM PDT by secret garden (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Rennes Templar

I do not know when I have been so angry.

President Bush represents the American people with whom they supposedly have no problem. He represents the men whose blood was and is being spilled to prevent Saddam and Sons from torturing the Iraqi Olympians.

If he misses his elite status perhaps we can get him some of it in Palestine where he can spill his life for the virgin class.

Those people deserve not one drop of American blood any more than one penny of American currency!
I would gladly let Iran take them over and arm Israel for their own defense.

I hope this revolts Americans thoroughly.


25 posted on 08/22/2004 5:07:27 PM PDT by Spirited
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To: Texas Eagle

I'd be curious to know what the others think, although I suspect most of them have the same sentiments.

Or, of they don't, leftist SI wouldn't print what they said.

After all, they had to rely on a subsititue player for their harshest quotes.


26 posted on 08/22/2004 5:07:51 PM PDT by Guillermo (OJ is innocent because Mark Fuhrman said the "N" word.)
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To: jwalsh07

They used to get tortured when they lost and money when they won. They're just PO'd that there is no cash windfall for them this go-round.


27 posted on 08/22/2004 5:09:02 PM PDT by kaboom
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To: JPJones
That's discouraging to hear, I was rooting for them.

You have to remember that the Iraqi coaching staff, and those athletes that did well and were not tortured by Uday, would have been part of the Baathist elite. The U.S. destroyed their power over the rest of Iraqi society. Too bad.

Katarina Witt had a similar attitude after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

However, in her case, I would have volunteered to sympathize with her and comfort her over her loss. ;-)

28 posted on 08/22/2004 5:10:56 PM PDT by Polybius
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To: Rennes Templar
"He has committed so many crimes."

President Bush? Sure gets around a lot doesn't he? He's either in Crawford "Vacationing" or in Falluja committing atrocities. It's a wonder he finds the time to campaign.

29 posted on 08/22/2004 5:11:08 PM PDT by Normal4me
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To: ArmyBratproud
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.

Thank you! What a bunch of freakin ingrates.

Guess we shouldn't be surprised. Bush has been fighting to protect Americans from terrorism, including creeps like Michael Moore.

30 posted on 08/22/2004 5:11:34 PM PDT by Jorge
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To: Rennes Templar

I think the biggest mistake we made in Iraq is assuming that everyone in the world wants western-style democracy. The lesson, as it turns out, it that some people are in dire need of being oppressed.


31 posted on 08/22/2004 5:14:39 PM PDT by beef ("Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the earth.")
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To: Rennes Templar
According to Sports Illustrated, one of Manajid's cousin was a resistance fighter who was killed by US occupation forces.

This shows SI's slant best of all. This sentence is not a quote of a player, it's telling SI's view; that the U.S. is an occupying force, not a liberating one, and that the terrorist bastards are merely the resistance to the awful Americans.
32 posted on 08/22/2004 5:14:40 PM PDT by kenth
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To: Rennes Templar

Can anyone make sense of this? Weren't these jackasses being tortured by Uday and Kusay whenever they lost in the past? Why are they against the man who has allowed them to lead more civilized lives?


33 posted on 08/22/2004 5:15:10 PM PDT by Cinnamon Girl
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To: Rennes Templar

I think the biggest mistake we made in Iraq is assuming that everyone in the world wants western-style democracy. The lesson, as it turns out, it that some people are in dire need of being oppressed.


34 posted on 08/22/2004 5:15:14 PM PDT by beef ("Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the earth.")
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To: Libertina

They're going to be at the RNC with their own banner, unlike at the DNC.


35 posted on 08/22/2004 5:15:55 PM PDT by sarasota
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To: Rennes Templar
He allegedly told SI.com that he would have become a resistance fighter had he not been on the Olympic team.

I hope that issue of SI is circulated widely to every American soldier in Iraq.

I want someone to conduct a poll, "What do Americans think of Iraqis?" I,, for one, have learned to truly detest them and I don't give a flying fig what becomes of the creeps. I'm sure I'm not the only American who feels that way.

36 posted on 08/22/2004 5:16:46 PM PDT by Veto! (Kerry wears a tutu, TeRAYza wears the pants)
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To: sarasota

AT the RNC? how very unfortunate...Ah well, may be they'll see the errors of their ways... right /s


37 posted on 08/22/2004 5:37:03 PM PDT by Libertina (The Democrat Party: Ah the freedom to lie, fund 527s, and ban books with media approval.)
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To: marmar

The problem with Arab men is that they're all macho bravado, but no brains. A deadly combination. Their pride is hurt that they had to be saved by us. I say screw em. Let Saddam back. I think these bastards deserve him.


38 posted on 08/22/2004 5:42:52 PM PDT by Hildy (John Edwards is to Dick Cheney what Potsie was to the Fonz.)
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To: Polybius
You have to remember that the Iraqi coaching staff, and those athletes that did well and were not tortured by Uday, would have been part of the Baathist elite. The U.S. destroyed their power over the rest of Iraqi society. Too bad.

Ok, and I realize that this coach perhaps doesn't speak for everyone, and that this comes for SI, so maybe there's more positive quotes left out, but I hear that and just shake my head. In any case, I'm still going to root for them, the country needs a win.

39 posted on 08/22/2004 5:43:32 PM PDT by JPJones
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To: Rennes Templar

Gratitude is one of the most fleeting emotions.


40 posted on 08/22/2004 5:48:25 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn't be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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