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Iraqi Athletes Condemn U.S. Invasion and Occupation

The Bush re-election campaign ran an ad during the Olympics featuring shots of the Iraqi and Afghani flags, with a voice over proclaiming: “Freedom is spreading throughout the world like a sunrise. And this Olympics there will be two more free nations. And two fewer terrorist regimes.”

Reaction from Iraqi athletes was immediate. Soccer midfielder Salih Sadir told Sports Illustrated “Iraq as a team does not want Mr Bush to use us for the presidential campaign.” Ahmed Manajid asked: “How will (Bush) meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes.”

Mark Clark, a consultant for the Iraqi Olympic Committee, tried to explain the comments away to a reporter, saying “The players are not very sophisticated politically, they are a little naïve. … It is possible something was lost in translation. It’s a free, new Iraq and the players are entitled to their opinions, but we are disappointed.”

Hours after Clark’s comments were reported, the Iraqi soccer coach Adnan Hamad gave an interview, stating clearly: “My problems are not with the American people. 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 stadium and there are shootings on the road?”

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