Iraq Pulls Off Another Soccer Stunner

[0rion]

IRAKLION, Greece (AP) - Emad Mohammed's 12-yard bicycle kick in the 64th minute gave Iraq a 1-0 victory over Australia in the quarterfinals Saturday, putting the invaded, war-torn country in position to compete for only its second Olympic medal in the nation's history.

Iraq will play either Paraguay or South Korea in the semifinals in Thessaloniki on Tuesday. Even a loss in the semis would put the Iraqis in the bronze medal game, where they could become the first athletes from their country to win a medal since Abdul Wahid Aziz's weightlifting bronze in Rome in 1960.

Iraq Pulls Off Another Soccer Stunner

[prodigal_green]

1. Let's hope they do it!

Somehow, sports victories always seem to raise a nation's mood. How terrific it would be for them to do well in Soccer.

[Stew225]

2. Do you think this asshole administration considers

these players "insurgents"?

[qanda]

3. Go Iraq!!!!

I hope they win it all.

[Alpharetta]

6. I hope Iraq wins it too.

The mainstream media mostly ignored the soccer players who denounced Bush using them in his campaign ads.

I'd like them to get a little more coverage. Especially the guy who called Bush a war criminal.

[EarlG]

4. In related news...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=108x115439

Iraqi Soccer Team Bashes Bush
1:58pm (UK), 8/20/04
Iraqi Soccer Players Slam 'Criminal' Bush
The Scotsman
By Mark Sage, PA News, in New York (PA=Press Association of London, UK)
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3378141
"Members of the Iraqi Olympic soccer team branded US President George Bush a 'criminal' and called for American troops to pull out of the war-torn country."

"Speaking after winning their group stage at the Games in Greece, one player said he would take up arms against US troops in his country."

"And the team attacked Mr Bush for running re-election campaign adverts featuring the Iraqi team. 'Iraq as a team does not want Mr Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,' said midfielder Salih Sadir. 'He can find another way to advertise himself.'"

Later: "The team was glad that Iraq’s former Olympic committee head Uday Hussein, who was responsible for the serial torture of Iraqi athletes, was no longer in power. He was killed in a firefight with US forces after the invasion."

"A spokesman for Mr Bush defended the war on Iraq and the campaign adverts, 'The ad simply talks about President Bush’s optimism and how democracy has triumphed over terror,' the spokesman said."

[tlcandie]

5. They will probably arrest him AFTER all the cameras are gone.

Because they are stating they would take up arms against Heir * and his illegal occupation.

[REVOLT823]

7. HAHAHA, never thought I would say this,

but GO IRAQ!!!! I hope they win it all, but will be hard to get by Argentina, those guys look real good.

[robcon]

8. This is THE story of the Olympics.

Who would have guessed this?

[Moderator]

9. Orion

You have been asked to provide a link to the original story along with the link to your website.
This story comes from the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21732-2004Aug21.html

In the future provide the proper links. Again you may also provide your website's link as well.

Thank you