Iraqi soccer players angered by Bush campaign ads featuring team

Sports Illustrated, A CNN Company ^ | August 19, 2004 | Sports Illustrated writer

[Ramonan]

PATRAS, Greece -- Iraqi midfielder Salih Sadir scored a goal here on Wednesday night, setting off a rousing celebration among the 1,500 Iraqi soccer supporters at Pampeloponnisiako Stadium. Though Iraq -- the surprise team of the Olympics -- would lose to Morocco 2-1, it hardly mattered as the Iraqis won Group D with a 2-1 record and now face Australia in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Afterward, Sadir had a message for U.S. president George W. Bush, who is using the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest re-election campaign advertisements.

In those spots, the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan appear as a narrator says, "At this Olympics there will be two more free nations -- and two fewer terrorist regimes."

"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. "He can find another way to advertise himself."

Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?" Manajid told me. "He has committed so many crimes."

The Bush campaign was contacted about the Iraqi soccer

[Ramonan]

A glaring example of ingratitude. If they had only came in where they did, Qusay would have ther hands or fingerswhen they got home.

[Coop]

I'm extending my middle finger in the direction of these pathetic, ungrateful little turds.

[HawkeyeLonewolf]

DUPE...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1194786/posts?page=60#60

[Ramonan]

SORRY.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

SI is really reaching now.

How come we haven't heard from any Texas prairie dogs yet?

/sarcasm

[Soul Seeker]

Ahmed Manajid and Salih Sadir,

Go crawl into a rat hole.