They’re the darlings of the Summer Games and just one win from a medal. But now some of Iraq’s Olympic soccer players, and many of their fans, are complaining that their team has become a political football in President Bush’s re-election campaign.
The problem began when Bush decided to share in the good fortunes of the Iraqi club, competing in its first Olympics in more than a decade. After enduring torture under the regime of Saddam Hussein and overcoming hardships such as the loss of their German coach, who fled when militants began abducting Westerners, the team has advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal game against Paraguay.
As the team racked up victories in pool play, Bush began to mention the team in his stump speeches, holding it up as an example of his success in the war on terrorism. And his campaign produced an Olympic-themed TV commercial showing a swimmer and the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In 1972, there were 40 democracies in the world. Today, 120,” the ad says. “And this Olympics there will be two more free nations. And two fewer terrorist regimes.”
But some of the Iraqi players say they resent the team being used in the presidential campaign. Especially among other Arab states, the Iraqi team has had to struggle to be recognized on its own merit and not as a creation of American occupiers.
“Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,” player Salih Sadir told the online magazine SI.com over the weekend after demanding U.S. troops get out of Iraq. “He can find another way to advertise himself.”
His teammate, Ahmad Manajid, was equally forceful: “How will [Bush] face his God after having slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes.”
And after Iraq’s victory over Australia on Saturday, coach Adnan Hamad Majeed criticized Bush for “helping to destroy our country.” He said that “we will never believe that Bush is with us.”
Some Iraqi fans are angry too.
“A lot of people are very upset,” said Iraqi businessman Samir Ganni, who has been organizing caravans of fans to Iraq’s games. “These victories are not because of Bush but because of our efforts and hard work. Some of the players are very unhappy with this and said if they weren’t in sports they would be fighting the Americans, like their relatives.”
The U.S. Olympic Committee also has raised concerns about the campaign ad, saying it may have violated copyright laws restricting general use of the name “Olympics” as well as rules against using the Games to promote a political candidate.
Bush’s campaign is defending the ad.
“We’re very proud of that ad,” campaign director Ken Mehlman said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The creation of what he called two new democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan is “something all Americans should be proud of,” Mehlman said. “It’s not about politics. It’s about the fact that our nation has been successful in helping spread freedom all around the world.”
On Monday, Iraqi athletes were apparently ordered to keep quiet about the controversy. At a news conference with Iraq’s soccer coach, a soccer official instructed reporters not to pose political questions.
Afterward, the leader of the Iraqi Olympic team, Tiras Anwaya, issued a plea to keep politics out of his game.
“We don’t want to bother with these things now,” he said. “We are trying to concentrate on the championship.”
