Iraq finds unity on soccer, at least

In a country that desperately needed a win, this was welcome: Iraqis celebrated a rare moment of national unity this week with the country’s first-ever victory in the Asia Cup soccer tournament. The national team, which includes members of all three warring sects — Shiite, Sunni and Kurd — overcame daunting odds to defeat Saudi Arabia in the championship game.
Will a soccer title turn things around? No. But the win at least shows that Iraqis retain a capacity for nationalist pride and unity. What’s missing are leaders capable of tapping into it.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

9 Comments

  1. Wiseman
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    Everybody knows the truth; leadership always misunderstands its own people.Given the invested interest to the people they will find their own common grounds.

  2. Ben
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 1:31 pm | Permalink

    They should replace the entire Iraqi “government” (sic) with the soccer team.

  3. Kansas
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 2:26 pm | Permalink

    Soccer is a big deal in that part of the world as it is everywhere else but the U.S. it seems.

    People in other areas of the world look at a soccer win as a direct boost to their National Pride.

    It gives the average citizen something to point to, put a hand across their chest and express their pride.

    That has been lacking in Iraq amongst their citizens and this is a good thing.

  4. thinkfirst
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 2:48 pm | Permalink

    Iraq is in a civil war. They are killing American soliders and each other. So, they celebrate a win at soccer. Wow, I’m inpressed.

  5. The Phantom
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    Bush should put the soccer players in parliament, maybe they could get the public to cooperate with each other.

  6. The Phantom
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 2:58 pm | Permalink

    Should have read ben’s post!

  7. cosmos
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 6:37 pm | Permalink

    http://fe32.news.sp1.yahoo.com/s/ap/soc_asian_cup;_ylt=AkRFyIkmEeTyO1IDL4DV.9GaK8MA“Iraq’s 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on a 71st-minute header by captain Younis Mahmoud was an inspirational triumph for a team whose players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides. After the game, Mahmoud called for the United States to withdraw its troops from his nation.

    “I want America to go out,” he said. “Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn’t invade Iraq and, hopefully, it will be over soon.”

    Mahmoud also said he will not return to Iraq to celebrate.

    “I don’t want the Iraqi people to be angry with me,” he said. “If I go back with the team, anybody could kill me or try to hurt me.” “

  8. CF2K
    Posted July 30, 2007 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

    Poor folks in Iraq. Glad they have some distraction from the hideous nightmare their country has become.

  9. Zcat
    Posted August 2, 2007 at 2:13 pm | Permalink

    So, there is somebody in Iraq that wants to get along with everybody else. The soccer team represents their nation more than they want to admit. The militias can’t own them (or can they?) Somebody Go check and see if any of Mahmouds family is being held hostage.

    Beyond soccer, progress on the ground is real, both Iraquis and American’s are acknowledging that. All that’s left is for the non-involved to start staking their claims of heroic involvement.- Dems to claim they forced Bush to change tactics and the Generals to change, Even though they bitterly fought the surge – because they were afraid it would work.- and the Executive Branch to say “see we told you we knew what we were doing”.

    Yawn….

    Let’s give the profession military people who thought up the surge credit where it is due. Then ask them what should be done next, and accept their answer. God willing we will be done in 2012 (or later) and oil will be back to $60 a barrel.And if we are smart, we will keep plugging away at becoming energy independent and investing in our own soccer skills at home.

    BTW, when we succeed in Iraq, our allies will slowly step back up to say “I always respected you”. And the Iranian and Venezuelan and Russian oil-oligarchs will suddenly have much less money to spend as the price of oil goes back down. Then their own people will be all over them for their waste of the national treasure. All in good time, all in good time.