Mesopotamia Rules
Omar, liveblogging the soccer game: Mesopotamia, Champions of Asia.
Curfew was imposed at 4 in the afternoon and will last until tomorrow morning but in fact the streets were going to be empty even without a curfew.
Everyone seemed in a hurry buying what they need to before they all go home to sit in front of the TV sets.
I returned home, filled all three generators with gasoline just in case one of them fails us, which is something that happens quite often. I also put several cans of beer in the fridge and brought some Pringles chips. The ultimate snack when watching soccer, or pretty much everything!The good surprise came at 4:30 when the state electricity came after two days of
absence; I assume it’s a small “gift” from the government and the electricity department.4:35, the match begins!
You’ll want to read the whole thing. But here’s the kicker:
Our players, tonight our heroes, learned that only with team work they had a chance to win.
May our politicians learn from the players and from the fans who are painting a glorious image of unity and national pride, and let the terrorists know that nothing can kill the spirit of the sons of the immortal Tigris and Euphrates.The fear is gone, the curfew is ignored, tonight Iraq knows only joy…
Reuters, Iraq completed one of sport’s great fairytales … But:
Mahmoud, who was named best player of the tournament, said one of the tragedies of the war was that the team would not even be able to return to Iraq with the trophy.
“I wish we could go, but you just don’t know who will kill you,” he said.
Surber: “Look at these faces. Tell me how you can condemn to genocide these people.”
Hot Air: Three bombs intercepted before detonation.
Malkin: Sports riots, unfortunately, are a universal phenomenon. The fools and thugs are out and about despite post-victory security measures. Gunfire has already erupted in Baghdad.
She notes HA commenter Jack Straw:
Violence breaks out over an international soccer match? Wow, Iraq is looking more like a European democracy everyday.
As head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Uday oversaw the torture of Iraqi athletes who he regarded as having not performed well enough.
According to widespread reports, torturers beat and caned the soles of the football players’ feet. Uday reportedly kept scorecards with instructions on how many times each player should be beaten after failing to meet his standards. One defector reported that jailed football players were forced to kick a concrete ball after they did not reach the 1994 World Cup finals. Uday was killed by US forces in July 2003.
“In the past, the Iraqi players used to play because they were afraid of Uday, the son of Saddam, but now they play out of pride, they play for their country,” Haiydar Adnan, 29, a Shiite, said in Baghdad this weekend.
Meanwhile, Jackass said what?
Topics: Iraq
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:33 pm on Sunday, July 29, 2007
2 Responses to “Mesopotamia Rules”
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July 30th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Hummm. I find the contrast between ITM and Jackass interesting. I’ll only say that I’d much rather have dinner with Omar than the Jackass, whose sneering continence would curdle milk while still in the cow.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
TBogg’s a nasty little cockroach, isn’t he?
I, for one, congratulate the Iraqis. It must feel really good to win out of sheer determination and skill, instead of the fear that they would be beaten and tortured if they lost.