Olympic Atheletes Who Love Their War-Torn Country for Truth

Unwilling participants
Iraqi soccer players angered by Bush campaign ads featuring team

"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."

But you see, he can't find another way. Because if he ran on the truth and on his record, his ads would be very very short.

"To a man, members of the Iraqi Olympic delegation say they are glad that former Olympic committee head Uday Hussein, who was responsible for the serial torture of Iraqi athletes and was killed four months after the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003, is no longer in power.

But they also find it offensive that Bush is using their team for his own gain when they do not support his administration's actions in Iraq. "My problems are not with the American people," says Iraqi soccer coach Adnan Hamad. "They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything. The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom when I go to the [national] stadium and there are shootings on the road?"

The Bush campaign was contacted about the Iraqi soccer player's statements, but has yet to respond.

Ha. I can't wait to hear what kind of bullshit Scotty is going to have to spew to answer to them.