Iraq

Good news!  Iraq will be going to China next month, and sending four athletes: a men’s rowing double, a discus thrower and their sprinter, Dana Hussain (their archer may also have the chance to compete, as long as his spot is still available after entries are completed by other countries.)  USA Today reports that the IOC cleared the Iraqi athletes late Tuesday after the government’s promise to uphold their assigned National Olympic Committee.  CNN states that Iraq will be able to hold their own election for a new national committee as late as November, 2008.  Because of the missed deadline last week, a few athletes will not participate, however, all media outlets are reporting that Iraqis are thrilled to be able to compete in China.  “We look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing,” said IOC President, Jacques Rogge. 

Bush has agreed to “a general time horizon,” as The New York Times announced last week.  Many believe this is due to the pressure from the Iraqi government regarding a future US military presence in the country.  Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate just yet, as the Bush Administration continues to be vague on the matter.  However, some of this decision will rest on Iraqi military capability, and the White House has stated that further troop reductions could come with increasingly better conditions.  Some officials claim that Iraqis should be taking charge of security by 2009, with a complete independence from the US by 2012.  Senator Obama responded to the news by saying it’s ”a step in the right direction,” but believes the Administration is still being too vague.  Senator McCain continues to back Bush, stating that the timeline is proof of the success of the surge. 

After the bombing and riots in Kirkuk on Monday, which left 51 dead and over 250 injured (The Washington Post), Iraqi lawmakers have called for a special session to discuss disputes over the city, as reported by USA Today.  Kirkuk, an oil-rich and valuable area, has long been fought over by Arabs, Turkomen and Kurds.  The Kurds currently hold most of the power on the provincial council, and current tensions are coming from a new law that would require equal seats for all three groups.  Another aspect of this problem, and one that has been plaguing Iraq for many years now, are the Kurdish claims to Kirkuk as being a part of their semi-autonomous region.  However, Turkomen and Arabs, along with the rest of the Iraqi population, want to keep Kirkuk and its oil fields under central control and contributing to Iraqi finances.  The bombing, which attacked Kurds protesting the bill, set off sectarian violence on Monday as the Kurds then rioted at a Turkoman political site, blaming them for the attack. 

The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from competing in China next month.  However, as usual, there are two completely different versions of the story and I still don’t fully understand what happened.  Adding to the confusion is the fact that many major media outlets are not reporting on these events. 

CNN (with the most coverage) reported last Thursday that the Iraqi government reappointed their own National Olympic Committee, unrecognized by the IOC and further, against their rules.  Iraqi officials claim that the committee appointed for them was corrupt and grossly outdated, holding members in their one-year posts for over five years.  Further, they were running meetings without quorums. 

In their official statement, the IOC claimed that the Iraqi government is interfering in the processes of their National Committee, especially by installing their own committee leader, the Iraqi Minister of Sport.  Further, they claim that the Iraqi government mismanaged the situation by not responding to an invitation last week to meet and discuss the problem with IOC officials. 

Today, CNN reports that Iraqi officials will attend that meeting after all in order to discuss Iraq’s potential place at the Olympics.  Iraq believes that it was mistreated; the IOC did not take into account their reasons for dismissing the National Committee, and according to Jassim M. Jaffer, Minister of Youth and Sports, they are considering legal action.  On the other side, IOC spokeswoman, Emmanuelle Moreau stated Thursday, “The athletes have been ill-served by the government in Iraq,” and that Iraqi track and field athletes could still compete if the original National Committee is reinstated. 

I’m not sure which side I’m on in this situation.  One the one hand, the IOC has a commitment to fairness and the Charter, but on the other hand, they should uphold a commitment to honesty as well.  Iraqi concerns over the corruption of their committee should be heard, however, this is horrible timing on the part of the Iraqi government.  Fighting the ban in this manner (especially with legal action) still leaves Iraqi athletes missing deadlines and being disqualified from competition.  I would think that instead of throwing a tantrum, at this point officials might consider conceding until after competition, allowing their athletes to compete.  Because, after all, wouldn’t successful athletes prove Iraq’s progress more so than a government tantrum?