HELIOLITH

It’s at once reassuring to hear some bit of press on the Iraqi voice against the U.S. war there make it through the virtual wall of avoidance of that issue, but at the same time it’s sad that it takes the Olympics to bring it to us.

Something about the common-ground that we feel with other nations at the Olympics makes this protest especially authentic. Reality as interpreted by the U.S. media is one thing. The reality of war, as veterans will tell you, is something much, much different. My concern is that the majority of us in the USA (myself included) have no clue as to the extent of the damage we’re doing around the world, nor how our government is perceived on the ground where the blood is shed.

The BBC reports,

Salih Sadir said he was angry at Mr Bush’s campaign adverts showing pictures of the Afghan and Iraqi flags with the words: “At this Olympics there will be two more free nations - and two fewer terrorist regimes”. “Iraq as a team does not want Mr Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,” said the Iraqi player. “He can find another way to advertise himself.”

He called for US troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. “We don’t wish for the presence of the Americans in our country. We want them to go away.”

Another star player, 22-year-old Ahmed Manajid, asked: “How will [Mr Bush] meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes.”

Go read the rest of it.
& if you can stomach the propaganda in the GWB commercial,
go watch the propaganda that made Sadir so upset.
{update: I just found this article by Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post, which suggests that this ad may constitute illegal use of the Olympic name for political advertising. Apparently, an act of Congress states that the U.S. Olympic Commitee, “…shall be non-political and may not promote the candidacy of any individual seeking public office.”

Maybe he should just step down now to avoid the scandal on this one?