Assassins try to kill Iraq Olympic head

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Assassins tried to kill the head of Iraq's Olympic committee in an ambush of his convoy in the middle of Baghdad, the head of the committee said Tuesday.

Ahmed al-Hijeya was heading to a television interview Monday when his two-car convoy was ambushed on Baghdad's Haifa Street, the scene of regular violence and occasional street battles between insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi forces, he said Tuesday.

Insurgents fired rocket propelled grenades at the convoy, damaging his bodyguards' car and injuring one of the guards, he said.

"I am surprised at this attack because the Olympic Committee has nothing to do with politics. This committee belongs to all Iraqis, regardless of their political, religious or ethnic origins," al-Hijeya said.

Iraq has only modest goals for next month's Olympics in Athens, hoping to place respectably in weightlifting and soccer.

http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/topstories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108973014669950.xml

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Interesting, in light of the resignation of the soccer team's coach a couple of weeks ago:

Stange quits as Iraq soccer coach - 'My personal bodyguard told me he feared for my life'
Erik Kirschbaum
Monday, July 5, 2004

BERLIN, July 5 (Reuters) - Bernd Stange has resigned as coach of Iraq 'with deep regrets' because of the deteriorating security situation in the country.

German Stange, 56, who guided Iraq from the closing months of Saddam Hussein's regime nearly two years ago into the violence-filled post-war era, said he no longer felt safe there.

...

Stange said he was heeding warnings from the German Foreign Office as well as his own bodyguard to stay out of Iraq because security for foreigners could no longer be assured.

'My personal bodyguard told me he feared for my life,' he said. 'The conditions for foreigners in Iraq are extremely difficult and I didn't feel I could continue to risk being there.

'And you can't prepare a team for the Olympics, the Asian Cup or World Cup qualifications long-distance on the telephone.'

...

Stange said last year he had felt immune to the troubles because he was so well known as coach of the national side.

'Everything has got worse since then,' said Stange. 'The football situation has also deteriorated. Players are leaving Iraq. There's no real first division play.'

(more)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=304608&cc=5901

[thebigidea]

1. they hate us for our gold medals!

[DrWeird]

2. Yes. The Olympics has nothing to do with politics.

:eyes:

[hightime]

3. So are the Olympics a fair target for political reasons..ala Munich?

[Barrett808]

5. Not sure about "fair" but definitely a target n/t

[pinniped]

4. I heard 1/2 of all tickets are still available.

If I lived anywhere near Greece I would love to attend.