Iraqi Olympic Soccer Team Criticizes Bush

• Bush campaign ran commerical 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's successful Olympic football team has launched an outspoken attack on US President George W Bush. Midfielder Salih Sadir said the team - which won its group stage in Greece - was angry it had been used in Mr Bush's re-election campaign ads. Their comments were made in a US Sports Illustrated magazine interview. "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 He called for US troops to be withdrawn from Iraq.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." Mr Manajid, from Falluja - a hotbed of armed opposition to the US-led occupation in Iraq - said if he was not playing football "for sure" he would be fighting as part of the resistance. "I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the people resist, does that mean they are terrorists?" he asked. "Everyone [in Falluja] has been labelled a terrorist. These are all lies.." [more ]