http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/23/1093246438309.html
Heat on Bush over Games
By Athens
August 24, 2004
Page Tools
Email to a friend Printer format
US President George Bush faces being accused of appropriating the Olympic movement for political means amid reports he plans to visit Athens this week to watch events including a potential gold-medal-winning bid by the Iraqi soccer team.
According to unconfirmed US reports, the White House is examining logistical and security implications of Mr Bush going to Greece in time for Saturday's soccer final. Iraq, whose progress to the semi-finals has been one of the Games' most captivating stories, will meet Paraguay tonight, Athens time, for a possible finals place.
A presidential visit to the Games would fuel a dispute between Mr Bush's election campaign and the US Olympic Committee over an advertisement linking Iraq's and Afghanistan's Games participation with the US war on terror.
The ad, which uses the Iraqi and Afghan flags, has screened for the past week, and starts with film of the 1972 Munich Olympics, during which terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. A narrator says: "Freedom is spreading through the world like a sunrise. And this Olympics, there will be two more free nations and two less terrorist regimes."
Advertisement
Advertisement
US copyright law allows only the US Olympic Committee to use Games insignia, images and trademarks for marketing. At first, the committee reportedly sought the ad's withdrawal, but it has retreated from that. Iraqi soccer players have reacted furiously to Mr Bush's use of them in his campaign. He has mentioned them frequently.
- Guardian
- Forums
- General
- america's sacrifice to promote freedom
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/23/1093246438309.htmlHe...
Featured News
Featured News
AVH
Avita boosts skin restoration product portfolio with 'dermal matrix' – a kind of next-level gauze made of fake skin
MTL
Mantle Minerals' Nick Poll talks to HotCopper on finding gold grades up to 3.57g/t at Mt Berghaus