Iraq Wins the Asian Cup

Today I watched Iraq defeat Saudi Arabia to take their first Asian Cup victory, and achieve thus far the greatest Sport milestone in the turbulent history of Iraq. It was a thrilling match, and it was easy to see the emotional edge in the Iraqis. After a nail-biting finish, in which the Saudis missed a tying header by inches in the last five seconds, I stepped outside and warned everyone to take cover. "What for?" they asked. While I don't condone it, there is just something undeniably thrilling about the way Iraqis celebrate: weapons waving, with reams of AK-47 fire streamed into the skies! Our local IPs likely expended all of their precious training rounds we issued them this past week, but I think it was for a good cause.

I was so happy with the win. There is something unifying and galvanizing about soccer that we Americans will simply never get. Having seen last summer in the World Cup how Germany's collective national fervor swelled with each unlikely upset their plucky team pulled off, ending with the consolation prize, I was really pulling for Iraq. The Asian Cup was just something the Iraqis needed more than any other country right now--especially their first in the history of the tournament. It was sad and humorous to witness the complete apathy and ignorance of the disinterested Americans: no one really had any idea of what was going on and the utter significance of the event to this country we're so wrapped up in. There was a big announcement on the base loudspeakers 10 minutes after gunfire erupted all over Ramadi informing everyone in a purposefully calming voice it was "celebratory fire, I repeat, celebratory fire." While walking to the DFAC for dinner tonight, I did feel in passing that I was doing something a bit dangerous, a suspicion confirmed later on with the news that a Marine on camp was injured in the shoulder by a falling bullet.

http://www.afcasiancup.com/en/tournament/mtindex.asp?aid=50768&cid=1377&mt=12049&sec=105&ssec=246

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1FABE009-E442-48E8-983F-FD9017BEC162.htm

(There is a wonderful anecdote about a very similar circumstance in the book The Imperial Life in the Emerald City, a fascinating account of the CPA in the Green Zone. I realized the connection after I wrote this, so maybe I was influenced by that. I don't know.)