"We will prepare from now to participate in the next year marathon and we will be happy if young women increased their participation," -- Sec. General Rep. Martin Kobler
by Eric Dondero
You may not be believing your eyes. But this is a photo from the Second Annual Erbil Marathon held in... wait for it... here it comes... IRAQ!
Yes, that's right. It looks almost like a marathon on any street in Anytown USA.
From
AswatalIraq.com, "Arbil 2nd marathon kicks off, 5,000 persons participate":
Erbil’s 2nd marathon started in front of the Kurdistan parliament with the participation of more than 5,000 from Iraq and abroad under the title “let’s run together for peace and development”.
“The Marathon, organized by non governmental organizations and backed by UNAMI and Arbil provincial, council started today with the participation of more than 5,000 persons from 40 countries,” Abdulsattar Esamat, head of the non-governmental organizations union in Kurdistan, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr.
Martin Kobler, took part in the marathon and told Aswat al-Iraq news agency correspondent “I feel happy because I’m taking part in the marathon and because of this large participation from citizens”.
A dramatic sign of success of the War in Iraq. Can anyone imagine such a scene under the Hitler-like regime of Saddam Hussein?
And will the media give former President Bush and the war-hawks in the Republican Party any credit for this "mission accomplished"?
Exit question? Wasn't there a certain US Senator from a certain mid-western state who fiercely opposed the War in Iraq?
H/t Hoft
From AswatalIraq.com, "Arbil 2nd marathon kicks off, 5,000 persons participate":
10 comments:
What is it about a marathon that you "can't imagine" in pre-invasion Iraq?
Ba'athism, like most fascist and quasi-fascist political systems, encouraged sports and athleticism.
Gosh. A marathon. I'm sure the families of the 4,000+ dead Americans will jump for joy upon reading this.
Gosh. 4000+ dead Americans. What's that, like 1 hour on the beaches of Normandy, or Utah. Scratch that. More like 15 minutes.
Yupper, more evidence how much of a pussy America we've become.
Eric Dondero, USN (hon.) 1981-85
(More than happy to die for my country defending against Nazis like Hussein)
Hey Old Coot, how 'bout those 37 sailors killed on the Stark by Hussein in 1987?
Tom, they'd be stoned faced authoritarian robots, not smiling face American-looking happy athletes.
It's about Americanism. Something you don't seem to care about in the slightest.
More people were killed in the week at Gettysburg than in the Korean and Vietnam war combined.
Yup. Utterly amazing how we've lost perspective.
500,000 white Americans killed from 1861 to 1865 to free the blacks. And we're crying over 4,000 white and black and Hispanic Americans who died to save the world from Hitler Hussein.
Dondero, you were in the Navy from 1981 to 1985. What combat did you see?
USMC 1962-1966
Republic of Vietnam 1964-1966
The short answer to Eric's question of whether W gets credit for a marathon event in Iraq is this: No.
It's too trivial.
Compare against removing the biggest threat Iran had; betraying a USG ally; betraying Americans w/the knowingly false case for W's messup in Mesopotamia.
If this is the best the war party has then W's Mesopotamian adventure was a blunder.
It looms to be worse than Vietnam.
yours for sanity
Alan Turin
It's Obamy's game now.
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