Iraq is banned from the Summer Olympics. I still cant figure out why they were actually banned, you can read the article here.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5guAoWR4d13iPmyA1Ic8qeJR2S58wD924BIH00
I think its kind of a bummer that they will not be participating. The olympics transgress politics and was hoping for one of those visa moments, where a US athlete helps up a fallen Iraqi athlete or vice versa.
It’s ok for one of the worst human-rights violators in the world to host, but no room at the inn for those iraqis. They probably have no time for such trivial things as sports anyway. I mean with all the bomb dodging and democracy building they’re doing.