Iraqi Olympians criticize Bush With a surprise win over Portugal and a fourth-place finish overall (behind Italy after a 1 – 0 loss in Aug. 28’s bronze medal match), the Iraqi men’s soccer team has given the people of Iraq a reason to be happy. In a letter addressed to the team, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi wrote, “You have brought a smile to every Iraqi home, and you have hoisted the Iraqi flag high.” The team, however, is wary of who else may enjoy their recent successes. “Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,” midfielder Salih Sadir, referring to a Bush television ad featuring the Afghan and Iraqi flags, said. Sadir also said that if it weren’t for the Olympics, he would be fighting with the Iraqi resistance.

Guantanamo hearings begin

Four detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are preparing to face the first trials of conspiracy since the end of World War II. The detainees, who have been interned for almost two years, include one citizen of Australia, two from Yemen, and one from Sudan. The first to face charges will be Salim Ahmed Hamdan of Yemen, who has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder as an al-Qaeda member. Organizations including Amnesty International, which has been denied access to the detainees, have called the detentions and hearings illegal. The prosecution and defense are both being provided by U.S. armed forces.

Famous paintings stolen

One of the world’s most famous paintings, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, was stolen Aug. 22 from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. Armed robbers stole both The Scream and Madonna, another Munch masterpiece, in broad daylight. Oslo police suspect that the thieves will hold the paintings for ransom, as the paintings are considered too well known to be sold on the black market. The Scream has been valued by Knut Forsberg, manager of Blomqvist Fine Arts, at between $60 – 75 million on the open market. Neither painting was insured.