Iraq is a mess. A friend once told me he may have begun to support the war, a week after the military operations began, because of its apparent speed and success — but I was much more weary and skeptical. It is one thing to destroy a country, and another thing entirely to create one.
But I feel that at least one small step has been made forward … . It is of no surprise that sports can bring together people of a city, people of a country, people of a country who have migrated to other parts of the world. Victory in a match is one of the few treasures that can be vicariously taken on by each and every citizen and yet still not diminish in magnitude. And that’s why I think it’s mighty good news that Iraq has pulled off the Asian Cup championship [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/world/middleeast/30iraq.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin] in soccer with a team that bridges sects and regions.
Of course, I’m still a skeptic, and the recent violence associated with the games proves that there’s no such thing as a miracle happy ending.
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