Iraq Booted From Olympics: What a Shame.

The following story on CNN.COM simply breaks my heart:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/24/iraq.olympics/index.html

To anyone who has given their all only to be thwarted by an inept bureaucratic decision, you know how painful this is.

These athletes should not be punished for the ineptitude of their leaders, and certainly some sort of valid compromise should have been found considering the great implications even a decent showing in the Olympics would have on the poor nation of Iraq.

Leave it to an administration to fawn over rules and regulations, and lose the spirit of the whole thing. Consider that there are few countries in the world who could stand to gain more from an Olympic appearance now.

Let's hope both sides get their acts together, and keep technicalities and corruption from preventing something great from happening.

Hopefully, come August, the whole world will be cheering for Iraqi athletes.