Euro 2004 grabs public more than Iraq's day of destiny

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http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=742862004

IN THE lobby of Baghdad’s Al Duleimi hotel, where The Scotsman currently resides, the large group of Iraqi men who watch the satellite television all day did not seem terribly impressed with the news that the expected handover of power from the coalition to Iraqis had gone ahead.

The Euro 2004 football championship has had them glued to the screens for the last couple of weeks, waylaying passing foreign guests to tell them the latest scores. But while Greece’s recent upset over France sparked joyous excitement, the lunchtime news that they were finally a free, sovereign nation was not even deemed worthy of passing on.

"Yes, we did hear about it," said Riyahd Duleimi, making an obvious effort to sound enthusiastic. "I am very happy because I hope the new government will do good things for the Iraqi people." So, why, then, were he and his friends not celebrating? "Er, we will do in a few days’ time," he said, after a moment’s thought. "We will have a party, perhaps with fruit juice and cake."

Out on the streets there was a similar lack of jollity - or, indeed people. Warnings have been circulating for some time that this week’s handover - originally scheduled for tomorrow - would be marked by an orgy of violence, and as a result many shops have been shut and the normally traffic-jammed streets largely empty.