By VictorM:

A couple of years ago, Maykel Galindo, a forward with the Cuban soccer national team, sought asylum in the USA during a trip to Seattle with his team. At the time, his defection to the USA was seen as more proof of the terrible conditions in Cuba.

Now, after 4 years of US occupation in Iraq, after elections, after the "surge", after McCain's shopping spree, after claims that part of Iraq is safe for tourism, and after repeated assertions that things are getting better in Iraq, we have this:

BAGHDAD -- Three members of Iraq's Olympic soccer team and their assistant coach left the team during a trip to Australia and are seeking asylum in the country, Iraq's soccer federation said Monday...

The soccer federation's secretary-general, Tariq Ahmed, said the four disappeared at dawn Sunday from the home of colleagues in Australia, where they were staying after playing Australia's Olympic team a day earlier...

"It's because of the deteriorated security situation and violence against athletes in Iraq," Ahmed told The Associated Press by telephone in Baghdad.

This is not the first time this has happened either:

Three members of Iraq's senior national soccer team refused to return home to Iraq after the Asian Cup victory. Team captain Younis Mahmoud, as well as players Nashat Akram and Hawar Mulla Mohammed, said they feared for their lives.

If that's not enough, we have this statement about the Iraqi national team:

The team practices and plays games outside Iraq.

Come on, let's get real -- Iraq continues to be a disaster!

How much you want to bet that while Galindo was praised for his courage and bravery (and rightly so), the Iraqi players who defected will be viewed as traitors by the right-wing in this country?