Report: Iraqi government to talk with IOC

Baghdad - An Iraqi government delegation will hold talks with the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland on the weekend in order to send athletes to the Beijing Olympics after all. The Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported on Saturday that government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh heads the delegation to meet with the IOC at its headquarters in Lausanne. The IOC in June barred Iraq from the August 8-24 Games in Beijing after the nation's government dissolved the national Olympic committee, naming it a serious political interference in the affairs of the country's supposed independent committee. Demands from the IOC to revoke the decision were not met and the IOC said on Thursday that the Iraqi government had also so far not responded positive to an IOC invitation to talk things over in Lausanne. The IOC named it "very... [read full story]