A. Rubio
“Iraq is back,” said Ambassador Salih Husain Ali on Friday, during the inauguration of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup Championship, at a ceremony held at his official residence in Madrid. The head of the Iraqi Mission in Spain was referring not only to the fact that his country was once again organizing this tournament, but also to the fact that it is gradually leaving behind the aftermath of the conflicts that have plagued it since 1991.
It was precisely that year that Iraq stopped participating in the tournament due to the sanctions imposed on Saddam Hussein’s regime. Therefore, the opening of the tournament in Basra with the Iraq-Oman match was a good reason to summon many diplomats, including the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Qatar, as well as the Spanish ambassador in Baghdad, Pedro Martinez-Avial.
Ambassador Salih Husain Ali also recalled the anniversary of the Iraqi Armed Forces, of which he stressed that they currently maintain a high level of professionalism and are a fundamental axis for the democratic advances and the opening that the country is experiencing.
