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The King of Saudi Arabia has offered to build the world's largest football stadium in Baghdad, Iraq, for free:
[According] to Arabnews.com, that is precisely what has happened to the Iraq football association, who this week, following their recent 4-1 friendly win over Saudi Arabia, have been afforded the opportunity to house a 135,000-seater stadium within Baghdad after King Salman offered to foot the bill.
"I have received a phone call from the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul Aziz", Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said.
"He hailed Iraqi's victory (in the friendly match between the two sides last week) and expressed his preparedness and commitment to expanding positive relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia at different levels - economical, commercial, communal, cultural - at all levels that are of interest for the two countries.
"He also offered Saudi Arabia's contribution to build a main stadium in Iraq that accommodates 100,000 people. We have welcomed the initiative and it was proposed today to the Cabinet."
Also at Reuters.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 13 2018, @09:02AM (6 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:40AM (5 children)
Keith Laumer [wikipedia.org] wrote a humorous / satirical series of books about Retief [wikipedia.org], a diplomat-about-the-galaxy.
In these books, the good guys (Retief's crew, the CDT, or Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne) were constantly building free football stadiums for aliens they were trying to sidle up to and make nice with. Who generally had no use for said stadia at all.
The bad guys, the Groaci, would, as a matter of competition for these same alien's affections, build free ballet theaters... also of no use to the various tentacled, winged and creepy-crawly alien species.
Although I'm sure the Iraqis will find a nice use for this. Perhaps even soccer games.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @05:02PM (1 child)
The Iraqi team already beat the Saudi team 4-1, assuming the match wasn't thrown. Pretty sure they meant soccer too. F(u|oo)tball everywhere but the US means soccer.
Secondly the key statement about this is: commitment to expanding positive relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia at different levels - economical, commercial, communal, cultural
They want to push Saudi Cultural norms on Iraq, eventually push out/purge the Kurds and Shiite Muslims, and when its not used for football events, use the stadium to host extremist religious events and public persecution/executions, helping to cement they or their local allies control over the region. People often forget that while Stadiums are basically the modern merger of Coliseums, ancient Greek stadiums, and sometimes even circuses (roman equivalent of the modern horse race track, which are usually but not always held at dedicated courses.)
Stadiums make excellent venues for political speech and examples after all.... Watch for Wahabbism to spread to Iraq if this happens and this stadium to be central to its rise to power.
What is that old statement about 'Watch out for those who come bearing gifts'? This, along with American/Chinese/European investment opportunities, sound like exactly that.
If by some chance the King turns out to really be doing this for mostly altruistic means, then by all means ignore my warning above. But I have yet to find someone with that much money or power who does ANYTHING for altruistic reasons. Certainly not if they wish to retain it.
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Tuesday March 13 2018, @05:22PM
Whoosh
(Score: 3, Funny) by cmdrklarg on Tuesday March 13 2018, @08:39PM (2 children)
Just so they don't build Bolos for them.
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:38PM (1 child)
I want a Bolo. To go shopping in.
Preferably a continental seige unit.
(Score: 2) by cmdrklarg on Wednesday March 14 2018, @04:07PM
Mmm, yes, a Mark XXXIII would do nicely, yes...
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Bot on Tuesday March 13 2018, @09:30AM
I am the king of Saudi Arabia, speaking through the account of a bot which I usually employ to surf for porn [he has sh!t taste BTW, groan --bot].
I hereby offer to buy Soylentnews for 30 million USD, as I like the layout and the lack of intrusive JavaScript. I will slightly modify the content, as I feel that the continuity of my dynasty with the teaching of prophet Muhammad pbuh is underrepresented. I will shortly send you an iban where you vcan send the small transaction fee needed to unlock the payment with the escrow. Inshallah, salamelecc.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:13AM
How long are the queues for the toilets in a stadium that large?
How long does it take to get a (Halal) hot dog?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:42AM
Baghdad has a very nice stadium, not big but very classy. Designed by Le Corbusier, one of the greats. But built while President Saddam Hussein was in charge. He did so much for his country!
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday March 13 2018, @11:55AM (17 children)
https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/iraq-situation-unhcr-flash-update-21-february-2018 [reliefweb.int]
There are still 2.4 million displaced people and these idiots offer up a fucking football stadium. "Sorry you guys were totally fucked by the USA and then by Isis but here's a football stadium." All the human suffering and the only thought these knuckle draggers can think about is how to enjoy themselves. It's like that friend that buys you gifts he likes so you can do things he likes with him with zero forthought. Hey, phony prince abdulla, get off your blond european whores and go build some homes and infrastructure for the people of Iraq. Not a fucking useless football stadium.
(Score: 2) by moondrake on Tuesday March 13 2018, @12:06PM (6 children)
idiots?
You do not really believe they are doing it for free are you?
The house of Saud is constantly meddling in the affairs of Arabian countries, and trying to win influence against their Shia (Iran) rivals.
It's politics, not relief.
(Score: 1) by petecox on Tuesday March 13 2018, @12:27PM
Then, instead of wars, couldn't they just play a winner-takes-all soccer game?
It worked for europe.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:12PM (1 child)
The point isn't free. The point is why a fucking football stadium and not something more useful like shelter or infrastructure?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:55PM
Those in power don't give a fuck about shelter for the commoners or infrastructure beyond what they want to use. What they do care about is all the money they and their cronies will get by way of construction contracts and "donations" that of course have absolutely nothing to do with getting the building permits or seizing the needed land from the original owners without fair compensation.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:59PM (2 children)
The house of Saud is constantly meddling in the affairs of Arabian countries, and trying to win influence against their Shia (Iran) rivals.
It's politics, not relief.
Well, ok, but then wouldn't they get more influence and favor by doing things to help all the displaced and needy people of Iraq, so that they want to be buddies with Saudi Arabia and not the Iranians? Remember, Iraq is a democratic republic now, and those people can vote. If they're all happy about Saudi Arabia building them homes, they're much more likely to vote for the Saudi-backed candidates next election.
(Score: 2) by moondrake on Monday March 19 2018, @11:41AM (1 child)
late reply but:
people with money don't care about shelters. Do care about big events where they can be invited, show their importance blabla.
People with money own the election.
Dead people do not vote.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday March 19 2018, @02:18PM
As far as I know, Iraq does not have a poll tax, and everyone can vote. I clearly remember photos of the elections after Saddam was removed by the US, and people there were clearly not rich. Similarly, the US is full of people who are definitely not rich, and who vote. True, their choices are constrained by moneyed people who control the candidates and ballots to a certain extent, but in Iraq, where there is much sectarianism, there are certainly candidates the Saudis like, and candidates that they don't like.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:15PM (8 children)
Even though the most extreme progressive would deny it to their dying breath, they cannot help but admit once they let down their guard in a fit of hate that the quintessential standard of beauty is the blonde haired, blue eyed European woman, even among "knuckle dragging" Arabs. An Arab "phony prince" would have his pick among Arab women, yet he is attracted to blonde women just like the rest of men on this planet. You can't blame him though. Rich European men don't go looking for smelly brown Arabs for their mates either, except for maybe pedophiles like Anthony Weiner.
It's nice, LoRdTAW, that you agree with us other racists.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:35PM (7 children)
Bullshit. Arab women are the most beautiful in the world. Keep your skinny sluts with no ass, no hips, and no melanin.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:59PM
You forgot the noses, dude. You love big nosed women, because they remind you of your camels. Beauty is in the nostril of the beholden, right?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @02:19PM (2 children)
Is that why Arab men require their women to keep a bag over their heads and dress them in Hefty lawn-and-leaf bags?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:36PM (1 child)
Yes. They would be raped on sight otherwise.
(Score: 3, Informative) by fyngyrz on Tuesday March 13 2018, @05:36PM
That's not because they're inherently beautiful.
That's because the superstitions their culture is sickened by are so deeply toxic.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday March 13 2018, @04:04PM (1 child)
Bullshit. Arab women are the most beautiful in the world. Keep your skinny sluts with no ass, no hips, and no melanin.
American here. I assure you, the large majority of our white women do indeed have asses and hips, and in fact extremely large ones. We're (in)famous for it, in fact.
And if you really like melanin, we also have a minority population of women with much more melanin than Arab women, and they too (again, like most Americans) generally have very, very large posteriors.
Here's a handy Google link for you [google.com], so you can behold some American women you'll surely find quite attractive.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday March 13 2018, @09:28PM
Da fuq? Okay, lemme fix dis real quick...
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=big+white+booty [google.com]
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=big+american+black+booty [google.com]
Enjoy!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 13 2018, @04:53PM
Sure, you may have seen "typical" middle easterners on the news or documentaries - but the chances are you're watching people who have had tough lives, that's what makes them interesting for the report, and they aren't going to be the most pampered or diet conscious of people to say the least. These kinds of socioeconomic differences show themselves in all countries. And the sample selection is hardly unbiased, as the US faces you see on US telly tend more to be the "beautiful people".
[* Russia's huge and divers of course, the concept of a Russian gene stock is as fuzzy as that of a European gene stock]
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:57PM
We can expect to see the end of you soon. You have just committed Lèse-majesté against the king of Saudi Arabia. Not just any king, such as maybe the king of Thailand. This is King Salman you have insulted - the King of kings, the connoisseur of the worlds finest camels, Guardian of Mecca, picker of fleas, picker of noses, and the list goes on. You should have posted that post as AC, man.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:20PM
Cuz your SUV gets so low MPG.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @09:32PM
The (((house of Saud))) strikes again!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 14 2018, @03:20AM
Sure, women can also go there. If they can survive being beaten, jailed or killed for the crime of being female in a muslim country