Soccer fans hopeful ahead of Gulf Cup in Iraqi city of Basra

By DAWOOD SALMAN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BASRA, Iraq (AP) — Iraq is hosting its first international soccer tournament in more than four decades and for many Iraqis, the tournament that is about to kick off in the southern city of Basra offers a rare moment of joy and optimism. The eight-nation Arabian Gulf Cup starts on Friday, with teams from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — as well as Yemen and Iraq. Soccer fans and officials say the two weeks of matches will be a respite from all the violence, political and economic crises. many hope that if the tournament goes smoothly, FIFA could allow World Cup qualifiers to return to Baghdad.