An ABC News/Stanford University poll reported on August 9 found that 80% of people believe global warming is real. The poll also found that 63% believe industry and people have responsibility.

link: http://www.abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/story?id=5525064&page=1

The article below is online at China Daily. It states that only 4 Iraqi athletes made it to Beijing, and claims that "the rest (3 more athletes) missed the registration deadline."

Iraqi athletes in Beijing Updated: 2008-08-23 17:30

22-year-old Iraqi Dina Hussein was allowed to the Games only eight days before the opening ceremony. 

If anyone has contact information for the three Iraqi athletes denied access to the 2008 Olympic Games, send an email to info@yoggw.org. What do these athetes have to say? Will the world ever hear from them?

The Iraqi athletes left behind are weightlifter Muhammad Jassem Abboud, judo wrestler Ali Muhhamad Fakher and archer Ali Adnan.

On August 17, the International Olympic Committee brought attention to the names of 56 athletes banned from competing in the Beijing Olympics due to positive doping tests.

Meanwhile, the IOC has not bought attention to the names of the 3 Iraqi athletes it banned from competing in the Beijing Olympics as the IOC plays politics to gain greater control over national organizing committees.

link: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=AikDJwBU4y.HiJ18Q92Ph5g1o5N4?slug=ap-druggameslist&prov=ap&type=lgns

For reasons out of the athletes' control,  the International Olympic Committee has punished three Iraqi athletes.  Research revealed the names of the 3 Iraqi athletes prevented from competing: weightlifter Muhammad Jassem Abboud, judo wrestler Ali Muhhamad Fakher and archer Ali Adnan.

The athletes' offense? None.

The IOC's offense? Abuse of power: Claiming that a country need have the IOC's pre-approval as to what executives can be appointed to that country's Olympic Committee, in this case, the Iraqi Olympic Committee.

What's next? Will the IOC look to ban Iraqi Youth Olympic Games athletes?

What if the IOC did this to Youth Athletes?

While the world realizes that Olympians make huge sacrifices to reach the Games, the world may not learn the facts of stories of athletes subjected to what can be described as abusive treatment by the International Olympic Committee.

Iraqi athletes:

Iraqi athlete Ali Adnan’s participation in the Olympics will depend on another archer from any other country dropping out of the Games, Didier Mieville, media director for the International Archery Federation based in Lausanne told AFP. “If there is a cancellation of any other archer then he is first on the waiting list,” Mieville told AFP.

Following Tuesday’s IOC decision in Lausanne, it initially looked as if five athletes of the original seven member squad would to be be left out after registration deadlines for those sports expired on July 23. If Adnan, the archer, were allowed to take part, now only a judoka and a weightlifter would likely be excluded, according to IOC registration guidelines.

link: www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C02%5Cstory_2-8-2008_pg2_12 
 

"All Four Applicants Chosen Candidate Cities For 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games"
Reported Saturday, August 02, 2008 by GamesBids.com

All four cities bidding to host the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games were chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board as Candidate Cities Saturday in Beijing. They are Harbin China, Innsbruck Austria, Kuopio Finland, and Lillehammer Norway.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said of the decision, “we are very pleased to have four excellent short listed candidates for the lst Winter YOG ever”.
The Executive Board chose the four cities on the basis of a study of the cities’ Candidature Files and related documents submitted to the IOC. A panel of experts including representatives of the Olympic Movement and specialists conducted the study and subsequent report.

The projects of the four cities will now be further assessed by an IOC Evaluation Commission to be appointed by the IOC President. The commission will then submit its report to the IOC Executive board in November, and on the basis of the report the IOC Executive Board will recommend which short listed Candidate Cities will be submitted to the IOC members for selection as host city.

There will be a mail-in vote by all IOC members, following which the host city for the 2012 Winter Youth Games will be announced in December 2008.
One thousand athletes are expected to take part in the Youth Games, ages 14 to 18 years, with specific two-year groups to be defined by each sport/discipline. All the athletes will participate in a culture and education program, highlighting activities linked to the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

Credit: http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1217704000

Published Schedule for IOC Selection of 2012 YOG Host City

August 4, 2008	Shortlist of candidate cities
End October 2008	Report by IOC Evaluation Commission
November 2008	IOC Executive board to recommend the cities that will appear on IOC member voting ballots. Postal election to follow.
December 2008	Announcement of winning city