US Detains Iraqi National Team Photographer at Chicago Airport, Deports Him

SALADIN, Iraq — CHICAGO — U.S. authorities detained Talal Salah, the official photographer of the Iraqi national team, for 13 hours upon arrival and subsequently sent him back to Baghdad, according to the Iraqi national team's official account. The incident prevented the team from publishing photographs of its arrival in Chicago. Iraqi national team player Aymen Hussein was also held for seven hours at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, federation member Sabah Kasım said. French journalist Romain Molina publicly criticized the treatment of Hussein. Kasım told local media the delays may have resulted from name similarity or visa processing issues. He said the Iraqi Embassy in Chicago contacted U.S. officials directly, and after administrative problems were resolved, Hussein joined the squad. The report also noted that the United States denied visas to 15 administrative and technical staff members accompanying the Iranian national team.