When Not Battling al-Qaeda, Sunni Tribal Leader Chills with Xbox
A USA Today profile on Iraqi tribal chieftain Ali Hatem al-Suleiman (left) notes that the “Sunni fighter” is also an Xbox gamer:
A pistol holstered to his hip and a Cartier watch on his wrist, [al-Suleiman] is part of a new generation of leaders demanding a bigger role in Iraqi politics. The 37-year-old is the chief of the Dulaym tribe, one of Iraq’s largest and most powerful.
He opposes the religious parties that dominate Iraqi politics, though he comes from a conservative tribal culture that favors a more traditional role for Iraqi women. He is also a video game enthusiast who plays Black Hawk Down on his X-Box in his spare time.
GP: al-Suleiman needs to get some better games than the forgettable Black Hawk Down. Then again, we wonder if mentioning that particular game was a subtle dig at U.S. military forces in Iraq.
March 24th, 2008 at 11:57 am
“Then again, we wonder if mentioning that particular game was a subtle dig at U.S. military forces in Iraq.”
Or to try to suggest he fully supports US troops, because I don’t think you can play as the “bad guys” in BHD.
Then again, playing a game where the US gets caught in a quagmire? Nah, I don’t see the similarity at all…
March 24th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Well that’s….weird.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
It was a decent game when it came out about oh a hundred years ago…
They’re not implying that Iraq is backward or behind the times are they?
March 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I can see it coming: “OH NOES, GAMERZ ´R TERRORITZ ON TRAINING…!”
I understand Sadam Husseim liked Fruit Loops and Frito´s…
March 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
This is the strangest thing I’ve ever read here.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
By the way, somebody has his Gamertag?
March 24th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Everyone needs a hobby.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
“Everyone needs a hobby.”
So true.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Do you reckon that if I were to start a terroist faction I could transmit my orders on where to place to nitroglycerine whilst playing halo 3?
Not that I plan on becoming a terrorist or something… no plans to go all Guy Fawkes on Gordon Brown’s Scottish bum…
anyway, kudos to the guy, wait till he discovers CoD4…
March 24th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I do wonder if he plays CoD4 over Xbox Live..
March 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
We really should pitch in and buy him CoD4…
March 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
and a 360 maybe? He is playing an Xbox game, I don’t think black hawk down was a backward compatible one.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I don’t know. The enemy of our enemy is not our friend. Also, I dislike his views on women, and his faith in a divine being.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Ah, my brutha, at least he’s a gamer. ^.^
March 24th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Not every Muslim loves Al-Qaeda…There are whole groups just wanting to kick their asses in fact.
Though…Xbox 1??
kay, whatever floats your boat man. A tad outdated though.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Yeah you think with all of the money we just paid his ass for gasoline He’d buy a 360 to go with his gold plated bentley.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
That’s baddass.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Hey now, I loved DF:BHD on PC!
March 24th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I agree with GP, the guy needs some better games.
I’m thinking since this guy would love some of the Tom Clancy games.
March 24th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I don’t know about the game, but I hope he has fun…
March 24th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
He’d LOVE Splinter Cell.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
OMG hes in fricking iraq and you wonder about the relevancy of his gaming console?
just go to Argentina, a country not in war, and i challenge you to find an xbox 360 for less than 1.5k dlls
March 24th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
rav3 the point is that this is not your normal Iraqi. This man is a leader of his people. That’s why. You’d think he could afford a 360 at any price with the money he has.
And I don’t know what 1.5k is. isn’t that 1.5000? Which I suppose is technically correct as the decimal is in the right place.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
@Eville1
Maybe because he spends his money on other things and gaming isn’t a priority?
March 24th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
hey, dont knock bhd. i still play it (pc version anyway) mostly because i cant stand the people who play counterstrike.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
@Eville1
In the European style 1.000 is one thousand, whereas 1,0 is one point zero. It gets confusing.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Somebody get this man CoD4!
March 24th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
yes i mean 1,500.00 dlls
March 25th, 2008 at 4:44 am
His dlls are over 1500?
Does that mean if they go over 5000 he has gone Super-Suleiman?
Ahem….
March 25th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Why would that be a dig at US forces? The game takes place in Somali as well! You idiots need to get maps and realize there is a world beyond games.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Well I don’t believe games and maps are mutually exclusive so.. fuck you.Plus only Jabrwock mentioned that.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:54 am
@Not a Game Fanatic
And you need to learn the difference between subtle implication and fact. Maybe if you thought ‘outside the box’ a little, but that would mean you had less chances to insult groups of people over the Internet wouldn’t it?