By Ashraf Hamed Atta and Ahmed \u2060Rasheed<\/p>\n
BAGHDAD, \u2060June 6 (Reuters) – Iraq’s World Cup \u2060striker, Aymen Hussein, was held and questioned for \u200bnearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with the squad early \u200con Saturday, an Iraqi sporting \u200cofficial said.<\/p>\n
Hussein was finally allowed in, but the team’s photographer \u2060was barred \u2060from entering the United States, said the official who works \u200bfor the Iraqi Olympic Committee, but has close contacts with the team.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi Football Association, or from Hussein, a talismanic \u200bfigure who scored the goal that secured the team’s qualification for \u2060the \u2060finals.<\/p>\n
U.S. Immigration and Customs \u2060Enforcement and \u200bthe Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment \u200bon the reported questioning \u2060that was also covered by Iraqi media.<\/p>\n
Fans came out in the early hours of the morning to greet the Iraq squad at the airport, holding flags and asking players to pose for pictures less \u2060than a week before the start of the tournament, video on social \u2060media showed.<\/p>\n
Hussein’s phone was inspected after he arrived, the Iraqi official said.<\/p>\n
“National team photographer Talal Salah was held for more than 10 hours, underwent similar phone checks, and was ultimately denied entry into the United States,” the official added.<\/p>\n
Iraq are returning to the World Cup for the first time since making their debut 40 years ago.<\/p>\n
Hussein, 30, leads a potent frontline that \u2060also features Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi and talented youngsters Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.<\/p>\n
Iraq face France, Senegal and Norway in Group I.<\/p>\n
The tournament being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico gets \u200bunder way on Thursday.<\/p>\n
(Additional reporting by Milana Vinn in \u200bNew York; Editing by Andrew Heavens)<\/p>\n
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