The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: FIFA suspends Iraq over government interference

FIFA pesident Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter - file

sydney, australia (ap)

FIFA has provisionally suspended Iraq from international FOOTBALL for one year due to a government decision to disband the sport's national organising association.

On the first day of its meetings in Sydney, the FIFA Executive Committee decided yesterday to suspend the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) following a governmental decree last week which dissolved the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations.

The Executive Committee said it would only revoke the suspension if it received, by Thursday, "written confirmation from the Iraqi government that the decree has been annulled."

World Cup Qualifier

Iraq were due to play Australia in a World Cup qualifier at Brisbane on Sunday and were scheduled to arrive in the Queensland state capital later today.

Earlier on Monday, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said he remained confident that Iraq would be able to fulfil their commitments, but did not rule out the possibility it would be suspended.

"We have asked the government to withdraw its decision against the Iraq Football Association and we believe the IOC has also made the same request and threatened the same punishment (suspension) as FIFA," Blatter told Australian newspapers.

Blatter said he "could not imagine that this belligerent situation" would lead to Iraq not taking part in the rest of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

"Iraq are the Asian champions and brought so much hope and joy to their country when they won the final in Malaysia last year," he told The Australian newspaper. "I am confident there is enough pressure on the government to help them change their mind."

No bactracking

Iraqi Minister of Youths and Sports Jassem Mohammed Jaafar said his government would never backtrack on its decision to dissolve the Iraqi Olympic Committee even if this caused the national team to be out of the World Cup 2010 qualifiers, the Al-Sharqiyah TV network reported

Although Iraqi vice-president, Tariq al-Hashimi, asked President Jalal Talabani yesterday to urge the Cabinet to reconsider the disbanding order.

"The vice-president is deeply concerned about the international repercussions of the cabinet's decision to dissolve the Olympic committee's executive office," al-Hashimi's office said in a statement, reported by Al-Sharqiyah.

Bonita Mersiades, Football Federation Australia's head of corporate and public affairs, said it would be "business as usual" for the Socceroos despite Iraq's provisional suspension.

She said the FFA hoped the game at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Sunday would go ahead, as well as the return leg in Dubai.

"Our strong hope is the matter is resolved as quickly as possible and the two teams can meet on the field," Mersiades said. "In the meantime the Socceroos are continuing as if it's business as usual."