IOC Says Iraq Won't Be Allowed at Olympics

Mohammed Emad played on the Iraqi soccer team that captured the nation's fancy by finishing fourth at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. (By Nikos Giakoumidis -- Associated Press)

"There is clearly a sectarian dimension to this decision," said Mustafa, a Kurd. Lazim is a Shiite.

Hashemi declined to comment on the background of the current and former committee members. But he said the Iraqi government has the right to control its Olympics and sports programs as a sovereign nation and will not reverse its position. He said the former committee's poor performance forced Maliki to act to improve the nation's athletes.

"When the government sees that the competitiveness of athletes in Iraq is so terrible, it has to do something to change that," he said. "In the short term, this decision could make confusion and worries for Iraqi sports. But in the long term, it will be better for Iraq's sports."

The seven-member Iraqi Olympic team consisted of two athletes competing in track and field, two in rowing, and one each in judo, archery and weightlifting.

But the deadline for submitting the names of athletes in every sport except track and field was Wednesday, meaning that five of those seven will not be able to compete.

Giselle Davies, an IOC spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview from the group's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, that the two track-and-field athletes can still compete if the Iraqi government promises in writing not to interfere with the national Olympic committee by July 31, the deadline for track-and-field submission.

Both sides, however, said it is doubtful that Iraq will reverse its decision.

"The IOC very sadly has now to acknowledge that it is likely there will be no Iraqi presence at the Beijing Olympic Games, despite our best efforts," she wrote in an e-mail. "We are very disappointed."

The committee had invited Iraqi officials to come to Lausanne to discuss possible solutions, but Hashemi said they will not do so.

This would not be the first time a country's athletes have been barred from the Games. Iraq had been banned during parts of Saddam Hussein's rule, and countries such as Afghanistan and South Africa have also been blocked from taking part.

Across Iraq on Thursday, sports fans said they were crushed that their athletes may not compete. In 2004, Iraqis were captivated by their men's soccer team, which placed fourth at the Athens Games.

"I feel so sorry and sad that we are not going to participate in the Olympic Games that we long for every four years," said Furat Jassim, 35, a resident of Basra.

But Hashemi said he does not think the country's exclusion is a huge loss. "I'm sure our athletes wouldn't win anything, even if they could go," he said.

Shipley reported from Miami. Special correspondents Qais Mizher and Zaid Sabah in Baghdad and Aahad Ali in Basra contributed to this report.