FIFA suspends Iraqi Football Association

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- FIFA has provisionally suspended Iraq from international soccer for one year due to a government decision to disband the sport's national organizing association.

The FIFA Executive Committee announced the verdict on the first day of its meetings in Sydney on Monday

FIFA's action against the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) follows a governmental decree last week which dissolved the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations, including the soccer association.

Iraq were scheduled to face Australia in a World Cup qualifier in Brisbane this weekend.

Unless the Iraqi government confirms in writing by Thursday that it has reversed its decree, FIFA said it will present the one-year suspension to the FIFA Congress meeting in Sydney, Australia on Friday.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi has urged Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to get Iraq's Cabinet to annul the decree since it violated an Olympic agreement banning governments from interfering with Olympic committee operations, al-Hashimi's office said on Monday.

Iraq's Cabinet voted last Tuesday to "freeze the work" of the executive office of the country's Olympic committee and all its federations.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said that a temporary committee headed by the minister of youth and sports will hold new elections for the Olympic committee and write new rules to govern it. The temporary committee would oversee Iraq's sport federations for three months until elections are held, he said.

A senior government official, who asked not to be named, told CNN the Cabinet's action was brought about because of corruption charges against the Olympic committee.

The FIFA Web site confirmed: "The FIFA Executive Committee also decided that in accordance with art. 14, par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the case of the Iraqi Football Association would be presented to the FIFA Congress on 30 May for suspension until the FIFA Congress in 2009, namely one year.

"However, the suspension decided upon today may be lifted if FIFA receives by 29 May, midnight (Sydney time), 16.00h CET, written confirmation from the Iraqi government that the decree has been annulled."

Iraq were scheduled to arrive in the Queensland state capital late Tuesday in prepation for Sunday's game.

Earlier Monday, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said he remained confident Iraq would be able to fulfill its 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."

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.