the Iraqi general secretariat of the Council of Ministers . `` We deeply regret this outcome , which severely harms the Iraqi Olympic and Sports Movement and the Iraqi athletes , but which is unfortunately imposed by the circumstances , '' said the letter , signed by two IOC officials . Watch an official explain the decision Â '' The move stems from an Iraqi government decision in May to suspend the nation 's Olympic Committee and form a temporary committee to handle its duties . The Iraqi government thought the committee had not been operating properly and as a result undermined the sporting movement there . The government said the original committee held meetings without quorums and had officials serving in one-year posts for more than five years . Many of the officials also lived outside Iraq , the government said . iReport.com : See a cartoonist 's take on the decision Emmanuelle Moreau , a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee , said it suspended Iraq 's national Olympic Committee in June after the government removed elected officials and put in people the IOC did n't recognize . She said the IOC proposed to the Iraqi government that
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A few months ago , it seemed liked nothing could stop Iraqi sprinter Dana Hussain from representing her country in the upcoming Summer Olympics . Iraqi sprinter Dana Hussain was devastated to learn she could not participate in the Beijing Summer Olympics . Then , the International Olympic Committee banned Iraq from competing because of what it says is the government 's political interference in sports . Hussain cried for hours after hearing the news , which arrived in the form of a letter to Iraqi officials . `` She has n't stopped . It 's like finding out that a close relative has died , '' said her coach , Yousif Abdul Rahman . Abdul Rahman attempted to console Hussain by assuring her that she could compete in the 2012 Olympics . Watch Hussain react to the news Â '' `` In this horrible situation , '' she said , `` who can say I 'll even be alive in 2012 ? '' CNN received a copy of the letter sent to Jassim Mohammed Jaffer , Iraqi minister of youth and sports , and Ali Mohsen Ismail , acting secretary general of