Baghdad under curfew; Iraqis hope for soccer glory

BAGHDAD, July 29 (Reuters) Iraqi authorities today imposed vehicle curfews and security forces went on alert for attacks on soccer fans as splintered communities shared a rare moment of unity before the Asian Cup final.

Baghdad's chief military spokesman Brigadier General Qassim Moussawi said a curfew would be imposed in the capital from 4 (1730IST until 0600hrs tomorrow 0730IST).

Similar bans were also announced in the volatile northern city of Kirkuk and in the southern holy Shi'ite cities of Najaf and Kerbala, where authorities said they had received intelligence of possible car bomb attacks.

Iraqis, who have had little to celebrate in four years of unrelenting violence, were preparing parties across the country despite suicide bomb attacks that killed more than 50 people in Baghdad after Wednesday's semi-final victory over South Korea.

Moussawi said security forces were preparing for ''expected terrorist attacks'' on fans. He also warned against firing weapons into the air after the match, a traditional tribal celebration which often has deadly results.

Shops began emptying in Baghdad from about midday and office workers went home hours early today, a normal working day in the Arab world, before the much-anticipated final.

The Iraqi Accordance Front, parliament's main Sunni Arab bloc, said it had put off a crisis meeting over its boycott of the government because of the match. Parliament announced the players would be rewarded whether they win or lose.

The match against the favourites Saudi Arabia was due to kick off in Jakarta at 1805IST today.

Iraq have never before made it to the final, and the penalty shootout defeat of South Korea sparked spontaneous street celebrations up and down the country.

CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE BANNED Women threw sweets to celebrating fans, families sacrificed sheep and vendors gave away ice cream and juice to mark the success of a team made up of players from Iraq's three main communities - Shi'ite and Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

''If we win I'll gladly pay for the ice cream,'' said Basim Kareem, an ice cream vendor in Kirkuk. ''I thank the team. They remind us of happiness, at least for two hours.'' Volleys of celebratory gunfire followed the victory over South Korea and two people were killed by falling bullets.

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa, or religious edict, today against firing weapons into the air.

Iraqi television announced that the Iraqi players would wear black armbands for those killed during Wednesday's celebrations.

Vendors across Iraq reported bumper sales of t-shirts, team shirts and pictures of the team, as well as Iraqi flags.

By This morning, shirts bearing the number of the Iraq goalkeeper, Noor Sabri, whose penalty save clinched Wednesday's semi-final, were completely sold out.

''Before the Asian Cup all anybody wanted was the flags of other nationalities, or pictures of actresses,'' said picture seller Ammar Mohsin.

Television presenters bringing Iraqis saturation coverage of the team's performance have draped themselves in the national flag.

Evan Mohammed, a Kurdish student in Kirkuk, said he and other Kurdish and Arab friends would watch the match together: ''Today we are celebrating, raising the Iraqi flag.'' Other fans across the country expressed the same sentiment.

''The way the Iraqi team has played makes us very happy, they succeeded in unifying the Iraqi people, which the politicians failed to do,'' said Baqir Mohsin, a businessman in southern Basra.

(Additional reporting by Mustafa Mahmoud in Kirkuk and Aseel Kami in Baghdad) REUTERS SM RN1645