Iraqi insurgents break ranks by praising soccer win

DUBAI, Aug 6 (Reuters) An insurgent group congratulated Iraq's Asian Cup-winning soccer team today -- breaking ranks with other militant groups which have kidnapped sports stars and attacked celebrating football fans with suicide car bombs.

''Hamas al-Iraq congratulates the Iraqi people on the occasion of our national team's winning the Asian Cup for 2007,'' the Sunni Muslim militant group said in a statement posted on a Web site used by al Qaeda and other insurgents.

Such Web sites more commonly contain claims of responsibility for attacks, pledges of support for insurgents, and denunciations of Iraq's Shi'ite-led, US-backed government.

''We ask the Almighty that this joy may herald the grand joy when our country is liberated from the occupiers and their lackeys,'' Hamas al-Iraq, a relatively small insurgent group, said.

Iraq was the surprise winner of last month's Asian Cup, triggering a wave of celebrations that swept the streets of Baghdad despite security concerns.

Two car bombs in Baghdad targeted Iraqis celebrating the team's semi-final win on July 25, killing 50 people.

Hamas al-Iraq's statement drew an angry response from a man who identified himself as Abu Hamza, a supporter of the Islamic State in Iraq insurgent group.

''We urge the administrators to remove this shameful statement which infringes on the status of the Web site,'' the man said in comments posted on the site.

''May God punish those who let down our mujahideen brothers of the Islamic State in Iraq.'' Iraq's soccer squad is a patchwork of Shi'ite Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish players -- a provocation to some militants in a country ravaged by sectarian violence.

Some insurgent groups regard anybody linked to the government -- like the national football team -- as legitimate targets. In June, the decomposed remains of at least 13 Iraqi martial arts stars were found in a ditch in Anbar province. The taekwondo squad had been kidnapped on their way to Jordan.

Of the cup-winning soccer squad, goalkeeper Noor Sari's brother was killed just before the tournament began, and midfielder Nashat Akram had relatives kidnapped and murdered.

In more comments on the Web site, one contributor mocked the Hamas al-Iraq statement by saying the group should set up its own soccer team.

''Maybe then you would change your (statements) ... from 'one of our mujahideen was killed in an ambush' to 'the other team fouled our player by tackling him from behind','' he said.

REUTERS AE VC2125