Rumsfeld: Clerics won't run Iraq Some government agencies may open by end of next week

WASHINGTON--The United States will not allow an Iran-stylereligious government to take hold in Iraq, Defense Secretary DonaldRumsfeld said Thursday, adding that Syria and others in the regionwill not be permitted to influence Iraq's future.

"If you're suggesting, how would we feel about an Iranian-typegovernment with a few clerics running everything in the country, theanswer is: That isn't going to happen," he said in an interview.

Shiites in Iraq are the majority Islamic sect, and they disagreeon whether to embrace a secular government or an Iran-styletheocracy. Some U.S. officials worry that the Islamic government inIran, which is predominantly Shiite, may seek to …