Ex-Ba'athists face Iraqi government clear-out

AMERICAN Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivered a terse warning to Iraq's new leaders yesterday, urging them to avoid political purges that could lead to charges of corruption in the new government.

Mr Rumsfeld expressed particular concern about any clear-out of Iraq's defence and interior ministries, which are at the heart of efforts to put Iraq's security forces in charge of battling the country's Sunni Muslim-led insurgency.

Some fear the Shi'ite and Kurdish parties that came to power in the January 30 election could dismiss Sunni officials after suffering decades of oppression under Saddam Hussein's regime.