Iran’s parliament rejects Cabinet picks
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament rejected three of the new president’s 18 nominees for his Cabinet on Thursday but approved 15 others, including those heading ministries key to implementing his agenda to reduce the Islamic Republic’s international isolation and improve its economy.
Separately, President Hasan Rouhani appointed his predecessor’s foreign minister as new head of the country’s nuclear agency, the state news agency reported.
Hard-liners had attacked Rouhani’s nominees for having Western educations and for being close to the opposition.
But they only rejected three Mohammad Ali Najafi as education minister, Jafar Milimonfared as science, research and technology minister and Masoud Soltanifar as sports and youth minister.
Force to be in Jordan for awhile, general says
AMMAN, Jordan – A special U.S. task force designed to help Jordan cope with thousands of refugees and the threat of violence spilling over from neighboring Syria will probably remain here for “several years,” the top U.S. commander said Thursday.
“It will depend on how the situation evolves in Syria,” Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a visit to a converted warehouse where the unit is headquartered. “It also depends on how our Jordanian counterparts feel about their ability to deal with these issues.”
“We haven’t put an end date on it,” he said.
Jordan has been flooded with more than 500,000 refugees and faces the threat of violence spilling across the Syrian border.
Associated Press and USA TODAY
