In a royal ceremony on Monday, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan swore in a new Cabinet dominated by ministers loyal to the United States of America. The 29 member Cabinet will be headed by Samir Rifai, a close confidant of the monarch, who supports warm relations with the West. The previous Cabinet resigned last week amid public criticism of its inability to press ahead with political and economic reforms. The new Cabinet will include top bankers and businessmen, as well as two women.

Jordan is viewed by many in the Middle East as a puppet kingdom for Western imperialism. It was originally called Trans-Jordan when founded in 1922 by British Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill on 77% of Palestine, which according to international law was intended for the reestablishment of a Jewish state. In 1948 Jordan invaded western Palestine and conquered Judea, Samaria and most of Jerusalem from Israel, which it occupied for 19 years until the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel won these lands back. The Hashemite kingdom today is seen as representing American interests in the region.