AMMAN, Jordan, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The Jordanian government of Prime Minister Adnan Badran resigned Thursday, two weeks after the triple Amman hotel bombings killed 60 people.
The official Petra news agency said King Abdullah II accepted the Cabinet's resignation and appointed Maarouf Bakhit, a former military general, to form a new government.
Bakhit, a former ambassador to Turkey and Israel, held the post of national security chief earlier this month.
He served in the armed forces from 1964 until his retirement in 1999 with the grade of major general.
Bakhit assumed during his military career the command of a special team in charge of security relations with foreign countries and European security institutions.
The government change was expected following the biggest terrorist attack to hit Jordan. More emphasis is now expected to be placed on security.
The three hotels' suicide bombers were identified as Iraqis in addition to a woman whose explosives-rigged belt failed to go off.
Al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Musab alarqawi claimed responsibility for the attacks, warning of more action against Jordan if it failed to meet its conditions, including closing the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Amman and ending training of Iraqi forces.
