Jordan’s king fires Cabinet amid protests

Still, Jordan’s human rights record is generally considered a notch above that of Tunisia and Egypt. Although some critics of the king are prosecuted, they frequently are pardoned and some are even rewarded with government posts.

It was not immediately clear when Mr. al-Bakhit will name his Cabinet.

A government official said Mr. al-Bakhit was consulting with lawmakers, opposition groups, unionists and civil society institutions on the makeup of his Cabinet.

The official, who is involved in the consultations, said Mr. al-Bakhit may name some opposition leaders in the new government. He declined to say whether Mr. al-Bakhit may approach the Muslim Brotherhood and insisted on anonymity because he is not allowed to brief the media.

Mr. al-Bakhit is a moderate politician, who served as Jordan’s ambassador to Israel earlier this decade.

Like Abdullah, he supports close ties with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994 and strong relations with the United States, Jordan’s largest aid donor and longtime ally.

In 2005, Abdullah named Mr. al-Bakhit as his prime minister days after a triple bombing on Amman hotels claimed by the al Qaeda in Iraq leader, Jordanian-born Abu Musab Zarqawi.

During his 2005-2007 tenure, Mr. al-Bakhit — an ex-army major general and top intelligence adviser — was credited with maintaining security and stability following the attack, which killed 60 people and labeled as the worst in Jordan’s modern history.

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