Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday swore in a new government headed by his national security adviser, with a strong mandate to crack down on Islamic militancy but to ensure progress in political liberalisation.
New Prime Minister Marouf Bakheet, 58, who had a long career in military intelligence, was appointed by the pro-US king on Thursday to replace Adnan Badran, 69, whose resignation had been widely expected but was hastened by suicide bombings this month that killed 60 people.
Badran, a US-educated academic appointed in April, and his government resigned after he was criticised by a parliament dominated by tribal figures - the traditional backbone of the monarch's support - for promoting a pro-Western reform agenda while ignoring tribal sensitivities.
King Abdullah gave Bakheet a free rein in adopting tougher security policies after the November 9 bombings at three luxury hotels in Amman, for which al Qaeda's wing in Iraq, headed by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has claimed responsibility.
Bakheet however pledged to push ahead with the monarch's much touted political reforms that have so far been stifled by a conservative establishment with extensive powers that fears accelerated reforms could erode its grip on power.
"We will be a government of dialogue and openness towards everyone and will not seek to impose any viewpoint on anyone but the higher interests of Jordan are a red line that we will not allow anyone to ignore or overstep," Bakheet told the monarch.