Jordan's new government, formed under Prime Minister Abdel-Moneim Al-Rifai, was sworn in on Saturday (27 June) at the Royal Palace in Amman. King Hussein was on hand to take the ministers' oaths of allegiance.

Mr Al-Rifai was the Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister in the outgoing cabinet of Mr Bahjat Al-Tahouni who resigned for personal and health reasons. Included in the new 17-man cabinet were Anton Attallah, Foreign Minister, Saleh Al-Maasher, Labour and Social Affairs Minister, Najib Irshediat, Communications, Abdel-Fader Tash, Finance and Suleiman Al-Hadidi, the Interior Minister.

The cabinet lost no time in moving to carry out King Hussein's instruction to prepare the country quickly for what he called a "battle of liberation". In a letter to Mr Rifai he asked for tough new measures, including the purchase of more and better weapons and co-ordination of commando efforts into general military action, to carry the offensive to the Israelis.

A ministerial committee was formed to contact the four-man team recently set up by Arab leaders to settle the crisis between Jordanian authorities and the Palestinian commandos.

There was no immediate reaction from Commando organisations on the formation of the government and its programme. But observers believe that the inclusion of ministers close to the commands will help to ease the tensions between the two groups.

SYNOPSIS: In Jordan a new government was sworn in on Saturday at the Royal Palace in Amman.

Prime Minister Abdel Al-Rifai was the first man to take the oath of allegiance to King Hussein. He was followed by the other 16 members of his cabinet. The new team moved quickly on King Hussein's instructions for tough measures to carry the war offensive to the Israelis. Their first priority was the crisis over the role of the Palestinian guerrillas in Jordan. A ministerial committee was formed to contact the four-power team set up recently by Arab leaders to ease the tension between King Hussein and the commandos. Observers believe that the inclusion in the new government of ministers close to the commandos will go a long way to help resolve the crisis.