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Iraqi Cabinet Takes Oath of Office September 03, 2003 Reuters Washington Post BAGHDAD - Iraq's first line-up of ministers to replace the ousted government of Saddam Hussein formally took office on Wednesday, vowing to lead the country to democratic self-rule. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, outgoing head of the U.S.-appointed Governing Council that is to supervise the ministries in consultation with Iraq's U.S.-led occupiers, described their appointment as a step toward meeting the needs of Iraqis neglected under Saddam. "Exceptional effort is demanded from every minister, and that he work for the rebuilding of Iraq, and do all that is needed to meet...

RIYADH, Sept 6 (AFP) - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has ruled out sending troops from the Arab regional bloc to Iraq, as desired by Washington, the GGC secretary general told AFP on Saturday. "There is no intention of doing that," Abdulrahman al-Attiya told AFP ahead of Sunday's meeting of GCC foreign ministers in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "The question is not actually under study," he said, as the United States worked to persuade Arab countries neighbouring Iraq as well as Turkey to participate in efforts to stabilise the war-torn country. On the other hand, ministers...

Sept. 3 — BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's first line-up of ministers to replace the ousted government of Saddam Hussein formally took office on Wednesday, vowing to lead the country to democratic self-rule. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, outgoing head of the U.S.-appointed Governing Council that is to supervise the ministries in consultation with Iraq's U.S.-led occupiers, described their appointment as a step toward meeting the needs of Iraqis neglected under Saddam. "Exceptional effort is demanded from every minister, and that he work for the rebuilding of Iraq, and do all that is needed to meet the needs of its people," he said, before...

<p>Baghdad -- The U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council named a 25-member Cabinet on Monday, which immediately demanded that U.S. officials tackle the spiraling violence by sealing off the nation's porous borders to foreign fighters who may have links to al Qaeda.</p>

<p>BAGHDAD &#8212; Iraq's Governing Council yesterday named a 25-member Cabinet reflecting the country's ethnic and religious makeup to take charge of government ministries and begin reclaiming some powers from the U.S.-led coalition.</p> <p>A huge funeral procession for a popular Shi'ite cleric, meanwhile, arrived at the holy city of Najaf, where the ayatollah died in a bomb blast Friday. Arab TV broadcast an audiotape purportedly from Saddam Hussein denying any involvement in the bombing.</p>