Iraq crisis: MPs complete anti-ISIS government
Iraqi MPs have approved new defence and interior ministers, completing a unity government that is battling the spread of Islamic State militants. Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban, a Shia, was appointed interior minister, while Khaled al-Obeidi, a Sunni, was confirmed as defence minister. IS controls large parts of the country, and has been making gains despite US-led […]Iraqi MPs have approved new defence and interior ministers, completing a unity government that is battling the spread of Islamic State militants. Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban, a Shia, was appointed interior minister, while Khaled al-Obeidi, a Sunni, was confirmed as defence minister. IS controls large parts of the country, and has been making gains despite US-led coalition air strikes.
On Friday, a curfew was imposed in the city of Ramadi amid fierce fighting. The vote by Iraqi MPs will be a big relief both inside and outside Iraq after weeks of wrangling, says BBC Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher. A more inclusive cabinet is seen as an essential first step in countering IS fighters, particularly among Iraq's Sunni minority, our correspondent adds.
