A smart head

The Iranian parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the appointment of Ali Yunesi, a 43-year-old conservative cleric, to head the scandal-tainted intelligence ministry. A total of 197 members of the conservative-dominated parliament, the Majlis, voted in favor of Yunesi following two hours of debate while nine opposed his nomination and 18 abstained.Yunesi was named by President Mohammad Khatami to take over as head of the powerful ministry following the resignation of the former minister, Qorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi.Najafabadi stepped down on February 9 following revelations that `rogue' intelligence agents had been involved in the high-profile murders of several Iranian dissidents and writers last year. The vote in favour of Yunesi followed a speech by Khatami in which he said that changes at the intelligence ministry had become ``indispensable'' following the wave of assassinations. ``We are determined to eradicate the malignant cancer which was behind the murders,'' Khatami said, noting that thebrutal slayings had ``shocked'' both the government and the population.``We want an intelligence agency and not a repressive police apparatus,'' Iran's Reformist President said, adding that the new minister should display ``greater intelligence.'' ``We need strong arms but smart heads,'' he said.

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