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Al-Jaafari's selection came after former Washington ally Ahmad Chalabi dropped out of the race following three days of round-the-clock bargaining. Al-Jaafari has been seen as having close ties to Iran's ruling clergy, though he denies any links to a government that President Bush has said is part of an "axis of evil."

But al-Jaafari must now build a ruling coalition and win agreement from the Kurds and others on candidates for Cabinet posts and the largely ceremonial presidency before seeking the support of a majority of the National Assembly elected Jan. 30.

It may not be easy for the 58-year-old physician from the Shiite holy city of Karbala. He'll have to meet conflicting demands from Kurds, Sunni Arabs and even Islamic hard-liners within his United Iraqi Alliance, which won about 51 percent of the seats in the assembly. A two-thirds majority is required for approval of the presidency - the first step in the process for the top positions.

Queen won't attend son's royal wedding

LONDON - Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that Queen Elizabeth II would not attend the civil marriage ceremony of her son Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles - but that her absence should not be interpreted as a snub.

The monarch will attend the church blessing at Windsor Castle after the April 8 civil ceremony in the local town hall and will host the wedding reception at the castle.

"The queen will not be attending the civil ceremony because she is aware that the prince and Mrs. Parker Bowles wanted to keep the occasion low key," a palace spokeswoman said. "The queen and the rest of the royal family will, of course, be going to the service of dedication at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle."

The spokeswoman denied the queen was snubbing her son's second marriage.

"The queen is attending the service of dedication and paying for the reception - this is not a snub," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The queen's prime concern is that the civil ceremony should be as low key as possible, in line with the couple's wishes," said the palace spokeswoman. "Clearly if the queen were to attend, the occasion would no longer be, by definition, low key." Britain's Press Association reported that Charles' sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Parker Bowles's grown children, Tom and Laura, were expected to attend the civil wedding in the Guildhall at Windsor.

McCain: Permanent military bases needed

KABUL, Afghanistan - The United States needs permanent military bases in Afghanistan to protect its "vital national security interests" in the region, Arizona Sen. John McCain said Tuesday after talks with the Afghan president.

McCain's remarks were the latest indication of American and British aspirations to cement their influence in this former al-Qaida stronghold on the doorstep of Iran, China and nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India. McCain said he was committed to a "strategic partnership that we believe must endure for many, many years."