Vice President Dick Cheney has left Washington on a 10-day trip to the Middle East for talks on the war against terrorism and the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence. 

During his first tour of the region as vice president, Mr. Cheney will visit Turkey, Israel and nine Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. 

The White House recently has downplayed a connection between the vice president's trip and the escalation in violence in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr. Cheney told reporters he expects the subject of Mideast violence to be raised at every stop on his tour, but that his primarily focus is boosting coalition support for the U.S.-led war against international terrorists. 

The vice president's first stop will be London and talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. On Monday, the two leaders will mark the passage of six months since the terrorist attacks on the United States. Britain has been the closest U.S. ally in the battle against terrorism. 

The talks in London come amid questions about whether the next target in the war against terrorism could be Iraq. U.S. and British warplanes based in Turkey have enforced a no-fly zone over parts of Iraq for several years. 

During his visits Mr. Cheney also is expected to discuss a Saudi proposal that the Arab world make peace with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from lands taken in the 1967 Mideast war. Foreign ministers of the 22-member Arab League have been discussing the plan in Cairo ahead of a League summit later this month in Beirut. 

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

Email this article to a friend.
Printer Friendly Version