AP
Dick Cheney

 Mr. Cheney is on the USS John Stennis, which is in the region supporting U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He watched fighter-bombers take off and return from missions against al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan, and thanked sailors for their contribution to the war against terror. 

The vice president is on an 11-country Mideast trip to discuss the U.S. led fight against terrorism, U.S. concerns about Iraq, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 He met late Thursday with Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id in the Omani city of Salalah after a two hour visit to Yemen. Mr. Cheney and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh affirmed cooperation in the war against terrorism. But Yemen said it opposes any U.S. military action against Iraq. 

Washington is concerned about Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. On Wednesday, President Bush said Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is a problem, and that the United States will deal with him. Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan responded by calling President Bush a criminal. 

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. 

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