U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney says Washington is "deadly serious" about addressing security threats posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. 

Mr. Cheney said Sunday on CNN's Late Edition that there is no doubt about Washington's determination to prevent Iraq from obtaining or developing weapons of mass destruction. 

He says the problem is more than just Iraq's refusal to allow the return of United Nations inspectors to search for banned weapons. He says President Saddam already has biological weapons, has already used chemical weapons, and is pursuing nuclear weapons. 

Mr. Cheney says he addressed this point during his recent 11-nation tour of the Middle East. He says Iraq's neighbors are equally concerned about the threat posed by Iraq's weapons development program. But many of them voiced opposition to any U.S. military action against Iraq. 

Mr. Cheney says he cannot predict how much time Saddam Hussein has before the United States takes action. 

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Dick Armey says he does not believe it is necessary for President Bush to consult with Congress before launching a military attack on Iraq. Mr. Armey says it would not be appropriate for Congress to second-guess the commander-in-chief on matters of world safety. Mr. Armey also told the television news program CNN's "Novak, Hunt & Shields" that there are members of Congress who cannot be trusted to keep secret information that if leaked would endanger the safety of American forces. 

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