Cheney Set To Depart On Mideast Mission

Vice President Will Reach Out To Moderate Arab Leaders For Help In Stabilizing Iraq

(AP)  Vice President Dick Cheney is reaching out to moderate Arab leaders for help in bringing stability to Iraq, a mission that will include pleas for postwar support for minority party Sunnis.

Cheney departs Tuesday on a weeklong mission to the Middle East, right after a visit to the region by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

While Rice's trip had a wide-ranging agenda that included other tensions in the region, administration officials said Cheney would focus largely on the next steps in Iraq.

Cheney's first stop will be Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Other announced stops include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Cheney also will visit the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf.

What can Cheney bring to the region that Rice couldn't?

A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the trip publicly, said President Bush asked Cheney to go because of his close ties with leaders in each of the four countries.

But some Mideast experts outside the administration suggested that Cheney's visit also might be an attempt to try to clear up what might be viewed as mixed messages from Rice by some leaders in the region.

"Some of these people wonder if Condi Rice really speaks for the president when she decides she's going to talk to the Syrians, or when she agrees to go to a conference that includes the Iranians," said David Mack, a retired diplomat who was deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and a consultant to the bipartisan Iraq Study group.

"They wonder if the president is going to pull out the rug from under her. The vice president, who is generally identified as having opposed a lot of the things that we've been increasingly doing, can assure them that she speaks for the president as well," said Mack, now vice president of the Middle East Institute, a group devoted to fostering knowledge of the region.

Rice was in the neighborhood attending an international conference on Iraq in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, attended by representatives of both Syria and Iran. She met on the sidelines for 30 minutes with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, but had no face-to-face contact with the Iranian foreign secretary.

In particular, the senior administration official said, Cheney will appeal to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to use their influence to help rein in Sunni violence against Shiites in Iraq as well as charting ways to better protect Sunnis from violence at the hands of militant Shiites.

With less than two years left in the Bush-Cheney administration, the vice president has retained close ties to the region.

He got to know many leaders as defense secretary to the elder President Bush in the first Gulf War, then nurtured those relationships as chief executive officer of Halliburton, the oil-services company now in the process of moving many of its operations from Houston to Dubai in the UAE. Halliburton has many oil-related ties to the region, then and now.

In part, Mr. Bush is retracing some of the steps of a March 2002 tour of the Middle East that was aimed at giving Arab states a heads-up on possible U.S. military action against Iraq.

Cheney's trip will build on Rice's visit to the region, said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "We have challenges in the region, and it's important that everyone be working together in order to solve them," she said.

But Cheney's influence there is waning, suggested Aaron David Miller, a former State Department adviser on Mideast issues to both Republican and Democratic administrations.

"No visit by Dick Cheney with 18 months to go in the Bush administration can serve to either supplement or somehow make policies ... any more effective," said the former career diplomat. "I spent 25 years going on trips with secretaries of states and presidents, and I'll tell you one thing: One trip doesn't make much of a dent, even if the circumstances weren't as grim as they are."

No longer is the United States seen as "tough, powerful and credible," said Miller. "We are perceived to be failing. And, at some point, those leaders out there — personal relations with Cheney notwithstanding — are going to begin to make their own plans for the end of the Bush administration."

On Cheney's 2002 tour — which also included stops in Israel, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey — he found little support for an invasion of Iraq and considerable concern among Arab leaders that the U.S. wasn't doing more to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Cheney went to Saudi Arabia in November 2006 for private talks with King Abdullah.

Judith Kipper, a Mideast expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, said she thinks Iran may end up trumping other items on Cheney's agenda.

"I do think people in the region are nervous. Iraq is disintegrating. And in the cold war of words between Iran and the U.S., the United States is going back and forth in a way that could become a miscalculation, a misstep," she said.

Still, while Cheney "is not the favorite U.S. politician out there," his visit can help address Arab-state complaints that the United States does not consult enough with them, Kipper said, adding that "the vice president always has more clout than any secretary in the Cabinet."

[terrapin78]

The real reason for Cheney's trip is to house shop in Dubai for his post-Administration home. LOL

[xfredmenzies]

Cheney is a good choice for this. He can insult the leaders he disagrees with, and tell everyone they are wrong wrong wrong about everything. Then he can meet with his business cronies and talk about moving the Haliburton HQ to Dubai where they won't have to pay taxes to the US, and they can make further arrangements to steal the world's wealth.

But one question I do have is, since Cheney is an intenational criminal and all around thug, why isn't he on the no-fly list?

[tejasdemo]

stay there d.ickhead

[micma-2009]

*** Cheney again this week was in the hospital. He was experiencing discomfort in his leg. And the doctor asked Cheney if he stretches. Cheney said, 'Are you kidding? I linked 9/11 with Saddam Hussein.'

[terrapin78]

The no-fly list is for commercial aircraft. Cheney flies on government or INDUSTRY planes.

[terrapin78]

*** Cheney again this week was in the hospital. He was experiencing discomfort in his leg. And the doctor asked Cheney if he stretches. Cheney said, 'Are you kidding? I linked 9/11 with Saddam Hussein.'

Posted by micma at 12:45 PM : May 08, 2007



Where is the joke in this? I laughed good but I also see the reality in the comment.

[toldyouso21]

Yes. THAT ought to go over like a lead balloon. War hawk who continually lambasts Islam wants "help" of other Mid Eastern countries for the mess WE voluntarily made in Iraq. Tell them again, why they should help...something about it being in their own interest to clean up OUR ********** mess, because WE can't and because if they don't help OUR mess will consume them too.

[rsoxfan1123]

"Vice President *** Cheney is reaching out to moderate Arab leaders for help in bringing stability to Iraq"

Those countries listed above were polled and 92% of their population thought it was ok to kill Americans in Iraq. What a moron.

[realpatriot1]

Right meassage wrong messenger.

[perception5]

We have challenges in the region, and it's important that everyone be working together in order to solve them."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino

......... does that mean we need to keep Harry and Nancy from our 110th DO-NOTHING CONGRESS out of the area???

[neoconrcrazy]

cheney is a coward and a draft dodger, like his boss - no ballz themselves, only borrow them from real men.

go take flying *** cheny you slimeball schmuck!

[jerr11]

This war has provided Halliburton with its biggest windfall earnings! 30 billion so far!

And now Halliburton's old CEO and #1 Iraq warmonger is doing the rounds in the middle east.

Trust old ******** to make this trip and ensure that this profitable war continue for years to come!

What I'll like to know is what is the ********'s cut from Halliburton windfall profits?

[jerr11]

This war has provided Hallubrton with its biggest windfall profits so far! 30 billion and counting!

Trust this Halliburton CEO and #1 Iraq warmonger to make the rounds in the Middle East and ensure that this profitable war continue for years to come!

What I'll like to know is, what is ********'s cut from Halliburton's windfall profits from the war he started?

[mikealford3]

jerr11, I would love to inform you of Cheney's economic benefit from Haliburtion, however this site only allows 1500 characters and that is simply not enough numbers and commas.

[johnshaft4]

Hopefully, Cheney will depart and not come back.

[vastr-wcon]

As the WORST-VICE-PREIDENT-EVER heads off to party with his oil buddies, and as you struggle to pay for that soon-to-be $4/gallon gas, think of this: Cheney holds 433,333 Halliburton stock options, worth about $14 Million. Cheney continues to received a deferred salary from the company. According to financial disclosure forms, he was paid $205,298 in 2001; $262,392 in 2002; $278,437 in 2003; and $294,852 in 2004, the most recent date available.

US House Resolution 333 details the Articles of Impeachment for Cheney. Encourage your representative to support this bill.

[booyaw_77]

Well, usually VP's a re more outgoing and give people a stronger sense of the administration's platform. He's kinda like a continued campaigner for the President. But not Cheney. He's likely the quietest and most unknown and unknowable VP we're likely ever had.

[terrapin78]

Seal the borders!!!!!

Although we know the Republicons are unable to seal the border. They have to kiss the a$$ of their corporate overlords!

[shingles1]

"Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib.
Posted by b48151"

Except if you're responsible for a defeat, aren't you therefore a "defeatist"?

[turnerbonnie]

So how come the wacked out liberals can make wild outragious insane comments about Cheney but anything on Obamma is not allowed?

And anyone care for more conspiracy nonsense -- Please!! The great intellect of the left.....And by the way I think Halliburton is loosing its shirt over this mess......

[crater7]

I think Halliburton is loosing its shirt over this mess;

They may have lost their shirts, but they still have and are stuffing those deep pocket pants full of TAX PAYERS MONEY.

[shingles1]

In 2006 Halliburton made profits of $2.3 billion on revenues of $22.6 billion.

Their contracts are usually "cost plus" which means they are guaranteed a profit.

[jerr11]

Kipper said, adding that "the vice president always has more clout than any secretary in the Cabinet."



That's got to be the understatement of the year!

This VP has more clout than the President himself!

[antoniof123]

He is going to stay in the UAE to avoid being tried. LMAO

[realpatriot1]

If Cheney had balls he wouldn't have gotten 5 deferments. You must have thought that was a good line to use it twice in 3 minutes. It wasn't.

Why don't we find out if Haliburton is losing their shirt on these no-bid contracts,let's have them report their earnings on their public contracts publically.

The reason that the 72% of the country who are wacked out liberals make wild outrageous insane claims about Cheney is because Cheney does wild outrageous things like violating the freedom of information act, ignoring the Geneva Conventions, chairing a Vice-Presidential selection Committe that selects him, forging documents to make it look like Sadaam is buying uranium when he sin't so that he can send our soldiers to war, grabbing innocent people off the streets then inprisoning and torturing them without a trial or charges, placing a gag order on an NSA translator who overheard information about people in our government violating laws related to drug and weapons smuggling, saying that we would be greeted in Iraq by people throwing flowers, continuing to assert an Al Quaeda-Sadaam connection long after it has been refuted, outing a CIA agent and her unit involved in stopping WMD traffic leading to Iran getting nuke technology, refusing to testify under oath about any of these things, and giving all the no-bid contracts for the war he lied to start to the company that he holds stock in. What's Obama done?

The idiot needs to stay in his bunker....

[jsl45]

Don't let the *** back in the country, give him a gun and let him stand in the middle of the mess in Iraq, or better yet; let's impeach the *** while he's gone and not let him back in the country.

[realpatriot1]

As the Vice President's plan faded into the sunset on its way to the middle east, Karl Rove could be heard exclaiming, "They can't lick our ***!"

[jsl45]

Don't let the bast*rd back in the country, give him a gun and let him stand in the middle of the mess in Iraq, or better yet; let's impeach the basta*d while he's gone and not let him back in the country.

[randalds]

Awww come on Dic*khead Cheney! Show some real balls! Go back to Afghanistan again! PLEASE! Next time tell the pilot to take off just a little bit slower though. I mean you don't want them to get the idea that you're a coward who runs, do you? A nice long slow taxi this time. Show 'em you're not scared to go back there once more!

[tejasdemo]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib.
Posted by b48151"


Yea, too bad their the size of peanuts and all wrinkled up like a couple of 20 year old cooked hot dogs.

[tejasdemo]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib.
Posted by b48151"


Yea, too bad their the size of peanuts and all wrinkled up like a couple of 20 year old cooked hot dogs.

[tejasdemo]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib.
Posted by b48151"


Yea, too bad their the size of peanuts and all wrinkled up like a couple of 20 year old cooked hot dogs.

[tejasdemo]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib.
Posted by b48151"


Yea, too bad their the size of peanuts and all wrinkled up like a couple of 20 year old cooked hot dogs.

[mikealford3]

As asked by someone else. I wonder why it is that we are allowed to comment on stories about Bush and Cheney yet most of the stories regarding Barack Obama do not allow comments, why?

NOT THAT I AM A FAN OF BUSH AND CHENEY, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME, THEY DESERVE THE COMMENTS.

[tejasdemo]

sorry for the multiple posts

[rharrin1]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib
Posted by b48151 at 02:17 PM : May 08, 2007

IF he does have balls he's been keeping them in somebody other than his own pants.

[rharrin1]

And by the way I think Halliburton is loosing its shirt over this mess......
Posted by TurnerBonnie at 02:48 PM : May 08, 2007

It's easy to see you have lost your brain ( if you ever had one )

[rharrin1]

As asked by someone else. I wonder why it is that we are allowed to comment on stories about Bush and Cheney

Posted by mikealford3 at 06:48 PM : May 08, 2007

Because they deserve them.

[hungry1968]

Hey Cheney - take Bush with you and don't come back.

[emhawks]

I don't buy any of this!

"VP D. Cheney is reaching out to moderate Arab leaders for help in bringing stability to Iraq...".

Cheney is never about "bringing stability" to any part of the Mid-East ( & possibly the world, if truth be told).

"Stability" would decrease his profit margin & that of Halliburton & Kellog, Brown & Root.

What he's going to do is check out his "investments", see what else he can do to "muddy the waters", cause chaos, cause confusion & bloodshed in an already volatile area & possibly meet with members of the CIA.

It would be fortunate for all of us if his plane crashed or he was assasinated while he was there. I know that's a rough statement to make, but I honestly hate the man ( & I know hatred is wrong).

The things that Cheney has done are monsterous & I believe there is a special place in Hell waiting for him. However, I would like to see him punished while he's in this world.

[pakaal]

Is there any way of revoking Cheney's passport while he's out of the country?

Oh wait, if he doesn't come back, that means George Bush would be president. *Shudder*

[pakaal]

As asked by someone else. I wonder why it is that we are allowed to comment on stories about Bush and Cheney yet most of the stories regarding Barack Obama do not allow comments, why?
Posted by mikealford3 at 06:48 PM : May 08, 2007

According to rawstory.com and other sites, CBS.com stated they have stopped comment boards on Obama stories due to (how else to put it?) a huge number of ignorant, racist d*cks printing ignorant, racist comments and threats.

As for other stories that don't have comment-posting, I wonder - seems kind of random at times....

[lucasnico]

hopefully they'll serve a lot of salt on his food

[inventagod2]

Wow, they are sending FrankenCheney PNACman over to scare the baddies out of Iraq...
I believe he is really going to test the fit of the bidets in the new palace - I mean the embassy.

[pakaal]

I sure hope someone told Cheney not to visit Iraq in July or August, since the Bush-backed, hard-working Al-Maliki Parliament has decided to take a two-month vacation then.

Sure glad we're backing the right horse in this race, since it's obvious how dedicated they are to rebuilding their own country.

[emhawks]

I don't buy any of this!

"VP D. Cheney is reaching out to moderate Arab leaders for help in bringing stability to Iraq...".

Cheney is never about "bringing stability" to any part of the Mid-East ( & possibly the world, if truth be told).

"Stability" would decrease his profit margin & that of Halliburton & Kellog, Brown & Root.

What he's going to do is check out his "investments", see what else he can do to "muddy the waters", cause chaos, cause confusion & bloodshed in an already volatile area & possibly meet with members of the CIA.

It would be fortunate for all of us if his plane crashed or he was assasinated while he was there. I know that's a rough statement to make, but I honestly hate the man ( & I know hatred is wrong).

The things that Cheney has done are monsterous & I believe there is a special place in Hell waiting for him. However, I would like to see him punished while he's in this world.

[toldyouso21]

The time is NOW to establish an international peace force in Iraq lead by Egypt that will integrate then replace the US forces on the front lines.
Posted by macusweil at 10:05 PM : May 08, 2007

won't ever happen--in the first place, NO ONE wants to clean up the mess the United States made and volunteered itself for. This is our problem, the rest of the world would just as soon see us choke on it--if it was not for the fact that the Iraqis pay the heaviest price.

In the second place, Egyptians (and most other Moslems) are not about to enter a sectarian conflict that could also create counter eruptions within their own populations. Remember, that no matter what side Arabs are on, they are entering the war of the infidel (the US) and they will have to fight to stop one side or another. If like us, they switch from Shia support to Sunni support when it suits them--then they run the risk (as we do) of being attacked by both sides. In addition, since Arab countries are almost 100% Moslem, the stand the risk of increased deadly attacks within their own borders as members of various sects retaliate against each other. No Arab country would send soldiers--they would be fools to do so. Financial aid--maybe--blood? This is our mess, we need to clean it up ourselves.

[grazinggoat]

Thank God we have a vice president with balls....not some little whimpy defeatist lib
Posted by b48151 at 02:17 PM : May 08, 2007

-Thanks God we have an hypocrit vice-president. He goes to UAE and other Arab Golf countries to kiss their feet in order to collaborate and then goes on the Stennis to tell Mission Accomplished: without mentioning the boooty lickings...

-An other paste worth mentioning: ...mission that will include pleas for postwar support for minority party Sunnis.

-This means: Saudis, now you take care of the Iraqi Sunnis, Iran is taking care of the Shiites and Israel is taking care of the Kurds. And Iraq is no more. Just pie parts being devided and mission accomplished.

[mikekleber]

Hey D!ck, Why don't you just stay over there and turn that country around all by yourself. You've done one hell of a job over here in the US turning our country around. Problem is, you turned it in the wrong direction. Why you're over there, join the soldiers in fighting the cause that is making you very wealthy. I realize when you were draft age, you got out of going several times because you were too busy. Stay over there and experience first hand the mess you created. Talk to the Iraqi people. Look first hand at all of the death and misery you created. Tour hospitals and see all of the children who are handicapped for life in a hell hole of a country. I'm certain you will be proud of your social experiment all in the name of money for you and your buddies. Don't even worry about coming back. Our country will never miss you. My only hope is that you may realize the misery you caused, and the families you destroyed.