Cheney to discuss Iraq with Saudi leader

US Vice President Mr Dick Cheney it to hold talks today with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

US Vice President Mr Dick Cheney it to hold talks today with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Mr Cheney is to meet the Prince Abdullah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following a stop in the United Arab Emirates on the fifth day of his tour of 11 Middle East countries.

Prince Abdullah is among the Arab leaders who have voiced their opposition to strikes against Iraq but he has floated a Middle East peace initiative welcomed by Washington.

The vice president this morning paid a half-hour visit to the new Grand Mosque in Muscat, built by Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

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Mr Cheney was escorted through the mosque by two men in traditional Omani white robes, with ornamental daggers at their belts. He asked about architectural details of the vast golden-domed mosque, which combines a broad variety of styles from around the Islamic world.

Mr Cheney then headed for Abu Dhabi, where he was to meet with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan.

He is visiting the Middle East to seek support for the US-led war against terrorism, launched after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The United States blames the attacks on Islamic militant Osama bin Laden.

The vice president is also promoting Washington's campaign to stop Iraqi President Saddam Hussein acquiring weapons of mass destruction.

Israel's military offensive against the Palestinians has also put the Middle East conflict near the top of his agenda, and foremost in the minds of many Arab leaders he has met.

In Jeddah, Mr Cheney plans to discuss the crown prince's proposal for Arabs to normalise relations with Israel in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

The vice president is to visit Israel later in his trip, where he will speak with the country's leaders and compare notes with US Middle East envoy Mr Anthony Zinni.