Cheney supports Saudi proposal

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Vice President Dick Cheney, nearing an end of his tour of Arab countries, acknowledged Sunday that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become "a preoccupation for everyone" in the region. \nThe crisis has blunted Cheney's effort to build a case for a tougher stance against Iraq. \nWith Cheney ready to head to Israel, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah -- author of a peace initiative drawing support -- accepted an invitation to visit President Bush at his Texas ranch. \nCheney delivered the invitation in person Saturday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. \nThe vice president was to meet Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Cheney has left time on his schedule for meetings with Palestinian leaders, a senior U.S. official said Sunday. \nThe official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there were no plans for Cheney to see Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat but would not rule out the possibility. \nCheney has said he will confer with U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni upon his arrival in Israel.\n"I hope he'll have something positive to report," Cheney said. \nThe vice president has denied any link between the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and his search for Arab-world support for a wider war on terrorism. But Sunday, he said the crisis had overshadowed other items on his tour of the region. \nThe conflict "is a preoccupation for everybody in this part of the world," he said at a news conference in the presidential guest palace in Manama after a meeting with Bahrain's king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. \nCheney visited the headquarters in Bahrain of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Later, he flew to Qatar for meetings with that Gulf state's leaders. Cheney also greeted U.S. troops stationed at Al-Udeid air base on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar. \nHe was stopping in Kuwait, the ninth and final Arab state on his trip, before arriving in Israel. \nOne Arab leader after another has counseled Cheney against opening an Iraqi campaign in the war on terrorism. \nBahrain's crown prince, Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said Arabs are more concerned about what they see as "Israeli violence" against Palestinians than by the Iraq issue. \nJoining Cheney at the palace news conference, he said he shares U.S. concerns about Saddam Hussein's efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction. \nBut, the crown prince added, "I don't think that the strike on Iraq has been decided yet." He said his country prefers pressuring Iraq to comply with U.N. resolutions, including accepting a return of weapons inspectors. \nCheney complained about a "speculative bubble (over) whether or not the U.S. might use military force" against Iraq. \n"It would be a mistake to assume there is only one issue on my agenda," he said. \nCheney told reporters that he had extended Bush's invitation to visit the United States in his meeting Saturday with Abdullah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. \nAt that session, Abdullah reportedly told Cheney that Saudi Arabia remains opposed to attacking Iraq and would not allow the United States to use Saudi bases for such an operation. \nCheney would not disclose what Abdullah said and suggested that news accounts of their meeting may have been misleading. \n"The only people in the meeting were the crown prince and myself, plus an interpreter, and I have his notes," Cheney said. \nThe vice president insisted that his meeting with the Saudi leader was "very warm and very friendly." \nThe United States views Saudi Arabia as a key player -- both in efforts to get Middle East peace talks back on track and on the Iraq issue. \nAbdullah's peace proposal -- offering full Arab diplomatic recognition of Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from Arab lands it seized in 1967 -- has been gaining momentum across the Arab world. \nAbdullah will present it at an Arab League meeting this month in Beirut. After a brief period of hesitation, the United States has expressed its support for the initiative. \nOf his peace proposal, Cheney said, "We think it's a good one. We think it has given some impetus to the peace process"