Iraq Says US Veep Suffers Blow in Mideast Tour

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 21, 2002

Iraq Says US Veep Suffers Blow in Mideast Tour

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U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney suffered a blow in his 11-nation Mideast tour as he failed to win support for any possible U.S. military attacks against Iraq, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) said in a commentary on Wednesday.

Cheney ended up his visit to the Arab countries "with a bitter disappointment" because he was confronted with "rejection of any hostile attempt" to attack Iraq, the INA said.

During his talks with Arab leaders, Cheney was urged to "stop the Zionist (Israeli) terrorism which is the real threat in the region and not to launch a new aggression against Iraq," the commentary said.

Cheney returned to Washington on Wednesday after winding up his 10-day, 12-nation tour (including Britain), during which he was told by Arabs and Turkey that an assault on Iraq would be disastrous and what was more urgent was the need to find a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

The conflicts between the Palestinians and Israeli troops, which began in September 2000, have claimed lives of over 1,300 people, mostly Palestinians.

U.S. President George W. Bush has branded Iraq as part of an " axis of evil" and strongly warned that Iraq may become the next target of the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

However, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, after meeting with Cheney, said on Tuesday the U.S. vice president had assured him there were no immediate plans for military action against Iraq.

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