Cheney brokers U.S.-Iraq deal to outlast Bush and then goes fishing in waters between Oman/Iran

[maddezmom]

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney played the part of backroom power broker for two days and came away on Tuesday with pledges from Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds to firm up a new blueprint for U.S.-Iraq relations that will stretch beyond the Bush presidency.

Cheney flew in a cargo plane to Iraqi Kurdistan in the north to finish two days of private meetings with powerful politicians in Iraq. On Monday, he had talks with officials in Baghdad -- even venturing outside the secured Green Zone to dine and have private discussions.

more:http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-03-18-cheney_N.htm?csp=34



Cheney goes fishing in Gulf of Oman

MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney went fishing in the waters between Oman and Iran on Wednesday, borrowing the Sultan of Oman's 60-foot royal yacht for the mission.

A Cheney spokeswoman said the vice president, his wife Lynne, and daughter, Liz, a former State Department official who is traveling with her father as a private citizen, headed out under sunny skies into the Gulf of Oman on "Kingfish I," owned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

Cheney has had a personal relationship with the sultan going back to the time when the vice president was defense secretary, but the sultan did not go along on the fishing trip.

As a quiet U.S. military ally, Oman allows the United States to use four air bases — including one just 50 miles from Iran — for refueling, logistics and storage of pre-positioned military supplies.

In a pre-trip briefing, a senior administration official said Cheney wanted to visit the sultan to show U.S. appreciation for its cooperation in fighting terrorism. However, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to more candidly discuss Cheney's 10-day trek to the Mideast, also said he expected Iran would be a top topic of discussion.

more:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-03-19-cheney_N.htm?csp=34

[bdamomma]

1. alot of flying on the part of cheney huh?

I guess maybe his thrombosis will flare up again.

[Maggie_May]

2. The Democrats better stop this crap and stop in now

Administration officials say they probably will not seek Senate approval of the plan because the agreement will not be a treaty that provides Iraq with specific security guarantees. This position has prompted a backlash in Congress, where Democrats have proposed legislation that would render the agreement null and void without the Senate's blessing.