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 WASHINGTON (AP) - High gasoline prices and prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal headline Vice President Dick Cheney's trip to the Mideast, but fears about Iran's rising influence will be a key topic of his private talks at each stop.
Cheney left Sunday on a 10-day trip that includes visits to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Turkey. His trip coincides with the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which has tainted the U.S. image in the Mideast and changed the balance of power in the region.
Cheney is the latest top U.S. official to go the Mideast to coax Israel and moderate Palestinian leaders to move forward on a peace deal. Bush went to Israel and the West Bank in January. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just got back from a troubleshooting mission there, and Bush is to return in May. Sen. John McCain, the soon-to-be GOP presidential nominee, and other lawmakers are visiting Israel this week.
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