V, P. Cheney off to Japan, Australia

Pakistan's the News reports on Vice-president Cheney's trip to visit Japan and Australia, primarily in order to encourage their continued support in the main thrust of President Bush's global war on terror.

WASHINGTON: US Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Japan and Australia this week to discuss their roles in Iraq and Afghanistan and common challenges like China’s rise and North Korea’s nuclear programs, officials said.

His trip, which opens in Tokyo Tuesday, comes as the US-led security plan for Baghdad has launched to mixed reviews and as even some White House allies have expressed concerns about a landmark atomic agreement with Pyongyang.

The vice president will take pains to thank Japan and Australia for their help in Iraq and Afghanistan and may urge them to consider ways to beef up their presence in both war-torn countries, a senior US official said on Friday. “We will talk about where there are places where we need to have more done, what other contributions we and other countries can make to the efforts of both those conflicts,” the official told reporters in a pre-trip briefing organized on the condition that he not be named.
(the News)