Mideast press cold-shoulders Cheney

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Newspapers in the Middle East see dim prospects for US Vice-President Dick Cheney who is on a tour of the region.</P>

Commentators are quick to point the finger at Mr Cheney for his role in the Iraq invasion and see his trip as a final "desperate attempt" to "salvage" the US-led mission.</P>

One paper also predicts that Washington will soon have no choice but to agree a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.</P>

ABD AL-BARI ADWAN in PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI </P>

Sending Cheney to the Arab region is the last arrow in President Bush's quiver before he admits defeat and waves the white flag of surrender firstly in Iraq and then in Afghanistan. He has failed in both states and seen al-Qaeda turn into several al-Qaedas thanks to this failure.</P>

EDITORIAL in LEBANON'S THE DAILY STAR </P>

Cheney's tour represents another desperate attempt on the part of the Bush administration to salvage the floundering US mission in Iraq. Cheney is himself largely to blame for the disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq.</P>

AYMAN AL-SAFADI in JORDAN'S AL-GHAD </P>

Cheney's visit is aimed at only one thing, namely making neighbouring countries shoulder the responsibility of US failure in Iraq... Cheney is in the region on a rescue mission. He knows that the anger against the US policies in Iraq is basically anger against him personally, as he was the one behind the decision to go to war.</P>

FAHD AL-FANIK in JORDAN'S AL-RA'Y </P>

Cheney is not even taken seriously in his own country, so how can he expect to be taken seriously in the Middle East region, where he committed the grave mistake of invading Iraq and destroying an independent country that has nothing to do with terrorism and does not own weapons of mass destruction. </P>

EDITORIAL in UAE'S AL-KHALIJ </P>

Cheney thinks that, with a magic touch, he can reduce the tensions surrounding the US crisis in Iraq... Seeing as he has thrown the Iraqis into a bloodbath and has destroyed their country, he has no alternative but to surrender to calls worldwide to create a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.</P>

WALID NUWAYHID in UAE'S AL-WASAT </P>

Bush has quickly assigned the Middle East tour to his deputy instead of his secretary of state... Cheney's tour reveals the existence of two US policies in dealing with hot issues in the region. It also shows that Bush is not decisive in his political choices.</P>

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