BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Vice President Dick Cheney took a break from diplomatic talks overseas today, opting instead for more familiar territory. Our senior White House correspondent John King reporting now and traveling with the vice president in Oman.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney resting in Oman tonight, after what you might call a one-day break from his very delicate, very difficult Middle East diplomatic mission. The U.S. vice president traveling today out into the Arabian Sea, 700 miles from Afghanistan, to tour the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier, even while the vice president was on board actively involved in military operations under way in Afghanistan. In fact, 84 sorties today as the vice president was on board; 7,000 from the USS John C. Stennis alone since he arrived here in the region in late December. Pilots on board say their mission right now is supporting ground troops in Afghanistan involved in Operation Anaconda and related operations. The vice president toured the flight deck; he went up into the war room and received a classified briefing on the war effort. Also, took some time to have lunch with the troops and then some brief remarks. He delivered greetings from President Bush and promised that the United States would carry on, telling the troops, quote, "Let there be no doubt that the forces of freedom will defeat the forces of terror no matter how long it takes." Vice President Cheney then coming back to shore here in Oman. He continues his discussion in the Arab world tomorrow, heading on to Dubai and United Arab Emirates, and then on to a critical meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Abdullah; the crown prince putting forward a new peace initiative for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that the U.S. is welcoming, but the crown prince also serving notice as Mr. Cheney prepares to arrive that Saudi Arabia, like most of its Arab brothers here in this part of the world in no way support another U.S. military confrontation with Iraq. John King, CNN, Muscat, Oman.
Cheney Visits USS Stennis in Arabian Sea