Cheney and Blair hold terror talks

Cheney's trip to the UK coincides with the six-month anniversary of September 11 attacks

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Possible military action against Iraq and tensions in the Middle East are expected to dominate talks between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday.

Cheney arrived in the UK on Sunday at the start of a 10-day trip that will also take him to nine Arab countries, Turkey and Israel.

Aides to the British prime minister said Blair would emphasise to Cheney that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was intertwined with the war on terrorism and that the United States, the European Union, and Great Britain must do more to ensure a cease-fire in the region.

Cheney is accompanied by a top U.S. State Department official on Middle East issues, the White House's top counter-terrorism official, and Gen. Tommy Franks, a top aide to the commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Blair has been a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led campaign against terror.

The vice president's visit to London coincides with the six-month observance of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the two men are expected to make a joint statement to reporters after their meeting.

In addition to Britain, Cheney, accompanied by his wife, Lynne, will visit countries including Israel, Oman, Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

In the Arab states, U.S. officials expect pressure for more vigorous White House attention to Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Officials travelling with Cheney said Sunday's news that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon favoured lifting a travel ban on Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat was a positive development.

Also expected to be on Cheney's agenda is Iraq, which is being pressured by the United States to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back in to investigate whether the nation is harbouring weapons of mass destruction.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said on Sunday his country would never allow U.N. weapons inspectors to return, accusing them of spying, according to the official Iraqi News Agency. (Full story)

A senior U.S. official said Cheney would not be signalling any imminent military action against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

However, he said he would make clear the U.S. resolve to confront Iraq -- with military force if necessary -- over what the United States says is a continued Iraqi effort to gather weapons of mass destruction in violation of agreements struck with the United Nations at the end of the Persian Gulf War.

Cheney will also stress the need for Arab nations to strengthen their intelligence and law enforcement efforts within the region and with the United States.

He will stress U.S. concerns that al Qaeda operatives are seeking a new major base of operations in the region, particularly in Yemen, U.S. officials said.

Because of security considerations, Cheney's exact itinerary is not being publicly disclosed. Security is extremely tight for the trip to the region.

-- CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King contributed to this report.