Cheney emerges from his bunker to discuss war

Ever since 11 September, he's been an international man of mystery. Holed up in a secret hideaway, communicating mainly by fuzzy video image, few knew his whereabouts as he plotted the next stage of his global bombing campaign.

But yesterday Dick Cheney, Vice-President of the United States, finally emerged blinking into the glare of the media spotlight when he met Tony Blair at Downing Street on the first leg of a whirlwind diplomatic tour yesterday.

President George Bush's right-hand man famously headed off to a nuclear bunker on the day of the attacks on America and has spent most of the time since in an "undisclosed secure location". Sightings of the Veep are almost as rare as those of his arch-enemy, Osama bin Laden, and so it was something of an event when the White House press corps and their British counterparts were allowed to question him.

Vice-President Cheney was in London on the first stage of a hectic 10-day tour of 12 nations to discuss the war in Afghanistan, the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and possible action against Iraq.

Exactly six months since the 11 September atrocities, the symbolism of such a senior US politician standing literally shoulder to shoulder with Mr Blair as they contemplated the "second phase" of the war on terrorism was wholly intended.

The heavy security that surrounded the Vice-President's visit, marked by the constant buzz of helicopters overhead and bodyguards with bulky overcoats on the ground, certainly formed an appropriate backdrop.

For a man who is used to the mangled syntax of George Bush, it was perhaps fitting that the Vice-President was greeted by John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, before his meeting with Mr Blair.

Downing Street said that Mr Prescott discussed the Kyoto treaty on climate change with his opposite number, although given that one of President Bush's first decisions was to pull out of the agreement, quite what their discussions involved remains unclear.

John Nance Garner, FDR's deputy, famously said the vice-presidency "isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss". History does not yet record whether Mr Prescott views his own job in a similar vein, but the comment clearly does not apply to the undeniably powerful Mr Cheney.

A right-winger, he has served under three presidents in a variety of jobs, ranging from chief of staff to Gerald Ford to Defence Secretary under George Bush senior.

Given Mr Cheney's four heart attacks, or "episodes" as the White House prefers to call them, it is ironic that he is described as a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Vice-President Cheney is undoubtedly no stranger to military action, having played a key role in the Gulf War in encouraging the President to "draw a line in the sand" over which Saddam Hussein could be shoved.

With President Saddam still firmly entrenched in power, many believe that he, with Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, is whispering in the President's ear that now is the time to finish the job his father began.

During his half-hour formal meeting and hour-long working lunch, the Vice-President discussed with Mr Blair the tactics needed to dismantle the Iraqi dictator's weapons of mass destruction.

A quietly spoken man, Mr Cheney proved his reputation as a skilled back-room operator rather than a political showman with a series of deadpan answers to reporters' questions.

Speaking in the equally understated Pillared Room overlooking Horseguards Parade, he said it was "inappropriate" to link the Middle East peace process with the war on terrorism. America's tariffs against British steel were "not without controversy", he added.

As if to underline his reputation as the President's ventriloquist, Mr Cheney displayed an unnerving habit of talking out of the side of his mouth as he tried to play down reports of the US considering nuclear strikes against Iran and Iraq.

"The notion that I have seen quoted in the press that somehow this means we are preparing pre-emptive strikes against seven countries ... I'd say that's a bit over the top," he said, straight-faced.

After the press conference, Mr Cheney headed off to the Foreign Office for a quick tour of the Coalition Information Office, a joint UK-US media operation in the war on terror.

But despite his intimacy with the Washington bunkers, a quick trip to the nearby Cabinet War Rooms, Winston Churchill's underground headquarters, was off the itinerary.