Dick Cheney has been diagnosed with a blood clot in his left
leg, leading to speculation he will be forced to resign as U.S.
Vice-President.
The 66-year-old has a history of major health problems, including
four heart attacks, and has undergone quadruple-bypass surgery.
He is a driving force in both the war in Iraq and the 'war on
terror' and his resignation would be a huge loss to George Bush.
The vice-president is the leader of Washington's neo-conservatives
and is believed to be a dominant influence on Mr Bush's military
and foreign policies.
He is also believed to be the president's closest political friend.
There has been widespread speculation that if Mr Cheney is unable
to complete his term in office through ill health he will be replaced
by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, another personal friend
of Mr Bush.
Mr Cheney called in a doctor yesterday after suffering 'discomfort'
in his calf.
'An ultrasound test revealed a deep venous thrombosis or blood
clot in his left lower leg,' said an
official report. The vice-president has been put on blood thinning
medication and has returned to work.
While the White House is trying to play down the situation, the
condition is obviously serious and will again trigger speculation
that Mr Cheney could be forced to resign through poor health.
Blood clots that form deep in the legs can become killers if
they break off and float into the lungs.
This is called a pulmonary embolism.
Mr Cheney suffered his first heart attack in 1978 at 37. In June
2001, doctors implanted a device that monitors and normalises
an irregular heartbeat. Mr Cheney refers to it as his 'pacemaker
plus'.
The vice-president is under enormous stress as his policies in
Iraq continue to fail and casualty figures mount.
He returned last week from a trip that included unannounced stops
in Afghanistan and Pakistan and during which a Taliban suicide
bomber tried to kill him.
Since he got back, Mr Cheney has been sharply criticising the
opposition Democrats for trying to restrict funds for President
Bush's troop build-up in Iraq.
The President relies on him heavily not just to formulate policy
but also as an 'attack dog' to take on domestic critics.
There is speculation that the 65 hours Mr Cheney spent in the
air aboard Air Force Two over the nine-day trip could have contributed
to his thrombosis.
'When you're just sitting there with your legs hanging down for
long periods of time, that's what predisposes you to the problem,'
said Sean O'Donnell, chief of vascular surgery of Washington Hospital
Centre.
The vice-president's travel schedule is likely to be severely
curtailed in future.
