The United States, the European Union, Russia and China are discussing possible diplomatic action against Iran over its nuclear program.
Diplomats say today's (Monday's) meeting in London of permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany is aimed at reaching a consensus on the issue.
The West wants the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to meet next week to refer Iran to the Security Council for possible sanctions. In the past, Russia and China opposed such a referral.
An American military helicopter has crashed near Baghdad, but there is no word on the fate of its two-man crew. The U.S. military is investigating this (Monday) morning's crash, a few kilometers north of the Iraqi capital.
Witnesses tell reporters that a rocket hit the helicopter before it went down.
Two American pilots died last week when their helicopter was shot down near Mosul -- an attack claimed by the terrorist group al-Qaida in Iraq.
Vice President Cheney is on his way to the Middle East. Cheney left Washington late Sunday for a trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He plans to meet Tuesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
Few details of the trip have been revealed, but the vice president is expected to focus on regional security and counter-terrorism efforts in separate talks with the two Middle East leaders.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia were scheduled to be part of Cheney's trip in December when he visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Oman. But the vice president cut short that tour to fly back to Washington and cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate on a budget bill.
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