By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

CONGRESSWOMAN Madeleine Z. Bordallo has confirmed that Vice President Dick B. Cheney will visit Guam briefly as part of his tour of Japan and Australia next month.
She has strongly urged the vice president to include talks with Guam leaders in his itinerary.
According to Bordallo, Cheney is scheduled to make a stopover on Guam to visit U.S. troops in the island’s bases.
Cheney is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, as well as visit Guam the week of Feb. 19, 2007.
“My office has been in contact with the White House, and we are awaiting more details of the vice president’s visit to Guam. I will be urging the vice president to include Guam’s civilian leadership in his visit, however brief it may be,” Bordallo said.
According to the White House, Cheney will discuss issues of mutual interest, including Asian security and the global war on terror, with the prime ministers.
While visiting Guam, Japan, and Australia, Cheney is expected to expound on President Bush’s controversial plan to boost troop numbers in Iraq by 21,500—a decision opposed by many Democrats and Republicans in the new Congress.
In Australia, local media said Cheney’s Asia-Pacific visit is expected to draw protests because a growing number of people have become opposed to the war on Iraq.
In Japan, Cheney is expected to discuss with Abe the realignment of the U.S. military in the region, including the relocation of 8,000 Marines to Guam and other aspects of Japan’s military alliance with the U.S.