Three senior US Democrats in Congress urge the immediate commencement of hearings on the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Democrats Robert Wexler of Florida, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin have declared the issues of concern regarding the vice president to be 'too serious to ignore'.

The three senior members of the House Judiciary Committee said the charges include "credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under the constitution".

"The charges against vice president relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens," the congressmen explained.

The House members added that the recent revelations regarding Iran's nuclear program have shown that the Administration "may have again manipulated and exaggerated evidence' in a bid to push the United States to yet another war".

MD/AA/HAR