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A small group of protesters rallied outside the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas.

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Vice President Cheney defended the war in Iraq.

DALLAS — Vice President Dick Cheney talked about the fight against global terrorism at a World Affairs Council luncheon in Dallas Friday afternoon, but his remarks were met with protests.

"We believe the outcome in Iraq does matter, and we believe the stakes are very high," Cheney told a sold-out crowd at the Hyatt Regency hotel downtown. "The strategy is working."

A woman sitting in the back of the luncheon stood and shouted, "Get out of Iraq," and "Don't attack Iran." She was escorted out of the room.

Another man in the front of the ballroom stood and shouted at Cheney about Iraq. He was also removed as Mr. Cheney told the crowd that diplomatic strategies were being used to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but that "all options were on the table."

Cheney said Iraqis are "sick of the violence" in thir country. "The tribes in Anbar now see al-Qaeda as the enemy," Cheney said.

The vice president said the Bush administration expects Iraq's government to play a bigger role militarily as the security situation in that country improves, but added that the U.S. will not abandon Baghdad.

"We must maintain the will to see the misson through," he said. "We are turning events toward victory.

The Dallas Peace Center staged a gathering of its own nearby to protest Cheney's presence. Near the hotel, a big bus with a sign read "Don't fight Iran. War veterans against Iraq."

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Anti-war protester Aldo Carrasco carried a sign that read, "Enough is enough."

"I'm here for peace," said Aldo Carrasco, who traveled from Roswell, N.M. to join about 75 others in the protest. "I'm here because the biggest criminal in this country is in that hotel room: Dick Cheney."

"I want Americans to hear us," said Burak Sarrgolu of Arlington, another protester at the rally. "I think there are a lot of Americans like us that are against the war, and we're trying to be their voice here today."

Security in the area around the Hyatt was tight, and there were reports of tangled traffic surrounding the vice president's motorcade Friday morning.

Traffic was at a standstill on Interstate 35E southbound near Regal Row, but it was unclear if that was related to Cheney's visit. Dallas police said traffic would be halted as the motorcade moved toward downtown Dallas, but could not provide specifics.

For those with tickets to the event, the council's Web site advised attendees to allot at least 45 minutes to register and pass through security.

Cheney appeared at a Dallas fundraiser for Sen. John Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Thursday. The event was held at the home of Dan and Gail Cook.

WFAA-TV reporter Jackie Hyland and Dallas Morning News staff writers Gromer Jeffers, Jeffrey Weiss and Marissa Alanis contributed to this report.