Hospital discharges Cheney victim

Harry Whittington, the lawyer who was shot by US Vice-President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident, has been discharged from hospital.

He told reporters he bore no ill will and felt "deeply sorry" for the trouble Mr Cheney and his family had faced.

The pair were on a quail hunting trip when Mr Cheney shot the 78-year-old in the face, neck and chest.

Mr Whittington was left with pellets in his body after the shooting, which lead to a minor heart attack.

Wearing a suit and tie and bearing the signs of apparent scarring on his upper right eyelid and neck, Mr Whittington said no-one was to blame for the accident.

"We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue."

Speaking publicly for the first time since he was shot on 11 February, Mr Whittington said "Accidents do and will happen, and that's what happened."

He said he hoped the vice-president would "continue to come to Texas and seek the relaxation he deserves".

'Long week'

Mr Cheney, meanwhile, said he was pleased Mr Whittington was recovering.

"Thankfully Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well," he told the Wyoming legislature. He said that it had been "a very long week".

On Wednesday the US vice-president took full responsibility for the shooting, calling the incident "one of the worst days of my life".

"I'm the guy that pulled the trigger and shot my friend," he told Fox TV.

Mr Cheney has a reputation as a keen quail hunter

He had faced growing pressure from politicians and the media to make a statement about the incident and explain why he had not reported it to the public straight away.

But on Thursday President Bush said he was satisfied with Mr Cheney's explanation of events.

"I thought the vice-president handled the issue just fine", he said.

The Kenedy County sheriff's office has said Mr Cheney will not face criminal charges over the shooting, which happened on a ranch in south Texas.