Bush in the Middle East

I was reading about the President's latest visit to the Middle East when I found this post. In reading it, I came across this snippet from the Lebanese daily As-Safir: Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia insisted that 'Iran will always remain a friend, a partner and a neighbor for the Arab region.' Is this true? I have been unable to confirm this; however, if true, it represents a significant problem for Bush. His friends and allies in Saudi Arabia are supporting his enemies in Iran. Bush may be forced to choose. I did find this in The Nation, which suggests that Saudi Arabia is distancing itself from the US. The Nation offers this explanation: And this is why Saudi rulers are suddenly talking tough against America. Threatened by this new challenge from Shiites to become the torchbearers of Arabism, the Saudis are trying to reassert their role as leaders of the Arab and wider Muslim world. In his speech at the summit, Abdullah insisted that only when Arab leaders unite will they "be able to prevent foreign powers from shaping the region's future"--a reference, undoubtedly, to both the United States and Iran. Hmmm...