Gulf states braced themselves once again yesterday to absorb the regional shockwaves expected from the threatened US strike on Iraq.
As reports grew of heightened activity around American bases in the region, Gulf officials began to publicly question the wisdom of US policies which appeared to increase tension and benefit the region's most radical superpower, Iran.
Gulf officials were hoping that the threatened US military action, if it takes place, would be delayed until after the forthcoming visit to the Gulf emirate of Qatar by the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright.
"America is responsible for this escalation in tension, we are nothing to do with it," a Saudi Arabian editor said.
Washington's image among the Arab oil states is at an all-time low, despite the role it plays as the region's protector. Its apparent tolerance of the hardline policies of the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, towards the peace process are now proving highly embarrassing to America's most loyal allies in the Arab world. US policy known as "dual containment", which aims to isolate both Iran and Iraq, is also viewed as destabilising.
"Part of the problem is that the US looks at the situation with Israeli eyes. Most of the American administration is either pro-Israeli or actually Jewish. They let Israel do what she likes," a Saudi analyst in Riyadh said.
After the Gulf War, many Arab states hoped that Washington would finally tackle the main issue in the Middle East, the problem of Israel and Palestine. Now, six years later, disillusion has set in.
The final straw, said Gulf officials, was the way Washington attempted to arm-twist its Arab allies to attend an economic convention in Qatar designed to promote regional co-operation. The US-backed conference is being attended by Ms Albright, but when she arrives here in the next few days, she is expected to be met by rows of empty seats.
By contrast, Iran is expected to host a well-attended summit of Muslim leaders when the Islamic Conference Organisation meets in Tehran next month.