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Source: http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA41608
The Collapse of the Saudi Sunni Bloc Against Iran's Aspirations for Regional Hegemony in the Gulf
[MEMRI] Y. Yehoshua, I. Rapoport, Y. Mansharof, A. Savyon and Y. Carmon - The Saudi-Gulf bloc collapsed about six weeks ago when Qatar, without consulting the other Gulf states, invited Iranian President Ahmadinejad to attend the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha. The Saudi magazine Al-Majalla called this collapse "the end of the American game." The disintegration of the bloc was also the result of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate report which assessed that Iran had suspended its nuclear weapons program. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal expressed support for the invitation; moreover, following the summit, Saudi King 'Abdallah invited Ahmadinejad to attend the Hajj ceremonies in Mecca. The NIE report, in addition to being perceived as a significant Iranian victory, removed the threat of a U.S. military attack on Iran, giving rise to concerns in the Gulf that the report could herald a U.S.-Iranian understanding which would compromise the safety of the Gulf states.