George Bush? He's nice but dim, says crown prince

In the most regal possible manner, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia skewered President George Bush yesterday as a man so ignorant about the Middle East, and specifically about the suffering of the Palestinians, that he needed several hours of personal tuition to bring him up to speed.

When the prince visited the presidential ranch in Texas last month, the two men spent five hours together, far longer than expected. This was an indication - according to the White House spin machine - of how well they got on. Prince Abdullah presents a different interpretation: the time was spent coaching the president in political realities.

"He is the type of person who sleeps at 9.30pm after watching the domestic news," the prince told Okaz, a Saudi newspaper. "In the morning, he only reads a few lines about what is written on the Middle East and the world due to his huge responsibilities."

The prince proves himself to be a master of the art of damning with faint praise, saying of Mr Bush that "he listens and debates politely, but was not fully informed about the real conditions in the region, especially the conditions suffered by the Palestinian people". And so, he continues, "I felt it was my duty to spend as long a time as possible to brief him on the facts directly and without an intermediary".

The prince's shaft was concealed in a velvet glove of compliments for his host. "I found a man totally different from what I had expected," he told the paper. "He has noble qualities. He is honest, courageous and highly compassionate. These are all good news for the Palestinians."

He said Mr Bush was deeply moved when he showed him pictures and videos about the "tragedies in the Palestinian territories".

"I told him 'you are the president of the world's most powerful country, you have principles and deep-rooted political values that stress human rights, justice and equality. You also have the ability to move towards justice and peace'. I came out fully convinced that the man will act in the right direction," the prince said.

However, despite the veiled criticism, Mr Bush can take comfort in the opinions of the people who matter most to him: a poll conducted last week suggested that 70% of the American public approved of his Middle East policies.