Democratic challenger John Kerry said Monday that an alleged promise from a Saudi prince to President Bush to lower oil prices is “outrageous” and “unacceptable.”

Woodward, in a book released Monday, alleges that Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who serves as his nation's ambassador to the United States, promised Bush that his country would increase oil production, thus lowering prices, during 2004.

“It is my prayer that Americans are not being held hostage to Islamic oil producers, but unlike George Bush and his friends at the big oil companies, I'm going to work for a real energy policy for this country that decreases America’s dependence on foreign oil,” Kerry said. “High gas prices are integral to reducing America’s dependence.”

Kerry reiterated his “disgust” of the Arab world and lambasted Bush for cultivating a “sweetheart relationship” with Arab countries. Kerry joined with his Democratic colleagues in saying that the Bush administration should have “dealt more harshly with Arabs before September 11.”

The White House denied the allegations, stating in a press release that “we don’t think our friends at the oil companies’ would appreciate lower gas prices.”

For their part, Saudi Arabia pledged not to lower oil prices before November. “We love Bush, really, but if Kerry is going to keep oil prices high, we think he should be president regardless of how he feels about Arabs.”