A corrected version of the story is below:

US envoys say no ‘pivot’ away from Mideast

US envoys at Mideast security summit: No ‘pivot’ from Washington role in region

By REEM KHALIFA

Associated Press

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — American envoys challenged assertions Saturday that Washington seeks to diminish its role in Middle East affairs, insisting U.S. political ties and energy needs bind the country closely to a region full of “threat and promise.”

The defensive tone by U.S. officials, in response to questions raised at an international security summit in Bahrain, reflects growing speculation about a possible U.S. policy realignment toward Asia at the expense of Mideast initiatives.

Gulf Arab states, in particular, have urged the Obama administration to take stronger action on Syria, where Saudi Arabia and Qatar seek to open channels to send heavy weapons to rebel forces fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. The White House has favored a more cautious approach with the Syrian opposition, worried that hard-line Islamist rebel factions could be aided by stepped up arms flow.

“The idea that the U.S. can pivot away from the Middle East is the height of foolishness,” Sen. John McCain said at the Bahrain gathering, which brings policymakers and political figures from around the world including Iran and the Syrian opposition.

The Arizona Republican, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also said he believes there is a “steady increase” in fighters inspired by al-Qaida joining the rebel side in Syria’s civil war.

The comments follow a diplomatic flap after Bahrain’s crown prince did not mention the U.S. at the opening of the conference Friday as he listed critical allies in the kingdom’s 22-month battle against an Arab Spring-inspired uprising. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is the Pentagon’s main counterweight in the region against Iran’s military.

Many at the conference interpreted the crown prince’s omission as a public slap against Washington for its criticism of Bahrain’s crackdowns, including recent action such as banning opposition rallies and revoking citizenship for 31 activists.

More than 55 people have died in the unrest as the island nation’s Shiite majority pushes for a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.