blue, 20. Oktober 2003 um 09:21:45 MESZ

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Information and Cultural Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed's speech at the forum's plenary session flung open the gates of regional self-criticism. He alleged that prior to the war in Iraq the Arab media "failed to uncover the real nature of the ruling Iraqi regime". Abdullah also criticised the Arab media for "being removed from reality and in turn misleading the public by feeding it unrealistic conceptions of the possible outcomes of the apparently imminent conflict".