Sunday, January 30, 2005
DAVOS DEBACLE
The World Economic Forum is turning out to be good for a laugh:
With Iran’s vice-president and foreign minister in the room, the organizers began by announcing they had disinvited Swiss cartoonist Patrick Chappatte, one of the listed panelists, because the issues were too serious.
The star guest, U.S. Senator Joe Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, was missing. The organizers kept saying he was on his way.
Moderator David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, apologized for the fact that wine had been served, upsetting the Muslim guests. Waiters cleared the offending glasses.
Biden eventually turned up 80 minutes late, after going to the wrong hotel. Or maybe he just wanted a drink.
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