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10 Feb 2003, 21:35
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#1
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Macintosh Defender
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: United States of America
Posts: 243
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Bush Adminstration admits War Propeganda 'Dossier' was really a Student Essay
War Propeganda really Plagerizied Essay
"...both Tony Blair and Colin Powell praised the dossier as well researched..."
Quote:
Downing St dossier plagiarised
Iraq
Published: 6 February 2003
Reporter: Julian Rush
The government's carefully co-ordinated propaganda offensive has taken an embarrassing hit after Downing Street was accused of plagiarism.
Read sample of plagiarised text
Read Downing Street's admission
Read the Saddam Hussien Interview - world exclusive
The target is an intelligence dossier released on Monday and heralded by none other than Colin Powell at the UN as "exquisite."
Channel Four News has learnt that the bulk of the nineteen page document was copied from three different articles - one written by a graduate student.
On Monday, the day before the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell addressed the UN, Downing Street published its latest paper on Iraq.
It gives the impression of being an up to the minute intelligence-based analysis - and Mr Powell was fulsome in his praise.
Published on the Number 10 web site, called "Iraq - Its Infrastructure of Concealment Deception and Intimidation", it outlines the structure of Saddam's intelligence organisations.
But it made familiar reading to Cambridge academic Glen Rangwala. It was copied from an article last September in a small journal: the Middle East Review of International Affairs.
It's author, Ibrahim al-Marashi, a postgraduate student from Monterey in California. Large sections do indeed appear, verbatim.
A section, for example, six paragraphs long, on Saddam's Special Security Organisation, the exact same words are in the Californian student's paper.
In several places Downing Street edits the originals to make more sinister reading.
Number 10 says the Mukhabarat - the main intelligence agency - is "spying on foreign embassies in Iraq".
The original reads: "monitoring foreign embassies in Iraq."
And the provocative role of "supporting terrorist organisations in hostile regimes" has a weaker, political context in the original: "aiding opposition groups in hostile regimes."
Even typographic mistakes in the original articles are repeated.
Of military intelligence, al-Marashi writes in his original paper:
"The head of military intelligence generally did not have to be a relative of Saddam's immediate family, nor a Tikriti. Saddam appointed, Sabir Abd Al-Aziz Al-Duri as head..." Note the comma after appointed.
Downing Street paraphrases the first sentence: "Saddam appointed, Sabir 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Duri as head during the 1991 Gulf War."
This second line is cut and pasted, complete with the same grammatical error.
plagiarism is regarded as intellectual theft.
Downing Street admission
It took them nearly 24 hours, but Downing Street was eventually forced to admit it made a mistake.
A spokesman confessed that it should have credited the authors of the articles it used in the document, particularly Ibrahim Al Marashi - he's the graduate student whose thesis was copied -- grammatical errors and all.
'We all have lessons to learn', was the word from Number Ten on this embarrassing affair - revealed exclusively on Channel 4 News.
Tony Blair refused all questions about the dodgy dossier as he opened a community centre in Hartlepool. But he's on a relentless campaign to win support for his policy on Iraq and this is the last thing he needed.
Back in Downing street his official spokesman admitted mistakes had been made.
" .. in retrospect we should have acknowledged that ... parts of that were based on Dr Al-Marashi's work."
" does not throw into question the accuracy of the document as a whole..."
"we all have lessons to learn from this..."
The revelation that great chunks of this dossier were simply lifted from a Californian's post graduate thesis won't do much to build up confidence in the government at a time when it desperately needs to build up trust.
And it probably won't do much to build up trust when people discover that some of those working on this report were not the Iraqi experts at the Foreign office or MI6 but Downing street staffers, including those that work in Alastair Campbell's department of communications in No.12 Downing street.
Among the four names credited with working on the document is Alastair Campbell's own personal assistant Alison Blackshaw, a junior No.10 press officer Murtarza Khan, one other No.10 official and a foreign office official.
Unaware that it was a straight lift from a PHD thesis both Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Colin Powell this week paraded the dossier as quality research and a searing indictment of Saddam's regime.
This saga is already being pointed to as further evidence that the government's communications efforts are out of control. An inquiry into government media relations begins its work next week, and now added to its in tray is just how a government dossier on Iraq turned into such a propaganda own goal.
Sample text
Government dossier: (page 13), published Jan 2003
"Saddam appointed, Sabir 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Duri as head during the 1991 Gulf War. After the Gulf War he was replaced by Wafiq Jasim al-Samarrai.
After Samarrai, Muhammad Nimah al-Tikriti headed Al-Istikhbarat al-Askariyya in early 1992 then in late 1992 Fanar Zibin Hassan al-Tikriti was appointed to this post.
These shifting appointments are part of Saddam's policy of balancing security positions. By constantly shifting the directors of these agencies, no one can establish a base in a security organisation for a substantial period of time. No one becomes powerful enough to challenge the President."
al-Marashi document: (section: "MILITARY INTELLIGENCE", published sept 2002 - relevant parts have been underlined
Saddam appointed, Sabir ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Duri(80) as head of Military Intelligence during the 1991 Gulf War.(81) After the Gulf War he was replaced by Wafiq Jasim al-Samarrai.(82)
After Samarrai, Muhammad Nimah al-Tikriti(83) headed Military Intelligence in early 1992(84) then in late 1992 Fanar Zibin Hassan al-Tikriti was appointed to this post.(85) While Fanar is from Tikrit, both Sabir al-Duri and Samarrai are non-Tikriti Sunni Muslims, as their last names suggest.
Another source indicates that Samarrai was replaced by Khalid Salih al-Juburi,(86) demonstrating how another non-Tikriti, but from the tribal alliance that traditionally support the regime holds top security positions in Iraq.(87)
These shifting appointments are part of Saddam’s policy of balancing security positions between Tikritis and non-Tikritis, in the belief that the two factions would not unite to overthrow him. Not only that, but by constantly shifting the directors of these agencies, no one can establish a base in a security organization for a substantial period of time, that would challenge the President.(88)
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10 Feb 2003, 21:37
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#2
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Bitch
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,848
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You have no idea whatsoever how much that amuses me
__________________
ACHTUNG!!!
Das machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy
schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und corkenpoppen mit
spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das
rubbernecken sightseeren keepen hands in das pockets. Relaxen und vatch
das blinkenlights!!!
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10 Feb 2003, 21:40
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#3
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Twang Twang
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Where I live
Posts: 837
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class
__________________
"I'm an occasional drinker, the kind of guy who goes out for a beer and wakes up in Singapore with a full beard"
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10 Feb 2003, 21:41
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#4
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Governor General
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: People's Republic of South Yorkshire
Posts: 739
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It's made Alastair Campbell look like a tit, hence I'm happy.
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Va Va Voom
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10 Feb 2003, 21:42
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#5
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Lonely analytic
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,390
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Amusing as it may seem, it still is so that the US will go to war over it, fabrication or not.
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For real
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10 Feb 2003, 21:45
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#6
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7 Dimensional Puddleduck
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Not where I want to be :(
Posts: 1,556
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If I were that student i'd prrobably be 'a bit miffed'
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<CmdrCyrax> I'm sure GDers are bastions of the civilized world.
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10 Feb 2003, 21:46
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#7
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cmdr_Cyrax
If I were that student i'd prrobably be 'a bit miffed'
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I'd sue the american government for breach of copyright
That'd be amusing
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10 Feb 2003, 21:48
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#8
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Klaatu barada nikto
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,237
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Knee-jerk Bush-bashing aside, shouldn't the title of this thread be 'Downing Street admits...'?
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The Ottawa Citizen and Southam News wish to apologize for our apology to Mark Steyn, published Oct. 22. In correcting the incorrect statements about Mr. Steyn published Oct. 15, we incorrectly published the incorrect correction. We accept and regret that our original regrets were unacceptable and we apologize to Mr. Steyn for any distress caused by our previous apology.
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10 Feb 2003, 22:10
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#9
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Macintosh Defender
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: United States of America
Posts: 243
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True, but it was sponsered by the Bush Adminstration, and thus any admittance came indirectly from them.
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10 Feb 2003, 22:23
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#10
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Klaatu barada nikto
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,237
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Quote:
Originally posted by Makain
True, but it was sponsered by the Bush Adminstration, and thus any admittance came indirectly from them.
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Please refresh my memory. How was it sponsored by the Bush Administration?
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The Ottawa Citizen and Southam News wish to apologize for our apology to Mark Steyn, published Oct. 22. In correcting the incorrect statements about Mr. Steyn published Oct. 15, we incorrectly published the incorrect correction. We accept and regret that our original regrets were unacceptable and we apologize to Mr. Steyn for any distress caused by our previous apology.
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10 Feb 2003, 22:26
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#11
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Clerk
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 13,940
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tactitus
Please refresh my memory. How was it sponsored by the Bush Administration?
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Guilt by associaiton. :/
But yeah, obviously this has nothing particularly to do with Bush. But most in Europe view the difference (between Blair and Bush) as academic nowdays.
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10 Feb 2003, 22:27
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#12
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Bitch
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,848
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tactitus
Please refresh my memory. How was it sponsored by the Bush Administration?
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If it's any help I agree with you, this was a Downing Street **** up. The only involvement of the US is Powell saying how fabulous it is
__________________
ACHTUNG!!!
Das machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy
schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und corkenpoppen mit
spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das
rubbernecken sightseeren keepen hands in das pockets. Relaxen und vatch
das blinkenlights!!!
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10 Feb 2003, 22:37
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#13
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Vermin Supreme
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 3,280
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" .. in retrospect we should have acknowledged that ... parts of that were based on Dr Al-Marashi's work."
is the sentence that scares me.
implying 'at the time, we saw no reason to be honest with the public. had we known we'd be caught, I assure you we would have acted differently'
Almost as important, it gives the impression that they didn't think anyone would notice the plagiarism.
Which is the equivalent of saying "who knew that graduate students in middle eastern politics would read major propaganda pieces about middle eastern politics?"
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