[Ethnicstudies] Fwd: Downing St. Iraq Dossier Plagiarized (fwd)

Gilbert G. Gonzalez gggonzal@uci.edu
Fri, 07 Feb 2003 19:44:17 -0800


>
>Subject: Downing St. Iraq Dossier Plagiarized
>
>Channel 4 News UK   February 6, 2003
>
>Downing St. Iraq Dossier Plagiarized
>
>by Julian Rush
>
>The government's carefully co-ordinated propaganda offensive took an
>embarrassing hit tonight after Downing Street was accused of plagiarism. The
>target is an intelligence dossier released on Monday and heralded by none
>other than Colin Powell at the UN yesterday.
>
>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 organizations.
>
>But it made familiar reading to Cambridge academic Glen Ranwala. 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
>Organization, 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 organizations 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.
>
>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)