Iraq experts, ink-aging tests discredit documents behind earlier Monitor story.
By staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor
from the Friday June 20, 2003 edition
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On April 25, 2003, this newspaper ran a story about documents obtained in Iraq that alleged Saddam Hussein's regime had
paid a British member of Parliament, George Galloway, $10 million over 11 years to promote its interests in the West.
An extensive Monitor investigation has subsequently determined that the six papers detailed in the April 25 piece are,
in fact, almost certainly forgeries.
The Arabic text of the papers is inconsistent with known examples of Baghdad bureaucratic writing, and is replete with
problematic language, says a leading US-based expert on Iraqi government documents. Signature lines and other format
elements differ from genuine procedure.
The two "oldest" documents - dated 1992 and 1993 - were actually written within the past few months, according to a
chemical analysis of their ink. The newest document - dated 2003 - appears to have been written at approximately the
same time.
"At the time we published these documents, we felt they were newsworthy and appeared credible, although we did
explicitly state in our article that we could not guarantee their authenticity," says Monitor editor Paul Van
Slambrouck. "It is important to set the record straight: We are convinced the documents are bogus. We apologize to Mr.
Galloway and to our readers."
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