Debbie Schlussel: Northeast "Intelligence" Network or Northeast Plagiarism Network?
The old adage says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But actually, that's not always true. In the world of writing and research, imitation is the most insincere form of armed robbery. But, at least in a real armed robbery, you usually see the guy with his gun and you know he is stealing from you. With plagiarists, they just steal your hard work behind your back.
That was the case with the so-called Northeast Intelligence Network a/k/a NEIN a/k/a HomelandSecurityUS.com and its main operator, Douglas J. Hagmann, who on Monday, ripped off something I wrote--passing it off as the work of himself and his site's "investigators," who apparently don't even exist. If the intelligence and terrorism expertise business is a matter of stealing the work of others and passing it off as your own, then I guess he's good at it.
A number of readers notified me that Mr. Hagmann, in the second half of this post from Monday, ripped off my Friday work on Safa Pizza a/k/a Safa's Pizza--the mysterious pizza shop at which two of the missing Egyptian "students" were found working, and at which two of the 2005 Baltimore Tunnel plotters were also found. That was based on a tip from an observant reader named Rona, further research by myself, and a tip I got from an interview with a source who shall remain nameless and who has never spoken to Mr. Hagmann or his phantom "investigators."
In fact, Mr. Hagmann ripped off that entry in its entirety reworking it, with a tiny statement at the end, claiming
Research conducted by investigators from the Northeast Intelligence Network found that Debbie Schlussel of debbieschlussel.com developed the same information.
What "research"? What "investigators"? Doug Hagmann simply read the Friday post on Safa on my site and flat-out ripped it off to pass it off as his own on Monday. How could I have "developed the same information" as someone else who actually ripped that info off from me three days later?
Then, there is this information posted by Hagmann, very telling of his rip-off:
At least two of those arrested were in possession of maps of both tunnels and related information.
In fact, that information is not posted anywhere in any press coverage of the October 2005 arrests. The only place it is posted is on MY site--this site. It is independent info I have from a unique source close to that investigation--a source who's never heard of Douglas Hagmann or his site and never spoke with him. I can't be more specific about the source for many obvious reasons, primary among them his security and safety. Because it is info only I have, that is why the rest of the press--listening to FBI PR pap--wrote that there never was a plot and that it all was a misunderstanding (when there was a plot and there was no misunderstanding). Whatta concidence that Mr. Hagmann's phanton "investigators" suddenly learned this information just three days after I wrote about it, and not at the time of the plot in October 20, 2005, when I learned about it.
Occasionally, Mr. Hagmann has linked to me, and that is fine and appreciated, but it sure doesn't give him the license to rip off my work and pass it off as his own. A tiny link at the end of MY work (presented as his), claiming I came to the same conclusion--when in fact it was a total rip-off of my work--just will not do. Unfortunately, I've been told by some of my readers that this is the regular practice at Northeast Intelligence Network. I'm sorry to hear that. But it appears to be true, based on this case. People have patterns of behavior, not unique blips of them.
Mr. Hagmann gets a lot of traffic on his site from those who believe he is presenting his own personal analysis, when in fact it is the stolen work of others. And he does a lot of radio interviews with hosts who also don't know better. He must think this gives him the license to steal intellectual property. It does not.
One reader warned me, yesterday, that this was a common Douglas Hagmann practice:
Your research and analysis on Islamic Fundamentalist Terror is well done. However, I believe another "investigator" located in Pennsylvania is attempting to capitalize financially on "intelligence investigations" throughout the electronic world by using open source information gathering techniques. These techniques include, but are not limited to, subscribing to news alerts from sources abroad, surfing weblogs, and watching broadcasts. Unfortunately, Mr. Douglas J. Hagmann, Director, Northeast Intelligence Network, and his site www.homelandsecurityus.com is using these techniques to misrepresent his personal analysis, and those of his supposed "investigators." I also believe he is attempting to latch on to those already climbing the ladder of success independent of others.Recently, he posted an "investigation" which he cited you as a source. I understand the professional courtesy extended by citing your information is prudent. However, Douglas J. Hagmann, and a few of his "investigators" mimic at times, usually more often than not, the practices of [Jerome] Corsi [DS: who similarly plagiarized a column I wrote]...plagiarism.
This is definitely not the first time Douglas J. Hagmann of the Northeast Intelligence Network has published plagiarized information, nor do I suspect the last. He does not appear to be a credible person, nor would I want him citing any of my work as a source period. Prior to September 2001, Mr. Hagmann was using his investigative prowess to look for "Bigfoot" and "UFO's" in, and around Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania. Ashtabula, Ohio to be specific. Mysteriously, the links to the story in the "Star-Beacon" in Ohio have been removed and or deleted. Mr. Hagmann was cited as a private investigator who reviewed the video tape of the incident, and then affirmed it was real and credible.
Referencing the above stories [DS: see below about the stories] regarding terrorism, it has now been reported to me that WorldNetDaily [DS: Whatta coincidence! WND is the site that ran Jerome Corsi's plagiarism of my work, and refused to do a thing about it] has now picked up the story of Mr. Hagmann. I believe they will be next on my list today for e-mail. I believe Douglas J. Hagmann, of the Northeast Intelligence Network, at www.homelandsecurityus.com, is a complete and utter fraud period.
The reader shows me that Mr. Hagmann apparently took an article from DNA India about a possible terrorist plot and presented it as his own work, when it was not.
Mr. Hagmann, either do your own work or give complete credit to those whom you've completely ripped off--including me. Plagiarism is unacceptable and dishonest.
And so-called intelligence and terrorism "experts" don't get a free pass to perpetrate it. Plagiarism does NOT qualify as "investigation." Ever. It's just chutzpah.
Posted by Debbie on August 16, 2006 04:11 PM to Debbie Schlussel