I got an email today from none other than Algerian Lieutenant General Mohamed Lamari. You’ll note that General Lamari has a quirky way of describing himself:
I am Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari Former Chief of staff of Algerian army during most of the Algerian Civil War.
I was born on 7 June 1939 in Algiers, to a family originally from Bordj Benazzouz (near Biskra . I, joined the French army, completing my training in the cavalry at the Ecole de guerre in Saumur. In 1961, seven years into the Algerian War of Independence (and just a year before independence), I changed sides, joining the National Liberation Army. After independence, I trained as an artilleryman at the Frunze Military Academy, then as a general staff officer at the Ecole de Guerre in Paris. From 1970 to 1976 I commanded a regional general staff, then i was working in the general staff operational bureau until 1988, when i became commander of the 5th military region (eastern Algeria around Constantine). In 1989, i became commander of ground forces.
In the military coup of 1992 that started the Algerian Civil War, i was prominent among the officers demanding then-President Chadli Bendjedid’s resignation. i was relieved of this functions by the next President, the short-lived Mohamed Boudiaf, in March 1992, and only regained them after Boudiaf’s assassination ;i was then put in charge of an anti-terrorism task force of 15,000 soldiers, the CCLAS (Centre de commandement de la lutte antisubversive). In July 1993, as Liamine Zeroual became Minister of Defense, i was appointed Chief of Staff, a post in which i remained for more than a decade of war.
In 2002, i caused some controversy by publicly claiming that the military was no longer involved in national politics, the crisis of the 1990s being past; this claim angered other generals ;.
In August 2004, i then resigned and retired, ostensibly for health reasons; i was rumoured to have had differences with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika And corruptly enriched myself ;. i was replaced by General Salah Ahmed Gaid.
my late son Farid (a military dentist) and Mourad, was an adviser at the Algerian embassy to Belgium then.
Politically, i was considered an eradicationist, rejecting the idea of negotiation with the government’s Islamist opponents. In my capacity as head of the CCLAS, i was accused by Mohamed Samraoui of ultimately controlling the Organisation of Young Free Algerians, a pro-government armed group claiming credit for various attacks on civilians.I am currently suffering from prostalate cancer, which is taminal illness but you should not bother your self about that or pity for me for we are all destined to die one day.
my major predicament is that i am falsely being accused of curruptly enriching myself while in power and my family and i are being investigated with a view to confiscate my hard earned savings valued at $10 million united states dollars currently being deposited by me in a security firm in london for my old age and children.
my travel documents have been confisicated and a travel ban placed on me for my good deeds that was mis-interpreted by a regime that wants to soil my name as a revenge.I have been denied access to good medication despite my health condition as a ploy to kill me before my appointed time with my creator. I am using this medium to solicite for your kind assistance as a fellow muslem and the world in general to safe guard this savings of mine. instead of this currupt regime in my country algerie will lay hold on his fund let it be used by you to up-lift the cause of the down trodden in the streets round the globe as a legacy i left before my death.
via; gen_mohamedlamari1@yahoo.comRegards as i wait for your final decision.
Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari
What I noticed immediately is that in addition to being “currupt,” the good General is also guilty of editing his own Wikipedia page. Take note of the eerie similarities from his Wikipedia entry:
Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari was Chief of Staff of the Algerian army during most of the Algerian Civil War.
He was born on 7 June 1939 in Algiers, to a family originally from Bordj Benazzouz (near Biskra)[1]. He joined the French army, completing his training in the cavalry at the Ecole de guerre in Saumur. In 1961, seven years into the Algerian War of Independence (and just a year before independence), he changed sides, joining the National Liberation Army. After independence, he trained as an artilleryman at the Frunze Military Academy, then as a general staff officer at the Ecole de Guerre in Paris. From 1970 to 1976 he commanded a regional general staff, then he worked in the general staff operational bureau until 1988, when he became commander of the 5th military region (eastern Algeria around Constantine). In 1989, he became commander of ground forces.
In the military coup of 1992 that started the Algerian Civil War, he was prominent among the officers demanding then-President Chadli Bendjedid’s resignation. According to Mohamed Samraoui, he was relieved of his functions by the next President, the short-lived Mohamed Boudiaf, in March 1992, and only regained them after Boudiaf’s assassination[2]. He was then put in charge of an anti-terrorism task force of 15,000 soldiers, the CCLAS (Centre de commandement de la lutte antisubversive). In July 1993, as Liamine Zeroual became Minister of Defense, Mohamed Lamari became Chief of Staff, a post in which he would remain for more than a decade of war.
In 2002, he caused some controversy by publicly claiming that the military was no longer involved in national politics, the crisis of the 1990s being past; this claim angered other generals[3]. In August 2004, he resigned and retired, ostensibly for health reasons; he was rumoured to have had differences with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika[4]. He was replaced by General Salah Ahmed Gaid.
Lamari’s sons include Farid (a military dentist)[5] and Mourad, an adviser at the Algerian embassy to Belgium.
Politically, he was considered an eradicationist, rejecting the idea of negotiation with the government’s Islamist opponents. In his capacity as head of the CCLAS, he was accused by Mohamed Samraoui of ultimately controlling the Organisation of Young Free Algerians, a pro-government armed group claiming credit for various attacks on civilians.
Notice the similarities? So, Mr. General, not only do you “enrich yourself” with $10 million from your impoverished country, but you obviously penned your own Wikipedia entry. You thought if you cleverly changed all the “i’s” in your email to “he” in your Wikipedia entry that no one would notice, didn’t you? These narratives are so similar that they almost certainly came from the same author! Therefore I’m busting you, Gen. Lamari, for writing your own Wikipedia entry, in violation of the Wikipedia Content Criteria rules. Not even flag officers are above the law, sir, even ones with prostalate cancer, whatever that is. Currupt, indeed.
Then again, you might simply be a crook in some Nigerian internet cafe who copied this email straight from Wikipedia.
Naaaah.