Wikipedia tampering traced to Canadian air force headquarters

A computer at a Winnipeg air force base was used to delete criticism of the government’s jet fighter program

The Defence Department announced yesterday that a computer at Canada’s air force headquarters was used to vandalize an entry on the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The entry in question concerned the government's plan to spend $16-billion on the Joint Strike Fighter jet, the largest military procurement in Canadian history. The plan was controversial, and the original Wikipedia entry for the Joint Strike Fighter noted widespread criticism of the purchase. On July 20 and 21 a worker at the air force base is believed to have deleted the criticism and inserted insults aimed at Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. Wikipedia considered the changes tampering, and locked down the entry.