Regular readers will already know about the infamous Swangate
Hoax which has formed the basis of a number of articles in The
Crop Watcher. This hoax has been renamed
"Schnabelgate" in some magazines. It is not my
intention to keep on devoting page after page to this non-event,
but nevertheless claims and counter- claims are still being made
as perpetrators and victims attempt to defend their respective
corners. Here's all the latest developments:
The Houston UFO Network's HUFON Report (April 1993) has
published the following letter from George Wingfield:
"Bill Eatwell has mailed me a copy of a letter from Jim Schnabel which he sent in response to a piece which I supplied for HUFON Report. There are so many wild allegations and untruths in his letter that I will not bother to respond to each one separately but I feel that I must make a few observations.
What was printed in HUFON Report was the transcript of a telephone conversation which Schnabel had with Armen Victorian, and its accuracy has never been contested before (though part may have been omitted since the conversation was incomplete). There was also a short commentary by me. If Schnabel now claims that the conversation was a "send up", as I had noted in the published commentary, he has absolutely no reason for complaint since it was he who said these things. To bemoan that he was lying to Victorian, and that every-one should have known that, and simply accept what he says now is the truth, is really a most curious complaint ! (It is also, as far as I can see, his only way out of this most extraordinary mess which he has gotten himself into).
I commented that, in the taped conversation, Schnabel "reveals his role as a paid government agent" and, whatever the validity of the tape's content, I would not modify this assessment, though I have no proof that he belongs to any particular group or organisation. Throughout 1992, he pursued this objective, engaging in extensive circlefaking and attempts to mislead and confuse CCCS and other circles researchers. Andrew Collins, the respected author writing in Earthquest News (Winter 1992), says of Irving and Schnabel: 'They have used devious methods and misinformation to achieve their goals and these have been questioned on a number of occasions. They have even been accused of creating hoaxed formations themselves, an accusation they have never publicly denied, knowing that the screen of controversy will allow them to increase their disinformation project and cause further consternation among crop circle believers". Collins should certainly know since he is a close friend of Irving, or at least he was last summer.
Whether the infamous tape was itself intended as disinformation - - a subtle blend of truth and fiction intended to mislead and confuse -- is obviously open to speculation. In Schnabel's letter to HUFON Report there are many outright lies [my emphasis, PF] such as: - (1) the suggestion that I've said Michael Green "practices black magic" (absurd), (2) Claims that I have accused all sorts of people of "espionage activity" against me (ridiculous !), (3) "How can we get Schnabel?" (not something I ever said to Irving), (4) "that MUFON was part of some conspiracy" (never!) (5) that "government agents were following me to crop circle lectures" (preposterous!), (6) etc., etc.
What I commented on, regarding Schnabel, is there on the tape and these things were things which he undoubtedly said, whatever his explanation now. His claims about me are mostly total fabrication [my emphasis, PF]. As for him being a "journalist for several years", one must take that with a pinch of salt, since it is based on a mere handful of articles which he has written for newspapers. Less than six months ago he used to say that he was a student doing a Ph.D. course at Bath University, a description he now seems to have been abandoned [sic]. There is no way that he earns a living for himself from journalism and, unless he is a man of some personal wealth [sic]. One might easily wonder who finances his activities in this country.
Perhaps Mr. Schnabel would like to give, for once, a straight yes/no answer to the following questions: (1) Was he one of those involved in making the large elaborate crop formation near Froxfield (approx. O.S. Ref: SU273683) on the night of August 8/9 ? (2) Does he have links with either of the religious groups, Pax Romana or Opus Del ?
This would provide a useful true/false result for further voice stress analysis. Sincerely, G.W."
A further round of correspondence has appeared in MUFON UFO
Journal No 298 (February 1993). In it Wingfield accuses
Schnabel and Irving of trying to "suppress a commentary and
transcript" of the Swangate tape that was about to appear in The
Circular. Strange, but I thought it was Michael Green who
suppressed this commentary, not Schnabel (obviously just a minor
point George). Wingfield goes on to repeat his allegation of a
secret government meeting in September 1990 which allegedly
decided to "debunk" crop circles in order to keep the
ugly truth from the public. I am sure that regular readers will
agree with me when I state that to date Wingfield has published
not one shred of tangible documentary evidence to support this
claim, despite the fact that I challenged him to do so in CW9
(January/February 1992). In the subsequent year Wingfield has
continued to accuse anyone who dares to suggest that numerous
crop circles are hoaxes of being a government agent ! We again
challenge Wingfield to publish the name of the building where
this Ministerial meeting allegedly occurred, the names of those
present and the name of his informer. If necessary I will be
happy to undertake a written confidence. My own enquiries
produced denials from two of the three Departments allegedly
involved (the third never answered). Wingfield goes on to
describe his April 1992 lunch with "four gentlemen from the
CIA" and his lecture to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
in Beltsville, MD. This, in Wingfield's view, confirms the US
Government's "interest" in the crop circle phenomenon.
So, not only are there government agents trying to keep the awful
truth from the public but they go and give themselves away to
Chief Spy Hunter George Wingfield over a pizza !!! Next Wingfield
accuses Schnabel, Irving and other un-named researchers of faking
a series of "at least 15 formations, principally with a view
to fooling and discrediting researchers from the Centre for Crop
Circle Studies". Now who on earth would want to do a
low-down trick like that ???
According to Wingfield Schnabel has "already admitted to
his circlefaking on a British TV program". Of course,
regular readers will know that Schnabel did no such thing on the Equinox
documentary, but this doesn't seem to have deterred Wingfield
from then alleging that Rob Irving accidentally produced a tape
recording where he admits to having made a formation at Alton
Barnes... "This may be used in evidence when charges of
criminal damage are brought by farmers against them".
Wingfield finishes this series of serious defamatory
allegations by stating that:
"No one has actually said that [Schnabel] belongs to the CIA, XYZ, or any other organization, but his curious behaviour might well make one think so. Since he and Mr. Irving have offered us little but hoax and deception [my emphasis, PF] in 1992, it is hard to see his denials and disclaimers in the Journal article as being different from what he has given us already."
In his response Schnabel denies Wingfield's charge of being a
Catholic, an anti-paranormal zealot and an operative for the CIA.
He also accuses Wingfield of being "disingenuous" [what
a super word Jim] over his accusation that Schnabel and Irving
faked a series of 15 formations. Schnabel denies admitting
(either on tape or the Equinox programme) that he was involved in
circlefaking. This fascinating argument seems set to run and run
for some time ....
This is part of the MUFON bulletin board system which
can be dialled up if you have a modem and a decent PC. Henry
Azadedel has an article entitled "Disinformers, Deceivers
and their Legitimate Supporters" which was published on
March 11th 1993 in response to Schnabel's original MUFON UFO
Journal article "Confessions of a Crop Circle Spy".
In this article Henry/Victorian/Ntumba blames the publication of
Schnabel's article on Walt Andrus (International Director of MUFON)
whose "interference in this instance was the result of a
long-standing difference of opinion that exists between myself
and his management of MUFON." Victorian then alleges
that Dennis Stacy, Editor of the MUFON Journal, faxed a
"ridiculous letter" to Wingfield, but later apologised
for being "drunk" when he wrote it !
Victorian continues his attack against MUFON...
"Equally condemning is the attitude and supportive platform MUFON provides for self confessed tricksters like Jim Schnabel and Robert Irving, who boast about what they have done and still do. Which, in a sense, is very much reminiscent of what OSI did through Bill Moore, for a decade, to the field.
"It is known by everyone in crop circle research that Irving- Schnabel's joint covert activities have caused enormous damage to both the farmers, who are desperately seeking for legal means to prosecute the two [let's see some proof then. PF], and the crop circle researchers themselves, whose research has suffered irreparable damage." [quite !]
Readers will no doubt be shocked to learn that Schnabel had
allegedly misled "leading" cerealogists [who, George ?
Henry ?] by "falsely" claiming to be a student studying
sociology at Lincoln College, Oxford. Having seen copies of some
fascinating correspondence from Michael Green to the Head of
Schnabel's former college at Oxford I can personally vouch for
the falsity of Henry's accusations, but Henry goes on....
"Then Schnabel published the most damning article in the Independent Magazine in December 1991 about crop circles and their researchers; and his true quest emerged. It became immediately clear that Schnabel, by employing outright deceitful tactics [my emphasis, PF], had fooled everyone about his genuine intentions" [careful Henry, how do you prove someone's "genuine intentions" ?].
Schnabel's honourable letter of apology to the Beckhampton
Group for his exposure of the hoaxer "Ron Smithers" is
then published in full to further support Armen Victorian's
actionable allegations:
"This was the beginning of an intensified campaign of disinformation by Schnabel and his colleague Robert Irving. In the following months they published more similar articles [???? PF]. Together with Robert Irving [sic], they donned camouflage clothing and, with the help of the night, they created utter havoc in the farmers fields and, thereby, further confusion amongst the crop circle researchers about the number of hoaxed formations in existence. Ken Brown, who is currently writing a book about the Doug and Dave affair, told me that several meetings had taken place between Schnabel/Irving and Doug and Dave, the former keen to further his knowledge of how to advance hoaxing techniques."
Doesn't this too sound like one more "cerealogist"
who accepts - at least in part - Doug and Daves' claim of mass
hoaxing ? Victorian then claims that Jill Freeman, the Editor of
the Equinox crop circle documentary, told him that Irving
and Schnabel admitted to making "several" crop circles
by "illegally entering into farm land and causing damage
(to) crops". Well, several High Court Libel Actions later
Victorian turns his attention to Robert Irving. According to
Victorian's research Irving was "allegedly a member of the
Second Church of Satan in the USA, or Friends of Hecarte in
England, and his views on black magic are widely known in England
through a number of anonymous Satanic letters he has written to a
number of crop circle researchers." Victorian goes on to
allege that Irving carries a very large knife with him "at
all times" [he didn't the last time I saw him, PF]
and that he admitted to being paid by an un-named
"foundation".
Like George it seems that all of Henry's spies also declare
their membership of shadowy intelligence agencies.
Finally, and this is his coup-de-grace, Victorian publishes a
letter from an un-named American researcher who allegedly
encountered Irving in the Waggon & Horses.. This un-named
researcher states that:
"Out of curiosity, I started up a conversation about the corn circles. I wish I hadn't... The guy with the hair (dressed black) name was Bob (maybe Rob) Irvine (Bob Irving - author). He was a psychopath. Suzie [his partner, PF] wanted us to leave, because he was becoming very annoyed with my questions. I am of the opinion that this guy had something very wrong with him, in a psychological way. A nutter...
I don't know whether this means anything to you but I would stay well away from this idiot, he seems dangerous to me. Have you heard of him ? "
Victorian ends his article by stating that in his telephone
conversations with Schnabel:
"His use of certain words left no doubt in my mind about the length and the depth of the problem we were faced with. Some of the vocabulary he used is used only by Intelligence officers or their recruits. In the course of over two decades that I have been engaged as a researcher within Intelligence, only those who have had an intelligence or related career used terms such as "Burnt Out" in the context of their conversations: "Its extremely strenuous work and, you know, sometimes people become BURNED OUT after only a few years...". He also alleges that a voice-stress analysis conducted by an "official government body in the U.S. has proved beyond any shadow of doubt that he [Schnabel] spoke the truth in his telephone conversations with me."
Unfortunately Victorian doesn't name the organisation that has
apparently carried out this irreproachable method of proving
researcher's links with shadowy intelligence agencies.
Victorian ends his article with a mighty swipe at Stacy and
Andrus, accusing them of being "punch-drunk editors"
and "sleazy directors" who have betrayed UFOlogy and
left "the Schnabels and Irvings [to] slaughter what is left
of the field."
Phew ! We'll keep you informed about this one....
In vol 11 no 4 of UFO Magazine (the official
publication of "Quest International Publications Ltd"),
Victorian goes on to allege that Rosemary Ellen-Guiley of the
Centre for North American Crop Circle Studies (NACCS) is a
member of a secret group of intelligence agents known as the
Aviary. The members of this group are shown in the panel at the
top of this page. Now I presume that the three CIA
operatives and David Lemmons are the four people George Wingfield
went out to lunch with on his trip to Washington D.C. last
September. It seems that these secret undercover agents were
foolish enough to declare their membership of the CIA over
a meal !!! Rule 1 for Spies - Never go out to lunch with George
Wingfield.
UFO Magazine also discusses a claim made by Victorian
at the September 1992 Quest Conference in Leeds (the one when
Schnabel challenged him about his conviction at the Old Bailey
for being a rare orchid smuggler). I am very grateful to the IUN's
Allan Scathes for sending me a transcript of part of Victorian's
lecture at this conference. In it, Victorian plays a tape
recording of a conversation he has with someone who allegedly was
responsible for archiving U.S. Presidential orders. This person
apparently confirms Victorian's suspicion that the MJ-12
documents (about the recovery of an alien spaceship at Roswell,
New Mexico in 1947 by the U.S. Government) were apparently faked
[oh god, how on earth can you go on living ?].
This is another Paranet Bulletin Board article which is
doing the rounds - and its a real scream !!! The authors are Dan
Smith and Rosemary Ellen Guiley, both Directors of the Center for
North American Crop Circle Studies, and they begin with:
"We stand accused, according to various rumors that are
circulating, of being key figures in one of the greatest
conspiracies ever to hit the paranormal field. Well, golly, ...
shucks, folks...".
This must be the most bizarre item I've seen for some time as
both seem quite happy for these rumours to continue swirling
around ("Those who love rumors will continue to believe in
them and spread them, regardless of what we say"). Even more
bizarrely, both turn out to be members of a group of
eschatologists - people studying the end of the world -and their
project is "like a Manhattan Project going on behind the
scenes of alien grays and praying mantises having sex with
humans". Well, some people get all the luck don't they ! It
seems that crop circles are just one part of a great
"eschaton event" which is about to hit us...
"The Manhattan Project relative to the eschaton is a global civilian network of people who will serve as a lightning rod for the cosmic energies coming in during the consciousness revolution. They will be looking to channel these energies into expanded realities. Thus, they will provide a degree of protection for those people who can find their places alongside the network. Outside of the network there will be greater levels of trauma and confusion." .
You can say that again ! Turning to now infamous
"Lunch", this is what they have to say:
"Now Wingfield comes along to stir the pot even more, talking about a CIA lunch we three were at last year, showing in his lectures a slide of Rosemary seated next to a member of the Aviary. The implication is that this was the Big Approach to Compromise George. Sorry, George, it ain't so..."
Apparently "The Lunch" was organised by Dan Smith as
part of a "networking effort". This took place on April
15th, 1992 at a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia.
"Besides ourselves and George, participants included George's wife, Gloria, three employees of the CIA and an outside colleague of theirs. None of us knew in advance what would be discussed. Conversation centred on eschatology, crop circles, and an explanation of the Aviary given to George by 'The Pelican'... Afterward, George wondered what it was all about. The answers are obvious, but they won't be found in rumours....".
If readers wish to find out more about the "eschaton
event", write to P.O. Box 4766, Lutherville, MD 21094,
U.S.A. Don't forget to take your new reality with you.
Finally, someone has kindly sent me a copy of George
Wingfield's editorial - the one Michael Green chopped from The
Circular after it had been printed. I won't waste any more
space on this long- running farce, but the key statement is in
paragraph three:
"In the following candid-interview Schnabel reveals his work as a paid disinformation agent working for an unnamed western intelligence organisation."
This directly contradicts Wingfield's statement in his letter
to the MUFON UFO Journal, where he claims that "No one has
actually said that he belongs to CIA, XYZ, or any other
organization, but his curious behaviour might well make one think
so." Presumably Wingfield forgot about this allegation
(which, rather fortuitously was never published) when he wrote
his letter to MUFON UFO Journal in January 1993. The
photographs that would have appeared with this Editorial are:
(1) Jim Schnabel walking away after receiving his prize for coming second in the Cerealogist's circlefaking competition at West Wycombe,
(2) a photo of Robert Irving, and
(3) a photo of the Froxfield formation.
Reading through Michael Green's ditched editorial for the
October 1992 issue of The Circular one is left in no doubt
that the Schnabel-Irving Swangate hoax was accepted in full by
the CCCS hierarchy. Of course, an organisation whose
leading illuminati fall for a hoax of this nature can never claim
to be a scientific research group genuinely seeking the truth
behind an anomaly, but Green still has a damn good try. Despite
his group's demonstrable suppression of every single scrap of
evidence which proves that:
- most circles are man-made hoaxes (ie direct confessions,
multiple arrests, etc) , and that
- a few may be created by an ill-understood meteorological
phenomenon (eye witness testimony, etc),
Green continues to claim that CCCS is an organization
conducting proper scientific research in the grip of
"well-funded, organised activity" by a "highly
proficient international group... The CCCS has no doubt that
further well-orchestrated attempts will be made to destroy the
crop circle subject in public perception as a genuine
phenomenon."
This astonishing sequence of claim and counter-claim is all
part and parcel of how a small minority of so-called researchers
conduct themselves. The crop circle conspiracy game has now taken
on new significance as a small group of alien-intelligence
believers at the very heart of the CCCS try to deny the
reality of mass crop-circle hoaxing. A variation on the MJ-12
Hoax is being invented in order to keep the crop circle myth from
dying. No opportunity is being spared in this bitter struggle to
deny what Schnabel and Irving discovered during their under-cover
activities in the Beckhampton Crop Circle Group. In years to come
the untruths promoted in these sources will be used to perpetuate
a belief that crop circles have some exotic paranormal causation.
The winners in this battle will be the flying saucer believers
who created the crop circle myth in the first place. The losers
will be the farmers and those people who pay good money to buy
books which suppress the slightest hint of the numerous
documented facts which detract from the flying saucer solution.
Readers may think that in my writings I have developed a feverish
fixation with criticising and discrediting certain members of the CCCS.
I refute this categorically. More than half my subscribers are CCCS
members and I know quite a few of them personally. In general
they are relatively sensible people who don't hold sensational
views, want to know what's going on and who usually behave
impeccably towards those of us who support a rational solution.
The problem I have with the CCCS relates solely to the
activities of a few prominent members who repeatedly make untrue
statements to the press, who accuse their opponents of
embellishing evidence merely because witnesses report seeing
things these "leading cerealogists" would prefer them
not to see, who falsely claim the credit for other researcher's
work and who keep the facts about hoaxing and eye witness
testimony from the public. In this way a very small group of
people have perpetrated an Anomaly Fraud, what Doug Bower calls
the "conning of the people". Normally UFO frauds
involve small amounts of money made by conning thousands of
people into buying books. In the case of crop circles we have
something completely different, for the cerealogists have created
a mythology which is encouraging mass trespass and criminal
damage by hoaxers. In my opinion the public promotion of this
Fraud will ultimately have to be defended in a Court of Law if
researchers like Armen Victorian and George Wingfield continue to
incite mass crop circle hoaxing merely to reinforce their own
peculiar views about the world we live in.
Paul Fuller.