CNI News - Volume 18.9 May 30, 1996 Published by the ISCNI News Center Editor: Michael Lindemann The stories in this edition of CNI News are: 1) WHERE ARE THOSE IMPLANT TEST RESULTS, ANYWAY? Objects Removed Last August Will Get 2nd Round of Tests 2) NAVAJO DEITIES REPORTEDLY SEEN - THOUSANDS VISIT SITE Bring Warnings of Danger Ahead, Say Witnesses 3) CONTROVERSY DOGS NBC'S "MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS OF MAN" Academics Want TV Special Banned From Airwaves 4) HOUSE VOTES TO KEEP INTELLIGENCE BUDGET SECRET 5) BEFORE YOU GET ALL EXCITED... "EON 4" IS MAKE-BELIEVE! ISCNI encourages you to respond to stories in CNI News. * Public responses can be posted on the Forum message board in "News Center Feedback" * Private responses can be emailed to ISCNI, subj: CNI News Editor The subject matter of CNI News is inherently controversial, and the views and opinions reported in the news are not necessarily those of ISCNI or its staff. The next edition of CNI News will appear on Monday, June 3. ======================================================== 1) WHERE ARE THOSE IMPLANT TEST RESULTS, ANYWAY? Objects Removed Last August Will Get 2nd Round of Tests As reported previously in CNI News, the investigative team headed by Houston-based hypnotherapist Derrel Sims and Southern California physician Dr. Roger Leir removed unusual objects, possibly "alien implants," from two people last August. So far, nine months later, almost nothing has been said about the tests that were to have been run on these objects, giving rise to speculation that nothing noteworthy was found. CNI News asked Dale Musser, a close associate of Derrel Sims in Houston, to clarify the status of the testing. "The first round of tests have been completed at a cost of over $16,000 by a number of scientists," Musser wrote back. "We are witholding the results until they can be confirmed by a second set of scientists and tests." CNI News pointed out that public impatience and suspicion was mounting. Musser replied: "At this point we don't particulary care what the impatient public thinks or says. We get blasted if we don't release information prematurely, and then get fried when we do release information without all the tests being run. We decided that from now on we're going to wait until all tests have been completed and confirmed. That way only the impatient will be frustrated, and no one can say we didn't follow ALL the scientific protocols. "As you can see by the cost of the first round of tests, this is not cheap, and finding qualified scientists to do the tests and then arranging for it takes time. It doesn't happen over night," he said. CNI News asked for any details of the test results that could be divulged at this time. Musser replied: "I will say that what the test results show will raise more than a few eyebrows (if the test results are confirmed). Even I was surprised, and I was the one who first suspected that we'd find nerve fibers around implants." Dr. Roger Leir had previously announced that organic material around the removed objects contained unexpected amounts of nerve tissue. Musser would not elaborate on those findings, but added: "As it appears now, the August 95 objects are definitely NOT common everyday objects." Derrel Sims has repeatedly promised CNI News access to further information as soon as test results can be released. At the moment it is not clear how soon that will be. Meanwhile, a second set of objects, removed from three people by the Sims/Leir team on May 18, are also undergoing testing, but no results have yet been announced. CNI News editor Michael Lindemann spoke by phone on May 29 with one of the women from whom an object was removed on May 18. Lindemann asked her if she felt any different following the removal of the object from her leg. She said she had not noticed any change at all in her physical or mental condition. The surgery had been very simple and had not caused any complications or after-effects. This woman believes herself to be an abductee, but said she was not aware of any abduction episodes since the surgery. Nor had she had any unusual dreams or any other occurrence that might be related to the removal of the object, she said. CNI News will continue to follow this developing story. ======================================================== 2) NAVAJO DEITIES REPORTEDLY SEEN - THOUSANDS VISIT SITE Bring Warnings of Danger Ahead, Say Witnesses [This article ran May 28 in the Arizona Republic newspaper, written by Bill Donovan.] WINDOW ROCK - Thousands of Navajo pilgrims have traveled to the small outpost of Rocky Ridge in the past few weeks, drawn by what a 96-year-old woman and her daughter saw outside their hogan. On the morning of May 3, Irene Yazzie, who had not spoken for several months because of a stroke, turned to her daughter and said someone was coming to their home near Big Mountain, north of Flagstaff. About noon, the two heard a loud noise outside, followed by a knocking. They opened the door to see two tall, elderly Navajo men. One told them not to be afraid, that they were two of the more than 100 Navajo deities, who assist in all aspects of Navajo life. They had appeared before Yazzie and her daughter, Sarah Begay, to ask why the deities no longer are receiving prayers from the people. They warned that if the Navajos continue to forsake tribal traditions, they face grave danger in the future, and Navajo deities would not be able to help. The men vanished seconds later, leaving only footprints and a sprinkling of corn pollen, which traditional Navajos scatter during prayer. Since the story began circulating, the wind has swept away the pollen and nearly obliterated the footprints. But thousands of Navajos have visited the Begay home each day, leaving corn pollen, saying prayers and wanting to see what traditionalists say is the third visit by Navajo deities to their people this century. A former historian for the tribe said his research revealed that deities appeared in the 1930s and 1950s. In each case, the deity appeared to elderly Navajo women during a time of drought. "We heard stories for several days about the visit," said Irene Atcitty, who was with a group of 20 Shiprock, N.M.-area residents who recently traveled the more than 200 miles to visit the site. "I felt my family needed to see firsthand what this was all about." When her group arrived at the Begay family's cluster of hogans, Atcitty said, about 30 other Navajos were already there. Some had traveled from as far away as San Diego to bring sacred objects as tribute to the deities. Begay could not be reached for comment. Yazzie has not spoken since the deities appeared. "We were told that Sarah has told the story of the visits so many times that she lost her voice," Atcitty said. Leaders of the community of Hard Rocks, which is the closest settlement of any notable size, have gotten so many inquiries about how to find the site that they have printed a map for Navajos. Lorenzo Yazzie, vice president of the community and not related to Irene Yazzie, said that at the request of the family, some restrictions have been set, including a ban on cameras and video recorders. The family also has requested that non-Indians not be allowed at the site, he said. A number of Navajo tribal leaders have visited the place, including President Albert Hale. In a memo, he urged the government's 5,000 Navajo employees to visit the site and gave them four hours off anytime last week to do so. "This is a significant event to Navajo people everywhere," his memo said. Annette Brown, public-information officer for the Navajo Nation, said her office has received calls from off-reservation television stations and newspapers asking for more information. But at the request of the Begays, Hale will release nothing further. The "Navajo Times," the tribe's weekly newspaper, is holding off printing a story about the visit of the deities until the Begay family approves its release and ceremonies are conducted at the home. "That's where native publications differ from those in the mainstream," editor Tom Arviso said. "We are not going to print the story just because we want to sell a lot of newspapers." Navajo officials said the Begay family and neighbors have expressed concern about security because of all the traffic into the area at all hours. It is hard for the Navajos to provide security, however, because the Begay hogans are within lands partitioned to the Hopi Tribe in 1974 as part of an effort to resolve a century-old land dispute. Ferrell Secakuku, chairman of the Hopis, visited the site and heard the story from members of Begay's family. A tribal spokesman said Secakuku discussed providing security at the site, but family members indicated they wanted to wait until the ceremonies are conducted. Ruth Roessel, who teaches Navajo culture on the reservation, said the story of the deities' visit may inspire more Navajos to observe traditions, which many Navajos have abandoned over the past 20 years. "This may wake some people up," Roessel said. ======================================================== 3) CONTROVERSY DOGS NBC'S "MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS OF MAN" Academics Want TV Special Banned From Airwaves [NBC issued the following press release on May 29 concerning their controversial special, which will be rebroadcast on June 8.] NBC's "The Mysterious Origins of Man" sparked heated controversy within the academic community when originally broadcast February 25, 1996, and will be rebroadcast on Saturday, June 8 (8-9 p.m. ET). Professors of science and anthropology from some of the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities voiced strong opinions about some of the theories in the special, which challenged long-accepted beliefs about man's beginnings. The program presented startling evidence suggesting man may have made the climb from Stone Age to civilization more than once; that present-day man is just the latest in this cycle, and that Darwin's Theory of Evolution has serious flaws. "Our goal was simply to present the public with evidence which suggests an alternative view to some of our most accepted theories," said producer Bill Cote. "We questioned fundamental issues that they (some scientists) felt should not be questioned. The bottom line is, the world is bigger than scientists can explain, and some of them want us to believe they can explain everything. "We expected some controversy when we produced this show," Cote continued, "but no one was prepared for the enormous cry of outrage from members of the scientific community." Hundreds of messages jammed Cote's special online website (http:www.bcvideo.com/bcvideo) following the program, and activity continues on several sites dedicated to the program. "While many viewers, including some scientists, praised the production as 'a great accomplishment and contributing to public education,'" says Cote, "many scientists expressed outrage and criticism." [CNI News editor Michael Lindemann comments: I saw the program the first time it aired. It is excellent and should be seen. The information presented in this program does not add up to a clear picture of "what really happened," but does impressively challenge conventional wisdom. The academic reaction is sadly predictable and bears an almost absurd similarity to the orginal vehement reaction against Darwin -- whose theory is now considered sacrosanct by those most opposed to NBC's program. But the best paleontologists in the business, including the telegenic Steven J. Gould, have openly admitted to glaring problems with Darwin's theory. Only small minds (alas, how many there are!) are unwilling to give these new ideas a fair hearing. And when the evidence is presented, it is remarkable -- and yes, it may upset the status quo. So be it.] ======================================================== 4) HOUSE VOTES TO KEEP INTELLIGENCE BUDGET SECRET [This story was published in ACLU News on May 23.] In a blow to open government, the House of Representatives has rejected a move by the Clinton Administration to -- for the first time -- make public the overall national intelligence budget, The Washington Post reported on May 23. The rejection came on a vote of 248 to 176 on an amendment to a bill that would fund the CIA and 11 other, mostly Pentagon-based, intelligence agencies. The ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] had supported the amendment, saying that "taxpayers have a right to know what their tax dollars support." But the Post said that House Intelligence Chairman Larry Combest, R-TX, opposed disclosure in committee and led the opposition on the floor yesterday. He said making the overall figure public inevitably would lead to disclosure of individual intelligence accounts, which, he said, could harm clandestine sources and methods. ACLU Legislative Counsel Gregory T. Nojeim disagreed. "Disclosure of the bottom-line figure is the absolute minimum that Congress should do to make the intelligence agencies accountable to the American public," he said. "All of these intelligence agencies have acknowledged that any Cold War justification for keeping the total budget secret has passed." [CNI News comments: The Clinton Administration is to be commended for trying to bring this information into the open, even if unsuccessfully. However, it is deplorable that the House voted to maintain blanket secrecy over the entire intelligence budget. In the recent past, massive abuse of secret funds by several agencies, including the NSA and NRO, have been disclosed, and these abuses are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Until public accountability is brought back into balance with the demands of national security, democracy in America is in serious jeopardy.] ======================================================== 5) BEFORE YOU GET ALL EXCITED... "EON 4" IS MAKE-BELIEVE! It seems like everyone is talking about the new hi-tech web site called EON 4. Part of the discussion centers on whether or not the depicted stories of human-alien contact have any truth to them. According to an article dated May 13 in Advertising Age magazine: "'EON-4,' created by the producers of such TV shows as 'Alien Nation' and 'Sea Quest DSV,' has a cast of more than 20 and a yearly budget of $1 million. The daily series... chronicles the experiences of three astronauts who travel to a distant galaxy at the invitation of an advanced alien culture." But it's all make-believe, folks. ISCNI's message board coordinator Michelle LaVigne, who also edits the journal "Contact Forum," sent us the following: "I did a section on EON 4 for the NET CONNECTION section of Contact Forum Magazine. I ended up, after some time, connecting with the people at APPLE who are responsible for the site. "The truth is (and believe me, I looked way down into it) IT IS A HOAX! "Apple is using the site for publicity, to show the versatility of their site creation department. The premise is that this site will generate a lot of talk, get a lot of hits.... and repete hits... and get people talking about it all over the news groups etc. ... and then APPLE will be able to show this to their clients to support the effectiveness of their sites." CNI News notes that, so far, Apple's strategy seems to be working. # # #