Crop Circles, Sinister Development? Part 7

File: UFO215

( Note that James Schnabel, by himself, won 2nd prize in the circle making competition in England, at West Wycome, July 11-12, 1992...He also wrote an article on "The Art of Circular Science" for The Cerealogist, No. 7, Harvest 1992, which will be available from the HUFON library in Jan. 93.) James Schnabel begins his article by describing numerous unnamed crop circle researchers as "vociferous spycriers". The story that follows is what Schnabel claims happened when in a light-hearted moment he suggested to an inquirer, "Cassave Ntumba", that "yes, it was all true, he was indeed a spy". The phone interviews actually began with Ntumba calling Rob Irving, a photographer who had worked with Schnabel on a London newspaper article about one of the circle-making groups active in Wiltshire. Schnabel says that Irving recognized Ntumba as Henry Azadehdel, recalling Henry as the person who authored a story last year about Doug Bower and Dave Chorley being spies.(remember the Doug and Dave scam?) Irving reportedly recorded the conversation, and immediately afterwards called Schnabel and a "spy-chase" plan was conceived. There were several lengthy phone conversations between Irving and Ntumba, and Schnabel and Ntumba. Schnabel summarizes most of these but adds something to the first conversation that I could not find in the suppressed interview. The "Plan", as Schnabel outlines to Ntumba, "was meant (a) to divert attention from the ultra- secret Stars Wars weapons testing which caused the circles". Unless I missed something, this was not in the original text of the Circular Interview. As Schnabel unfolds his story, he begins using single letter references to various individuals leaving the reader to only "guess" as to their identity. One example is: "So I telephoned W and asked him to relay to the elusive zadehdel that the whole thing had been a send up. I hope-I said-that you have enough sense of humor to see that this was all done in fun. To which W responded: well I'm not sure I do, Jim. I mean, I wouldn't be in the lease bit surprised if you were a spy". Other lettered identities in the story are: R, E, G, F, T, D, U, M and G, C and his good friend B. The "Plan", as Schnabel calls it, received much notoriety following the Ntumba interview. The worst unmasking according to Schnabel occurred at the UFO meet at the Leeds Civic Theater, in England, where Armen Victorian (aka: Ntumba) was to present taped conversations of international debunkers. The taped interview between Victorian and Schnabel was played causing a confrontation in which Schnabel says he attempted to convince the audience that it had all been a put-on, a sham. Schnabel narrates only a portion of the recording in his story. When I compared the two recorded conversations, some sentences were not word for word. This indicates editing by one or the other writer. Nothing important appeared missing in the two recorded dialogs. The story ends with Schnabel stating his personal feelings of the events, his believed vindication, and his relief that W's article had been pulled from the printers, and the article detailing The Plan removed. However, Irving and Schnabel believe that there still remains a "hint of unsolved mystery" to their acts as one question still remains with the cerealogists: "How had we known so much?"

As you can tell, the crop circle hoaxing issue is about to come to a nasty head. Personally, I believe that there needs to be more articles published on those persons doing valid crop circle research and less on those interfering with the phenomenon.

I spoke with our new contributor, Rosemary Ellen Guiley and discovered that she had moved again. A copy of her Center's report will be sent to me as soon as it is completed. Meanwhile, Rosemary faxed the following comments for our latest column. Her new address, phone and fax numbers are included for publication per her request.

Center For North American Crop Circle Studies

Director: Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Address: P.O. Box 4766, Lutherville, MD 21094

Phone: 410-628-1522 / Fax: 410-628-1524

December 7, 1992

Rosemary writes:

Far too much attention was devoted this summer in crop circle circles to allegations concerning disinformation, conspiracy and hoaxing. Individuals alleged to be the masterminds of a plot to debunk circles were given more credit than they deserved by noise made by some cereologists. The unfortunate result was to shift attention away from solving the mystery of the phenomenon to focus on personalities and name calling.

As for the circles themselves, in England they manifested in as mysterious shapes as before, with the signature of Goddess stronger than ever: snails, crescent moons, the knot of Isis (resembling and alpha) and the mu-at, a dumbbell with crescent that is also a sign of Isis. Overall, the activity was more low-key than the previous year, with the media paying scant attention to anything beyond the hoaxing contest done in July for the amusement of humans.

In the U.S., reported activity also was less that last year, though reports continue to trickle in to the Center for North American Crop Circle Studies (CNACCS). Illinois was once again one of the more active states. The most dramatic formation was a dumbbell in alfalfa near Fergus Falls, Minnesota. More detailed reports will be available soon from CNACCS and the North American Institute for Crop Circle Research in Winnepeg.

In closing, one final comment. An unusual bit of movement has occurred with two of the original English crop circle researchers. It is being called the "grain drain" by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Seems that both Colin Andrews and Richard Andrews (no relation) have moved their crop circle business to America. Do they know something no one else knows?

Stay tuned.

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