Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 3, Issue 1
04/12/98
by Rod Keller [rkeller@voicenet.com]
copyright 1998

Contents

1. American Family Foundation
2. ATG
3. CAN
4. Clearwater
5. FBI
6. Germany
7. Austria
8. Grady Ward
9. Keith Henson
10. Boston Herald
11. Picket Summary
12. Airplane Crash
13. Konrad Aigner
14. Sweden
15. Switzerland
16. Web Flood
17. Garry Scarff

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant
postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding
week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as
they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of
significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors,
whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a
kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some
of the most significant postings. 


The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles
posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original
articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to
find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles
in the newsgroup before expiring them. 


Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at 
rkeller@voicenet.com
It is archived at:
        http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
        http://www.thur.de/religio/publik/arsfaq.html
        http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/
        http://www.ecis.com/~mallen/scn/arswr/ars-summary.html
        http://alfa.ist.utl.pt/~dif/ic/reviews.htm


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American Family Foundation

"This conference brings together a variety of experts who will analyze the victimization, treatment, and recovery of child cult victims from a diverse array of perspectives. Some are former cult members who will describe their own personal experiences. Others are mental health and legal professionals who will describe their professional experience. Conference participants will gain knowledge and insights into prevention of victimization as well as treatment and recovery strategies.

"Conference Speakers: Robin A. Boyle Esq., Professor, St John's University School of Law (NY); Donna Collins, raised in Unification Church by parents who were the founders and leaders of the Unification Church in Great Britain.; Randy Kandel, Esq., J.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Loyola Law School (CA); Michael Langone, Ph.D., Executive Director & Director of Research, AFF; Editor, Cultic Studies Journal; Herbert L. Rosedale, Esq., President, AFF; Parker, Chapin, Flattau & Klimpl (NY); Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D., Emeritus Adjunct Professor of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley; author of Cults in Our Midst; Andrew Skolnick, Science and Medical Writer; Louis J. West, M.D. Director Emeritus, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California at Los Angeles."

http://www.csj.org/conference/conference98_overview.htm
Message-ID: <6gleii$sla@edrn.newsguy.com>

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ATG

"I would be extremely interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter. Also, any references you can provide to supporting materials in REFEREED journals would be greatly appreciated. I would be particularly interested in hearing your assessment of this excerpt from an affidavit at the Oregon Department of Justice web site: 'Structure Probe found no support for the claim that the presence of the SuperGlobe promotes the formation of IE structures, and no support for the claim that those structures exist in any of the samples. No structures were observed in the SuperGlobe or in either of the vials supplied by ATG. Having reviewed the supporting materials, I conclude further that there is no theoretical basis for believing that the structures described as 'IE' do or could exist, let alone be stable, at room temperatures or anything approaching room temperatures.'"

Mark received a letter from Harold Rapp of ATG attempting to discourage Mark from his investigation.

"You have made assertions and statements, raising issues that are in error and which may seriously damage ATG. We may seek to hold you responsible for any such damage. Defamatory assertions by you will not be tolerated, and appropriate legal action will be taken as the situation dictates. ATG is not aligned with Scientology. Ironically, certain individual Scientologists have characterized ATG and its current management as being anti-Scientology. If you are a Scientology antagonist, that is your choosing. However, do not make characterizations about us which are absolutely false. For your information, we do not ask people their religious affiliation, nor do we care about it.

"We do not know what your ulterior motive is in the campaign you are waging against us. We are aware that there is a substantial short position in the trading of our stock, and that those shorts would prefer never to have to cover their positions. The best way for this to happen is for the company to go out of existence. One of the ways the shorts assault companies is to raise erroneous claims and make defamatory accusations against companies like those you are making in the hopes of driving shareholders away. This is illegal. I can assure you that ATG is poised for tremendous success, and we will not go out of business. Let me say again, we will defend our science against individuals like you."

The ATEG web page listing their advisory board was subsequently removed.

Message-ID: <352826fd.31867966@news.newsguy.com>
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CAN

"A federal appeals court has upheld a verdict against an anti-cult group that abducted and attempted to 'deprogram' a member of a Pentecostal Christian church. The ruling late Wednesday by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals here let stand the verdict against the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), which must now pay $875,000 in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages to Jason Scott.

"'This decision is a milestone for religious and civil rights in America and the end of an era of anti-religious fanaticism,' said Scott's attorney Kendrick Moxon.

"According to testimony at the original trial, Scott was abducted by three men, bound, gagged and blindfolded, and held for five days. During this time, a 'deprogrammer' tried to get Scott to renounce his membership of the Life Tabernacle Church, a branch of the United Pentecostal Church International. Scott escaped after pretending to renounce his beliefs, the court was told.

>From the Associated Press:

"There was evidence to support a jury's finding that a volunteer was acting on behalf of the Cult Awareness Network when she referred the mother, Kathy Tonkin of Kirkland, Wash., to deprogrammer Rick Ross, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in its 2-1 ruling Wednesday. Tonkin had joined the Life Tabernacle Church, a branch of the United Pentecostal Church, with her six children in 1991. She left less than two years later, but her three oldest sons wanted to stay. Two, aged 16 and 13, were involuntarily deprogrammed by Ross, but Jason Scott, 18, resisted after being abducted and held captive for five days, the court said.

"Paul Lawrence, a lawyer for the original Cult Organization Network, said Tuesday his client still exists and has a board of directors. But he declined to say what the group was called or whether there was any likelihood the damages would be paid.

"Lawyers said Scott, after the verdict, sold his rights in the case to a Los Angeles businessman, Gary Beeny. Kendrick Moxon, who formerly represented Scott, now represents Beeny and is also a lawyer for the Church of Scientology. He said Beeny bought the rights to the verdict as 'a private investment' and not on behalf of the church.

"The status of the parties was not mentioned by the appeals court, which focused on whether CAN was responsible for the actions of Shirley Landa, who referred Scott's mother to Ross. Landa was affiliated with several cult-related organizations and was CAN's Washington state 'contact.' She knew of Ross' practices, which had been shown on CBS' '48 Hours,' the court said. CAN had also referred people to Ross. On the other hand, according to the dissenting judge, Tonkin had never heard of CAN when she called Landa on a local community service hot line."

Message-ID: <352d7eb2.81479010@nntp.ix.netcom.com>
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http://www.sjmercury.com/breaking/docs/055884.htm
http://www.rickross.com

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Clearwater

"There was a five minute report on how former Clearwater Mayor Gabe Cazares perceives the ongoing occupation of downtown Clearwater by the 'Church of Scientology'. Mr. Cazares lead the reporters through parts of Clearwater where scientologists purchased very many premises through the last 20 years. The TV team and Mr. Cazares were followed closely all the time by scientology official Brian Anderson who, when asked, said he wanted to know everything that's being said. Mr. Cazares mentioned the scientology secret service, the 'Office of Special Affairs', OSA.

"Then a short interview with attorney Ken Dandar and (I think) Dell Liebreich about the ongoing lawsuit against scientology concerning this suspicious incident."

Message-ID: <6gl9a0$v3f$1@ichabod.han.de>

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FBI

"May I bring to your attention an individual whose Nazi activities, in time of national emergency if not at present, might constitute him a menace to the state?

"The name is Walter Fast, a German whose sister is a member of the Gestapo in Germany. His anti-American discourses concern in the main what we would do in case we went to war with Germany, and he never speaks for publication along this line but only privately. As steward of the Knickerbocker Hotel he supports an almost entirely German staff, discourgaing [sic] the employment of Americans. He entered this country illegally, according to his private statement. In my opinion he is definitely 'fifth column'. He can be found at the Knickerbocker Hotel, 120 W. 45th Street, NYC."

The investigation into Mr. Fast was abandoned when Hubbard could not be located.

"No effort was made to conduct investigation in the vicinity of the Hotel Knickerbocker as subject would be immediately apprised of such investigation. In view of the indefinite nature of the complaint and the inability to locate the informant in this case, this case is being closed."

>From a letter to the FBI:

"Senator Styles Bridges of New Hampshire enclosed a letter from one [BLACKED OUT] of [BLACKED OUT] letter expressed concern over the fact that one of her sons has apparently come under the influence of 'Ronald Hubbard' through the so-called art of 'Sciencology,' [sic] at one time called 'dianetics.' In his letter Senator Bridges states that he would appreciate getting a report on the 'cult' which he could pass along to [BLACKED OUT] in connection with her inquiries. Bufiles indicate cordial relations with Senator Bridges, and there has been correspondence with [BLACKED OUT] who wrote to the Director in 1946 expressing appreciation for the work of the FBI and voicing her hope that Charlie Chaplin would be dealt with firmly for his insulting remarks regarding 'the American Gestapo.'

"Bufiles indicate that Hubbard has written a number of letters to the Bureau which were not acknowledged because of their rambling, meaningless nature and lack of any pertinence to Bureau interests. An appropriate notation concerning Hubbard is maintained in the Crime Records Section."

>From a March, 1957 letter:

"The Hubbard Association of Scientologists International 37, Fitzroy Street, London, W.1., England.

"The association claims that at the present time, in Washington, D.C., selected personnel are being taught and trained by Association staff for the United States Government that they may be utilised as a hard core of instructors in the U.S. Armed Forces, so as to reduce the risk among the armed forces of alienated loyalties and subversive activities."

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Germany

"Scientology is, according to civil rights attorney Graham Berry from Los Angeles, an organization that 'uses religion as a cloak to cover its commercial characteristics and criminal conduct.' The goal of Scientology, he said, is nothing else but world domination. The attorney, who represents those injured by the sect in the USA, is an expert on the controversial organization. Ursula Caberta, leader of the Hamburg Task Group on Scientology, had invited him to Hamburg while she was on a trip to the USA.

"What the members believe in is their own concern, but their practices should be subject to certain rules. When somebody molests their critics and withholds human rights from their own members, 'I have my difficulties with that,' said Berry.

>From Mainpost:

"The audience listened intently in the nearly full Georgi Hall. For three hours Renate Hartwig put them under her spell with information on Scientology. The 49 year old speaker effectively described her progress as the highest-profile Scientology critic of Germany. Her efforts to publicize, as widely as possible, the machinations of the sect which seeks world control, have been paid for dearly. While her daughter has been supporting her mother's work, Hartwig's oldest son has changed his name and disowned her.

"Hartwig told how people fall into the clutches of Scientology. It happens mainly through advertisements. If an interested person takes the offered test, he is advised to take more courses. The goal of these seminars is brainwashing. The old thought patterns are dissolved, and the person is ideologically re-designed from scratch."

>From Berliner Zeitung:

"The recommendation sounds a little like John Wayne. 'Kurt Fliegerbauer has to leave this town,' said Dieter Riemann. 'There is no other solution.' Rieman is the SPD council member of Saxon Zwickau. Fliegerbauer comes from Munich. He is a real estate dealer, and amounts to one of the biggest private investors in Zwickau. At a meeting about 'psycho-sects,' he made a confession. 'I am a member of Scientology.' His admission made some big waves, because many local politicians had ignored prior warnings that the 'powerful businessman' was one of the top German Scientologists, who has paid a six figure sum to the sect. The leading town members, however, believed the man from Munich when he told them he had 'only taken a few courses.' He said there was 'no connection' between his company and the sect.

"However, it can be proven that, as a result of a Scientology Committee of Evidence, that Fliegerbauer undertook a 'business opportunity' in Zwickau. One of his foremen was still trying to recruit sub-contractors for Scientology in 1997. After Fliegerbauer's surprise outing, the federal representative from Zwickau, Michael Luther (CDU), demanded that companies only receive public contracts if they give a written declaration that they have no connection with the sect. In this way, he wants to 'prevent a transformation of the commercial structure in the Zwickau region by Scientology.'"

>From Mainpost:

"'They take the fullness and brightness of life from people and make them into moral cripples. But the most important thing: above all they want the money of their victim.' It was a sinister scenario of sects and their methods that Ursula Hoff drew in the Salz stadium. On behalf of the Hanns-Seidel Foundation she reported on the enticements and dangers of sects. 'Unfortunately I can describe myself as an expert, since I have lost my only daughter to the Scientology sect,' declared the speaker.

"Hoff also addressed the infiltration of companies and of the civil service by Scientology. She explicitly praised the Bavaria's drive to give applicants for the civil service a thorough investigation. 'Scientology is after world control; such positions are indispensable,' she stated."

>From Fuldaer Zeitung:

"A member of the Scientology organization may, according to a decision of a state social court in Mainz, continue to act as a broker for 'Au Pair' girls. This decision was confirmed last Wednesday by a speaker of the state employment office of Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland, Albert Fuchs. In December, 1994, the woman had obtained permission from the state employment office to be a private agent for 'Au Pair' girls. As she designated herself as a Scientologist, the permission was revoked in May, 1995. The Mainz social court agreed with the labor office in the first decision. The judge decided that the mission of the state employment agency included neither membership in the organization, nor the determination as to whether a danger existed that the woman would promote Scientology."

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http://www.diepresse.at/aktuell/innenpolitik-11.html
http://www.mainpost.de/news/art/show.phtml?id=article57WEZ
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http://www.fulda-online.de/db/rubdef/artikel_detail.phtml?id=22414

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Austria

"Schools have been sent Scientology material from a textbook publisher, warned the Catholic Family Association recently. Nevertheless the incident was cleared up quickly, and turned out to be not very extensive. It was not the textbook publisher, but an employee in the distribution department of the Osterreichischen Bundesverlags (OBV), who included a comprehensive brochure on Scientology in about 20 shippings one day. Among the recipients was the Wiedner School. The employee, who turned out to be a Scientology member, was dismissed without notice."

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Grady Ward

"Lieberman and Kobrin represented the plaintiff and Grady Ward of course represented himself. Both side likely congratulated themselves on the outcome. Ray apparently did not claim responsibility for certain numbered Scamizdats. Ray did admit that he was part of the Scamizdat movement, had published an extensive amount of the Advanced Technology, was fluent in PGP, anonymous remailers, and in fact had used two pseudonyms to publish the cult material. The cult's role in Obstruction of Justice and the harassment of Ray Randolph and his mother also came out, which was unexpectedly corroborated by a sworn declaration of Kendrick Moxon that Ward put into evidence.

"Meanwhile, Kobrin added yet more changes to the Joint Pretrial Statement which has ballooned to almost 300 pages and about 1000 exhibits, including exhibits taken from the pretrial statement itself. The deposition of Rhea Smith and Jean Carnaghan is now set for April 16, 1998 in Glendale, California. No new trial date has been set in the RTC v Ward matter."

"I just got a waiver of summons in the mail for a *new* lawsuit filed against me in RTC v. Ward. While no complaint was mailed to me it has something to do with 28 USC 157(d) which has something to do with withdrawing a case from bankruptcy court to district court. The cult has filed an adversary action in my bankruptcy case in order to challenge my discharge of any potential liability to the cult under chapter 7. The cult apparently wants to consolidate the actions in district court where it senses a more favorable judges and triers of fact. I have filed a RICO counterclaim in the bankruptcy suit, which the cult has challenged under FRCivP rule 12."

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Keith Henson

"The parties are ordered to appear for a pretrial conference on April 22, 1998 at 2:00 pm. The parties should be prepared to discuss the following issues: Whether this case should be consolidated with the related case RTC v. Ward, Case No. C-96-20207, for trial; The trial schedule; Estimated length of the proceedings; and Available trial dates in April, May, and June."

Message-ID: <hkhensonEr8D4t.Isr@netcom.com>

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Boston Herald

"Even in the context of the Church of Scientology's unintentionally humorous attack-pamphlet on the Boston Herald, titled Merchants of Sensationalism: How a Newspaper Sold Its Journalistic Soul, the photo of church critic Gerald Armstrong stands out. Beneath a line that reads 'another Herald 'source,', a naked, blissed-out-looking man holds a globe against his lap. There's just a slight problem: Armstrong may be a bit peculiar,but he was not a Herald source. In fact, Herald reporter Joseph Mallia's massive five-day March series, 'Scientology Unmasked,' mentions Armstrong only once -- a sidebar notes briefly that he won a lawsuit against the church in 1984. 'We did not use that man in any way, shape, or form as a primary source on anything in that series,' says Andrew Gully, the Herald's managing editor for news.

"The attack on Armstrong is hardly the only questionable element of the Scientology pamphlet. It is asserted that the Herald got no bounce from its stories because 'their fellow media apparently smelled a rat -- and the series failed to generate interest.' Yet the series was the subject of largely favorable programs on WGBH-TV's Greater Boston and WBZ Radio's David Brudnoy Show, and got a positive mention in the Phoenix as well. Among the 'prominent and influential members of the community' cited as being offended by the Herald series is attorney Earle Cooley. Yet the pamphlet fails to mention that Cooley, chairman of the board at Boston University, is one of the lead lawyers for the Church of Scientology, and has on past occasions told journalists that he's also a church member."

Message-ID: <rnewman-ya02408000R0704981056120001@enews.newsguy.com>
http://www2.shore.net/~dkennedy/phoenix_980403cos.html

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Picket Summary

"The 'sprinkler tech' doesn't seem to be working to keep entheta away. They're soaking their signs and it looks like they're going to rot them out with the ivy. The weekly Saturday party started at about 11:00 with just me. This time, they had the sprinklers running (in the rain) before I got there. The ivy has grown so much now that it covers the sprinkler heads in the middle section, so all it does there is rot the ivy, leaving a nice dry area to picket in. Shortly thereafter, Keith Henson showed up. A short while later, another SP showed up, and the three of us played in the sprinklers while the SoOpEr PoWeRz inside hid.

"In the last eight days, there have been eight pickets in San Jose. Saturday 11AM - two picketers; Saturday afternoon - two different picketers; Sunday 11AM - me; Monday 5:50 - three people; Tuesday 9AM - me; Tuesday Noon - me; Friday 5:30 - me; Saturday 11AM - three picketers."

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Airplane Crash

"After reviewing taped radar signals, safety investigators reported Sunday that Mr. Duncan's plane and a Cessna 525 CitationJet collided nearly head-on. Mr. Duncan, who owned the Skyhawk, appeared to be spinning out of control before the collision, witnesses said. Four metro Atlanta lawyers, all from the firm of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, also died in the crash.

"Memorial service plans for Mr. Duncan, whose body will be cremated, will be announced by Castellaw Funeral Home in Smyrna. He was a Scientologist, his wife said, and the service likely will be held this weekend at the Church of Scientology on Peachtree Street."

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Konrad Aigner

"The Munich Chief District Attorney's office is now investigating. In response, Scientology refuses any responsibility for the death of the man, and is designated by the the police investigation as a 'malevolent third party under suspicion.'

"'We found piles and sacks of bills, the so-called donations to SC, they were so scattered about, we could have bundled them together in a large bag, that's how many there were. And books, all the books there were, and other documents, everything that could have had to do with SC, there you found it, in the room where Konrad lived.'

"In spite of his long-term membership, Konrad's career as a Scientologist did not run a smooth course: as soon as he would reach his Scientology course goal, he would find out that he would have to start all over again, and would have to take more expensive courses. Naturally all of this was done with the promise that one was only trying to help him to lead a successful life. Finally Konrad made what was to be for him a fateful decision: He had a lifetime position; he worked as a bus driver. He gave it up: be became an independent bus driver - Scientology would help him with that:

"In order to make more money for Scientology, Konrad did not hesitate to take out loans, even on his parents' house. His mother signed the contract, she believed her son, that he would pay everything back -- an investment in the future. That was the point of Scientology's discussion with the family.

"In Spring, 1997, a news story appeared on television about the mysterious death of an American Scientologist, Lisa McPherson. 'While the show was running, my mother said to him, look at that, what kind of thing is going on there, and he was terribly amused, he laughed. He only laughed and said that what the media was doing was a horrible injustice, nothing like that had happened, it was all made up in order to do away with SC, the people are all actors, the whole thing is made up, and I haven't seen a funnier show in a long time. That's how he reacted.' Konrad did not realize that his death would prove to be parallel to that of the American.

"How Konrad spent the last days of his life has not been fully explained. Bernd had found out that his brother apparently received the assignment to drive Scientologists to Frankfurt am Main. They demonstrated there on July 21 for 'religious freedom' and against the 'suppression of Scientology' in Germany. On the way there Konrad got into an accident with his bus - a moving violation. Konrad left the bus there and several Scientologists drove with their own cars to Frankfurt. Konrad rented a car, which again, was involved in a slight accident. The driver was not Konrad, but a woman, apparently also a Scientologist. Arriving at a Frankfurt hotel, a waiter allegedly noticed that Konrad was not doing well.

"'The emergency doctor was notified about 10:30 at night, and the emergency doctor had then said that my brother was hardly breathing when he arrived, he was with the Scientologists, be was barely still breathing, he had to resuscitate him immediately, brought him to the hospital which was two kilometers away, the Scientologists drove with him and went with him into the hospital where he then fell into a coma towards one o'clock in the morning. And stayed in a coma for three weeks and never woke up again.'

"Bills indicate that Konrad had been taking mega-doses of vitamin preparations for years. Over a month ago, more than 100 police swept through the Munich Scientology buildings. They confiscated documents by the box full; the information which comes from that is supposed to disclose what actually happened to Konrad before his death. It has not yet been determined whether the district attorney will press charges against Scientologists. Bernd estimates that his brother must have given at least 600,000 marks [about $430,000] to Scientology. Add to that the hospital bills of 40,000 marks, which must still be paid."

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Sweden

"The King of Sweden, TV3, some bigger newspapers, among them HD and the Swedish Police are described as patrons when the Scientology movement market their Swedish activities internationally. 'Of course we don't support the movement or their organisation Narconon. On the contrary there is good reasons to critically examine the different activities of Scientology' says the editor in chief of HD, Sven-Ake Olofsson. The movie says that even the King of Sweden has realized that Sweden has an answer to drug abuse.

"'It is grotesque to try to give out an impression that media, the royal family and governments in any way should have patroned or recommended the movement' says Sven-Ake Olofsson."

>From Berlin Kurier

"In a propaganda film by Scientology, which is distributed all over the world, King Carl Gustaf and his wife Silvia appear as supporters of the sect program Narconon -- without their permission. Court information chief Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg is shocked. 'The Royal Couple does not support this organization in any way. We have made contact with Scientology and demanded that the segment with the Royal Couple be edited out.'"

>From Reuters:

"Palace spokeswoman Cecilia Wilmhardt said old television footage, dating back 10 years, was used with a voice-over saying the king expressed his approval of the work of anti-drug agency Narconon, which is linked to the Scientology Church. She said the only contact the royals have had with the church was, indirectly, in 1997 when the King sent a telegram of congratulations to Narconon which was celebrating 25 years in Sweden. Wilmhardt said this was the usual procedure when organisations in Sweden celebrated a special anniversary.

"'Narconon has now apologised and they have assured us that they will withdraw the section of the video with the royal couple,' she said."

Also this week, reports that officials of the Swedish government have been officially silenced in the dispute over the secret NOTS materials being available from the parliament. From Aftenposten:

"Swedish officials have apparently let themselves be put under pressure by the USA and the Scientology Church, since they taken such a drastic measure. The Scientology Church in the USA had protested against the Swedish custom of publication, after the teachings of the Scientologists were made publicly accessible in Sweden two years ago. The sect has lost much money through this kind of publication, and the sect members themselves must pay dearly to be permitted to read their Bible. This was followed up by protest from the American government and individual members of Congress. After that the Swedish authorities suddenly decided last Fall that the Scientology Bible should be regarded as a secret matter.

"Now the Constitutional Committee is investigating this decision. In this context, the members of the committee have been muzzled -- in respect to state security. The obligation of silence means that if one of the committee should leak anything in this matter, complaints would ensue."

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Switzerland

"A German official is being held on suspicion of spying on the Church of Scientology, Swiss officials said Wednesday. An investigation has been launched into the official, who is suspected of trying to obtain information about the Los Angeles-based church from a Swiss woman, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. He is suspected of breaking Swiss law by carrying out 'illegal business for a foreign state,' working for a political information service and falsifying identification documents, it said. The man was arrested during a meeting with the Swiss woman in Basel on Monday, the office said. A judge in Bern ordered him held Tuesday. The Swiss woman was released after questioning. Neither she nor the German were identified."

"As more details emerged Thursday of a suspected attempt by a German official to spy on the Church of Scientology, a German state office apologized for an 'unintentional violation' of Swiss sovereignty. The Baden-Wuerttemberg state interior ministry in Stuttgart said in a statement that the official 'clearly exceeded his authority.' The Constitutional Protection Office's regional president has apologized in writing to Swiss federal police chief Urs von Daeniken, it added."

"Germany bailed out a security agent from prison today, apologizing for what was apparently an attempt to spy on the Church of Scientology. The agent, who has not been identified, had been detained since Monday. He is accused of having approached a Swiss lawmaker, Susanne Haller, for help in collecting information on the church, a spokesman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office said.

>From Reuters:

"The U.S.-based Church of Scientology Friday demanded that Germany stop spying on its members there and also reveal if its agents are conducting espionage activity in the United States and other countries. 'There is no question that this illegal and offensive incident in Basel is but the tip of the iceberg,' church President Rev. Heber Jentzsch wrote in his letter. Jentzsch called the Swiss incident 'the latest proof of brazen disregard by German officials for the law and international human rights agreements. 'It graphically demonstrates the disturbing escalation of hysteria and paranoia against religious minorities which has exploded in Germany.'"

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Web Flood

"It seems that passing out CD-ROMs is not getting the websites up as fast as Scn would like. Scientology has set up a passworded website so that people can create their own websites online. The person in charge is Alethea Greenberg, and she is the Scientologist On-Line Director in International Management. She can be reached at on-line@scientology.net. Scientologists are supposed to email her for a password to gain access to the following site: http://on-line.scientology.org/welcome.htm

"Or, she has a toll-free number, 888-307-7410, which I presume you can call and get your password from her. Then you log on to *their* website, create *your* website, and then submit it for approval to Scientology. When it's approved, the web site is sent to you via email. Additionally, a snail mailed copy of the copyright / trademark agreement is sent to you to sign and return."

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Garry Scarff

"Today, I was informed by the US Post Office that a "Mrs. Caroline" called asking that my PO Box be closed because her son, Garry Scarff, was moving back to Florida following the death of his mother. I received a call from Pac-Bell informing me they received 2 suspicious calls, almost simultaneously from a woman identifying herself as "Mrs. Caroline Scarff", my wife requesting that my telephone service be cancelled because I was returning to Florida. I was also informed today that a blonde woman identifying herself as "Lisa Goldman" from the Religious Technology Center has, in person, contacted the APLA (Aids Project Los Angeles) attempting to acquire confidential information about me and informing them that I am fraudentally attaining their services by falsely proclaiming I am HIV+."

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