Saint Fletcher the Obscure

[Jan Klimkowski]

Thanks to all for some fascinating posts.

Like most here, I consider Leroy Fletcher Prouty a bona fide trail-blazer in exposing both the techniques of covert operations and the big picture details of many specific covert operations.

As a filmmaker and journalist (contradictory and complementary vocations), the Donald Sutherland "Mr X" role has always struck me as dramatically and literally true. True not at the dotted 'i' and crossed 't' level, but at the level of metaphor and resonance. Crucial insider information was channelled to a key investigator at the precise moment when it could become public record, and thereafter take on a life and momentum of its own.

In short, I consider L Fletcher Prouty's information and insights to be fundamentally valuable, even if details of specific claims are ultimately found to be exaggerated or even false.

I posted the supposed Prouty letter on L Ron Hubbard and Scientology because I was interested in whether it was genuine and, if so, what light it might throw on the man himself.

David Guyatt and I have independently investigated Scientology and L Ron, and discussed this many times here on DPF.

At the fundamental level, my own view is that the Church of Scientology itself was an intelligence operation. Its cult status enabled covert human experimentation to be undertaken by intelligence agencies on a plausibly deniable basis.

However, Scientology's house organs, such as Freedom magazine, were one of the major sources of exposure of the crimes of "MK-ULTRA" (in the broad sense to refer to covert mind control programmes), and particularly the use of narco-hypno-trauma to erase memory, and to implant programming.

I'm with John Judge and Jim Hougan in unequivocally declaring Jonestown to be a covert, CIA-led, intelligence operation involving terminal human experimentation. The fact that Scientology shares this conclusion gives me pause for thought, but no more. The possibility that L Fletcher Prouty shares this conclusion is intriguing.

If the letter in my post #2 in this thread is genuine, then Prouty appears to be both familiar with, and sympathetic to, L Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology.

I note also that Hubbard was allegedly ONI.

This does not discredit Prouty in my judgement. A familiarity and sympathy with a subject does not make one a true believer.

However, it is certainly relevant information in considering L Fletcher Prouty in his entirety.

Finally, again with the working assumption that the letter is genuine, I must draw attention to the following statement by Prouty:

Unlike MI-5's Peter Wright, Ron Hubbard was of the old school. He never revealed important intelligence sources and methods.

Did L Fletcher Prouty consider himself "of the old school"?

If so, the implications are immense......