Conspiracies: The Facts * the Theories * the Evidence

Andy Thomas is one of the UK’s leading researchers into

unexplained mysteries and conspiracy theories. His many

books include the acclaimed
The Truth Agenda
, which explores paranormal phenomena, global cover-ups and prophecies for

these times, and
Vital Signs
, widely described as the definitive guide to the controversial crop circle phenomenon and nominated

for
Kindred Spirit
magazine’s Best Book Award.

Andy is founder of Changing Times, which holds events on

alternative views and truth issues, and runs Vital Signs Publishing, which produced Geoff Stray’s seminal book
Beyond 2012
, edited by Andy. He is also co-MC for the renowned annual UK mysteries

conference, the Glastonbury Symposium.

Andy writes and lectures extensively around the world, and

has made numerous radio and TV appearances. UK spots have

included Channel 4’s
Richard and Judy
, ITV’s
GMTV
, BBC1’s
The
One Show
and Sky1’s
Pineapple Dance Studios
; Andy has guested many times on Edge Media TV’s (Sky 200) alternative chat show

On the Edge
. Andy has also featured in television programmes in many other countries.

More information on Andy, with Facebook links, can be found

at: www.truthagenda.org

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ConspiraCies

The facTs • The Theories • The evidence

andy Thomas

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This edition first published in the UK and USA 2013 by

Watkins Publishing Ltd, Sixth Floor,

75 Wel s Street, London W1T 3QH

A member of Osprey Group

Design and typography Copyright © Watkins Publishing 2013

Text Copyright © Andy Thomas 2013

Andy Thomas has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs

and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

without prior permission in writing from the Publishers.

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Designed and typeset by JCS Publishing Services Ltd.

Printed and bound in China

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78028-508-5

www.watkinspublishing.co.uk

Distributed in the USA and Canada by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810

For information about custom editions, special sales, premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales

Department at 800-805-5489 or [email protected]

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Andy Thomas would like to thank:

Helen Sewell for manuscript proofing, endless patience and

for being my dearest love and heartfelt inspiration; Piers Adams

for early manuscript checking and valuable suggestions; Pavel

Mikoloski for alerting me to the project; Jordan Thomas for

support and much-appreciated practical help; Richard Smith

for additional information; Edge Media TV (Sky 200) and Ian

R Crane for support and opportunities; Marcus Allen of
Nexus

Magazine
for the many formative conversations years ago, without which this book would not exist.

v

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CONTENTS

1 What Is Conspiracy Theory?

1

2 Historical Conspiracies

39

3 False-Flag Conspiracies

64

4 Political Conspiracies

88

5 Assassination Conspiracies

133

6 9/11 and Related Conspiracies

170

7 Extra-Terrestrial Conspiracies

204

8 New World Order Conspiracies

225

267

Conspiracy Resources

278

Index 281

vii

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Pick a century, any century. Or a decade, a year, a month. In each you will find significant and seemingly indisputable events occurring, the kind that can change the course of human history. Yet, for every one of them, somebody, somewhere, will loudly dispute the ‘official’

account, doubting that the truth has been told. Conspiracy theories have been with us since civilization began, always whispering from the fringes, begging to be taken seriously. In certain centuries they have been, sometimes to disastrous effect, while at other times ones that perhaps should have been listened to have been perilously

ignored.

In today’s environment, with trust in authorities at an all-time

low, and where communication has been profoundly transformed,

conspiracy theories have found a new currency, with websites and

social networking ensuring they receive a wider and more rapid

spread than ever before. Is this a curse or a miracle? With no

editorial filters or peer approval required to send them out to the world, the strangest ideas can now catch like wildfire and a steady torrent of challenges are thrown down against establishment spin

– ones which reach the public almost as readily as the mainstream media.

There are signs that the authorities are fighting back. Surely

threatened by those who would deconstruct their every word

ix

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conspiracies

and accuse them of deception, cover-up and mass murder,

the strategy would appear to be to use television, radio and

print to persistently ridicule the self-styled ‘truthseekers’, who are portrayed as misguided eccentrics, prone to dangerous

fanaticism. This retaliation has been successful to a degree; of all groups marginalized in recent decades, believers in conspiracies

must be fairly near the top of the list, to the point where the term

‘conspiracy theorist’ has become an abusive label, one desperately avoided by those who would be taken seriously. This has simply

driven underground something which might be more healthily

expressed in the open, and has not lessened the strength of

conviction over the issues themselves, as evidenced by remarkable poll statistics, which show a notable tendency towards conspiracy thinking among everyday folk.

Conspiracy theory, therefore, in its strictest definitional sense, is a brand that perhaps needs to be reclaimed for the good. For

while holding
every
significant event to be a conspiracy may be to risk psychosis, some of the theorizing has – without question

– helped identify several areas of genuine concern which

deserve more attention. To the reviled truthseekers, it is the

puppet masters of the establishment who are as likely to bring

the world crashing down through their own streak of dangerous

fanaticism.

How do we separate truth from imagination? Which criteria

can be used to identify the propositions that should be legitimately pursued from those simply rooted in dark musings of paranoia?

Was Diana, Princess of Wales, murdered, as a large number of

people think, for all the official denials? Did NASA real y go to the Moon, when anomalies in the photographic record suggest

otherwise to a vocal minority? Were there other gunmen present at the shooting of JFK? Could 9/11 real y have been set up by agencies within the USA itself? Are all our lives governed by a secret ruling elite planning a ‘New World Order’ of surveil ance and control? It is often difficult to tel , when authorities deny but belief persists.

x

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Evidence, therefore, not conjecture, might seem to be the best

yardstick from which to find clarity on the likelihood or otherwise of all the many claims. Yet the academic sphere, which filters

much of what reaches the mainstream, too often shows a curious

reluctance to engage with that evidence, preferring to attack the conspiracy mindset rather than understand its reasoning. This

was concisely il ustrated by a remark made at a British Humanist

Association conference – held specifical y to discuss conspiracy

theories – when a speaker declared, ‘I’m not going to debate the

evidence for or against particular conspiracy theories; this is not the place for that.’1 The problem, it seems, is that for authorities, media, and the world of academia, that place is never found.

The continued avoidance of seriously considering the basis of

truthseekers’ beliefs is what prevents the public debate moving

forward in any useful direction.

Much of this book, then, establishes the fundamentals of

conspiracy thinking, but also explores an often missing element:

the evidence itself. Throughout my two and a half decades of

research, specific theories have consistently surfaced as areas of public fascination, and these are the ones focused on, occasional y balanced with resonant cases which may not have received the

coverage they deserve. The torturous controversies around religion and climate change have been left for another time, for the most

part, and the chapters do not attempt to cram in all the theories ever spun, which would take away space from the more salient

areas. Nor (unlike a number of conspiracy tomes masquerading as

balanced studies) do they try to explain away the selected topics with easy answers and dismissive attitudes.

Conspiracy theories are frequently subscribed to by quite

normal, approachable people with a genuine passion to uncover

the detail of what they see as areas of legitimate anxiety. They are not, on the whole, the sad extremists falsely portrayed in the media, supposedly wearing tinfoil hats to prevent enforced mind control.

Understanding what compels people to spend long and precious

xi

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hours investigating corruption, cover-ups and hidden agendas

with mind-blowing implications would reward civilization better

than condemning them. The standard judgemental approach
is
a kind of mind control. If people believe in unusual things, there are reasons why, and sensibly comprehending those reasons, without

necessarily agreeing with them, might be wise.

Ultimately, readers must decide for themselves where the truths

behind the theories lie. Many most likely fall somewhere between

the polarities of total belief and complete denial, but occasional y the evidence drags probability just a little further one way or the other. Nearly always, there is more to things than may at first meet the eye.

This book is an opportunity to sift through some of the

intriguing, inspirational, sometimes gruesome and often shocking

possibilities presented by conspiracy thinking. Inevitably it goes to some shadowy places at times, but if all that the speculation

achieves is to help the reader forge a determination to create a

better world founded in truth, positivity and real freedom of

expression, then it will have been worth the journey.

Andy Thomas

xii

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THEORY?

What, exactly, constitutes a ‘conspiracy theory’, and why does
the mainstream hold in such low regard those who believe in

them? Despite widespread dismissal, belief in global conspiracies
is greatly on the rise. Are the theorists, as many academics would
have us believe, psychological y damaged in some way? Or are they
simply asking reasonable questions about glaring anomalies in the

‘official’ versions of certain events? Can a middle ground be found
between the extremes of those who hold that virtual y everything is
manipulated or engineered for dark purposes, and those who refuse
to believe that conspiracies exist at all?

i) Defining ConspiraCy Theory

Precise Definitions

When does news cease to be news?
Answer
: When it becomes

conspiracy theory.

In recent years a fascinating phenomenon has developed in

the mainstream media. Exposés of ‘sleaze’ and abuses of power

1

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