by Steve Hammons
June 30, 2006

from AmericanChronicle Website

Recently, new information related to the so-called “Project SERPO” was posted on a Web site involved in this story. The information describes a new angle of deception and disinformation about this alleged U.S. Government project.

Project SERPO refers to claims that a top secret exchange program in the 1960s and ‘70s involved sending an American team of 12 military personnel to another planet, similar to the depictions in parts of the 1977 Steven Spielberg film CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

The newly released information may provide additional clarification, and confusion, on some of the factors involved in the Project SERPO story that surfaced for the general public in late 2005 and has been presented on the Web site serpo.org.

The new information appears on the Web site lucianarchy.proboards21.com, a discussion forum and research site that has become one of the online platforms for Project SERPO information.

Several months ago, serpo.org coordinator Bill Ryan chose the lucianarchy.proboards21.com site to participate in online discussions about this alleged program. This site is the online home of the Open Minds Research Team.

According to the Open Minds Research Team Web site administrator and a report directly from their confidential sources posted this week, previous information provided to them about Project SERPO was false – at least partially false.
 

A TANGLED WEB

New information given to the Open Minds Research Team from their sources, known has the “TC Group,” was partially related to a method used by government authorities to track leaks, identify leakers and monitor the way such information is disseminated over the Internet, according to the site administrator.

Starting in March 2006, the Open Minds Research Team had reported on their Web site that the TC Group had contacted them. This group allegedly had inside knowledge about the Project SERPO story and been trying to follow up on the authenticity of various aspects it.

The TC Group is reportedly one of several groups involved in investigating and disclosing information on this and related topics.

From what were believed to be reliable sources providing information to the TC Group, the Open Minds Research Team received and posted information from this group that claimed Project SERPO was, in part, a false cover story.

Sources told the TC Group that the Project SERPO story was released within the military and intelligence communities to protect other real information about related activities within those communities.

The source for the TC Group had claimed that the cover story was actually called SERPONIA, not SERPO, and that the alleged visitors’ planet in the Zeta Reticuli star system was referred to in English as “Seinu,” not “Serpo.” Other accounts have claimed the planet was referred to as “Sieu” in English.

These accounts were posted on the Open Minds Research Team Web site as “The Seinu Disclosures.”
 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Now, the TC Group has reported to the Open Minds Research Team that this information was, at least in part, false and part of a strategy to plant information, see who leaks it, identify leakers and analyze how the information spreads.

Below is the verbatim report from the TC Group source acting as liaison with the Open Minds Research Team, posted this week on the lucianarchy.proboards21.com site under the category “Seinu disclosure” and subcategory “T.C. Group – The Seinu Disclosures:

“I’m saddened to inform you that Serpo, Serponia, Seinu and anything else you want to call it has turned out to be a test of sorts by the dark side.

We were given an audience with a former high-ranking official and for more than two hours he explained the purpose and the feedback it has given this group.

As we had figured out before, the higher your clearance the more truth you were allowed to receive.

Unfortunately, the dark side also had a suspicion, this started during the early ‘60s, that a few people with high clearances were divulging secrets, by word of mouth or acts of treason by screening classified material. To counter it, they would allow ‘employees’ to learn of a false top-secret project or information. Depending on where the ‘employee’ was working, he/she learned of this particular project/information and if a leak occurred, it could be traced back to that group of ‘employees’ only.

They devised a setup that was two-fold in its release:

1. would show how the material was leaked to the outside and by whom.

2. once the material was released, track the flow and study where it may lead. It was a bonus to them when these projects hit the Internet and they learned the identities of those viewing the information and for study in the near future tests.

Now, notice I said near future. This is in part due to more of these types of setups that are going on at this time and more to come. There is truth n all this and it will be explained below.

Some members of the Bird group [the so-called Aviary] are involved and were told of these tests. Please note: the rest of these birds are innocent and just as clueless. We don’t know who fits into which category and he would not divulge this information. Damn, he would only smile and it P'd us off.

The reason we asked for a meeting with him was due to us catching an asset trying to pass off a third story, which we knew to be fake. We put 2 and 2 together and realized what was happening, but we wanted to verify this revelation and regrettably it has been proven true.

Now, the good news that you may know by now is that in all this comes some truth, at least in ‘J’s’ case. This was not told to us, but rather he would smile if our question was confirmed and not if it was negative or false. It took us a minute or two to figure out what he was attempting and again this P'd us off regarding the game, but we needed his responses. After about 5 minutes of questions he halted the proceedings, wished us the best and escorted us to the front door. The questions and responses are listed here.”

A list of the questions and apparent responses from a source for the TC Group is posted on the site. These questions relate directly to the previous “Seinu Disclosures.” The source smiles in response to some questions, reportedly indicating a “yes.”

The Open Minds Research Team site administrator has posted his assessment of events on the site in the “T.C. Group – The Seinu Disclosures” section.

Below are some of his comments:

“The latest from TC Group resolving the current "disclosure' regarding Serponia/Seinu as a 'test' of sorts, brings the circle to a close once again. What did come out of this was some confirmation that, again, the core contains some truth, but splashed all over with disinfo-juice!”

“They allude to some of the machinations going on behind the scenes which relate to the disclosure process. And I can confirm that the penultimate communique from the TC Group did contain some extraordinary information regarding recent events… As soon as they give permission to release the full details, you will see it here first. I am bound by their instructions – and given how the 'Seinu disclosures’ developed – by giving them a free platform and compartmented and protected media – we were all able to watch the story unfold free from sabotage and meddling from outside forces.”

“…As long as we 'play by the rules,' we can expect further and more intriguing disclosures as time progresses. You, the reader, contributor, are part of this historic process, and how you react/ respond is up to you. However, please be mindful of the responsibilities which come with any involvement and hopefully we can progress away from suspicion, mistrust, meddling and deception and into a brighter future which should shed light about life through the cosmos, and, hopefully, in peace.”
 

THE STORY’S BEGINNINGS

The original story about a U.S.-alien exchange program apparently has discreetly floated around military and intelligence circles for decades. It surfaced again in late 2005 in an e-mail discussion stream that includes many people with knowledge about these kinds of topics.

The information was reportedly released to the coordinator of the e-mail stream discussion group, Victor Martinez, by a person claiming to represent several current and former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) personnel.

This person came to be known as “Mr. Anonymous,” “Anonymous” or “Request Anonymous.” Some of the information was then posted on serpo.org, a Web site developed by Ryan to present these accounts to the general public.

The Project SERPO claim was that an alleged exchange program between the U.S. and extraterrestrial visitors from the Zeta Reticuli star system took place. A joint-service team of 12 American military personnel were sent aboard the visitors’ ship in 1965 for what was to be a decade-long stay on the visitors’ planet to collect scientific information.

According to these accounts, the program had originally been code-named Project CRYSTAL KNIGHT during the planning and execution of the operation. The name was changed to Project SERPO after the return of eight of the original 12 team members in 1978. Two members reportedly died during the mission and two chose to stay on the planet Serpo and were not ordered to return home. The eight who returned have all passed on, according to these claims.

This project had reportedly evolved from contact between U.S. authorities and the visitors after the crash of their spacecraft in New Mexico in 1947.

Subsequently, details were released from “Anonymous” to Martinez and posted by Ryan. The information was reportedly from government records, and included details of this mission, the selection and training of the team, the commander’s log during the mission and other fascinating accounts.

Then, a second “Anonymous” reportedly surfaced and contacted not Martinez, the e-mail stream coordinator, but Ryan, the serpo.org coordinator. Ryan posted several further accounts about Project SERPO from the second Anonymous on serpo.org.

Then, other “Anonymous” sources reportedly surfaced and contacted Martinez, the e-mail stream coordinator. Ryan posted several further accounts about Project SERPO on serpo.org.

One of the sources who contacted Martinez reportedly turned out to be a probable hoax of some kind.
 

DECEPTION AND TRUTH

There have been allegations that the Project SERPO story is a hoax, perpetrated for personal gain or other unknown reasons. There has also been speculation that it is some kind of disinformation to bring ridicule on the UFO investigations community.

According to former military intelligence personnel familiar with these kinds of government projects and activities, combining truthful information with false information is a standard operating procedure in many psychological operations (PSYOP) and information operations.

A purpose in such efforts can be to confuse the target audience or influence the credibility of persons or groups. Another related purpose could be to direct the target audience to a certain viewpoint. Or, it could be to release legitimate open source intelligence (OSINT).

Such efforts about Project SERPO and contact with extraterrestrial visitors could be part of a program of acclimation about unique scientific discoveries and programs. Information of this nature could be quite complex and possibly very surprising, troubling or shocking for the general public. As a result, the intelligent way to release such information would be in a gradual, careful and safe manner.

Taking researchers and the general public on twists and turns, such as in the saga of the Project SERPO, could be part of these kinds of legitimate efforts.

As in many secrets about government activity, it is possible that there are people and factions who think informing the public, especially in a democracy, is a positive and morally appropriate path. Others may prefer secrecy, and there may be many reasons for this viewpoint, some legitimate and perhaps some not as legitimate.

The issues surrounding the balance between the right of the people to know the truth with the need for secrecy are especially important today. Leakers and journalists are being targeted for disclosing sensitive information. Government agencies are conducting expanded surveillance of citizens through telephone and Internet surveillance, and probably many other methods.

The Project SERPO story, with its many false paths, deceptions and maybe some important truths, seems to be part of the overall discussion of the role of citizens, the media and government officials in a democracy.

It is also part of our evolving awareness about scientific progress and discoveries, our place on this small planet we call Earth and the development of the human race.

In these respects, as we separate fact from fiction in the Project SERPO story, we can find many important truths.