Editing UFO conspiracy theories (section)

====Lear promotes Bill Cooper and Bob Lazar====
In the Summer of 1988,  [[Milton William Cooper|Bill Cooper]] made his first public comments on the ParaNet [[Bulletin Board System]], an early UFO message board, claiming that in 1966 he was serving aboard the ''[[USS Tiru]]'' when he and fellow Navy personnel witnessed a metal craft "larger than a football field" repeatedly enter and exit the water.<ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>{{rp|72–75}} Cooper claimed he was instructed by superiors to never speak about the incident.<ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>{{rp|72–75}}

Biographer Mark Jacobson argues "the Tiru incident itself would not have done much to make Cooper's name in ufology. That opportunity came only a few days later" when he was contacted by fellow ParaNet poster [[John Olsen Lear|John Lear]]. Lear, the son of Learjet founder [[Bill Lear]], identified as a pilot who had flown missions for the CIA.<ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>{{rp|ch 7}} On August 25, 1988, Lear authored a post titled "The UFO Coverup" which incorporated [[Dulce Base|elements of mythos]] from [[Paul Bennewitz]], a ufologist who was later revealed to have been fed disinformation by American counter-intelligence agent [[Richard C. Doty]].<ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>{{rp|ch 7}}<ref name="MirageMen"/> Cooper soon visited Lear, and the two spent much time together from 1988 to 1990.<ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>{{rp|ch 7}}

Cooper's views were heavily influenced by Lear and his story of alien collusion with secret governmental forces.<ref name="Pioneer">{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/150922/pioneer-paranoia|title = A Pioneer of Paranoia|magazine = The New Republic|date = August 28, 2018|last1 = Dickey|first1 = Colin}}</ref> In 1989, the two released an "indictment" against the US Government for "aiding and abetting and concealing this Alien Nation which exists in our borders".<ref name="Pioneer"/>    In 2018, columnist [[Colin Dickey]] noted Lear and Cooper's influence, writing "in the early years [UFO writers] did not, by and large, embrace strong political positions. They were the tip of a spear asserting that the number one thing we had to fear was not little green men, but the government that colluded with them, appropriating their technology against us."<ref name="Pioneer"/>

Cooper and Lear's collaboration lasted until the 1989 MUFON conference where Bill Moore admitted to spreading lies to UFO researchers. In response, Cooper accused Lear of being a CIA plant.<ref name="Pioneer"/>
[[File:John Hamilton Mortimer - Death on a Pale Horse - Google Art Project (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|"Death on a Pale Horse", an apocalyptic image from the [[Book of Revelation]], as depicted by 18th-century artist [[John Hamilton Mortimer]]]]
In 1991, Cooper published the influential conspiracy work ''Behold a Pale Horse'' which claimed that Kennedy was killed after he "informed [[Majestic 12]] that he intended to reveal the presence of aliens to the American people".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8e5YELGGFAC|title=Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America|first=Robert Alan|last=Goldberg|date=October 1, 2008|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0300132946|via=Google Books|access-date=December 13, 2021|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209063741/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8e5YELGGFAC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PaleHorseRider"/> ''Behold a Pale Horse'' became 'wildly popular' with conspiracy theorists and went on to be one of the most-read books in the US prison system.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/books/pale-horse-rider-william-cooper-mark-jacobson-interview.html|title=Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: A Godfather of Conspiracy Thinking|first=John|last=Williams|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 2, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2021|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210013841/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/books/pale-horse-rider-william-cooper-mark-jacobson-interview.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PaleHorseRider"/>

Cooper described the "Illuminati" as a secret international organization, controlled by the [[Bilderberg Group]], that conspired with the [[Knights of Columbus]], [[Freemasonry|Masons]], [[Skull and Bones]], and other organizations. Its ultimate goal, he said, was the establishment of a [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]]. According to Cooper, the Illuminati conspirators not only invented alien threats for their own gain, but actively conspired with extraterrestrials to take over the world.<ref name="Barkun2006" />{{rp|60}} Cooper produced regular shortwave-radio broadcasts that were popular with conspiracy theorist and anti-government activists. Cooper reportedly met with [[Timothy McVeigh]] shortly before the [[Oklahoma City bombing]].<ref name="Barkun2006" />{{rp|ix}} In November 2001,  Cooper was shot and killed by law enforcement during an attempted arrest.<ref name="Barkun2006" />{{rp|165}}

[[File:BobLazarTheLazarTapeAndExcerptsFromTheGovernmentBible000.png|thumb|right|Bob Lazar in 1991]]
Lear introduced journalist [[George Knapp (television journalist)|George Knapp]] to UFO whistle-blower [[Bob Lazar]] and his tales of [[Area 51]].<ref name="8news">{{Cite web|url=https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/ufo-activist-nevada-aviator-john-lear-dies/|title=UFO activist, Nevada aviator John Lear dies at 79|work=KLAS |date=31 March 2022|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=31 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331210308/https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/ufo-activist-nevada-aviator-john-lear-dies/|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 1989, Bob Lazar appeared in a special interview with Knapp on Las Vegas TV station KLAS to discuss his alleged employment at S-4.<ref name="Peebles"/>{{rp|274}}<ref>[http://www.8newsnow.com/story/3369879/bob-lazar-the-man-behind-area-51 KLAS-TV: 8 News Now: George Knapp, Investigative Reporter: "Bob Lazar The Man Behind Area 51: NEW: Area 51 Exposed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223132918/http://www.8newsnow.com/story/3369879/bob-lazar-the-man-behind-area-51 |date=2015-02-23 }} retrieved 21 March 2013</ref>

Lazar's claims were widely discredited. Lazar never obtained the degrees he claims to hold from MIT and Caltech.<ref>''[[Los Angeles Times]]'': May 6, 1993, [[Ray Rivenberg|Rivenberg, Ray]], "Unusually Fanatical Observers Ike Struck Deal With Aliens!"</ref><ref>{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20130111183913/http://www.presidentialufo.com/articles-a-papers/379-the-true-story-of-area-51-a-look-at-the-actual-evidence The Presidents UFO Website: ''The True Story of Area 51: A Look at the Actual Evidence'']}}, Written by [[Grant Cameron]], Monday, 03 October 2011 18:29 retrieved 21 March 2013</ref> In 1990, Lazar was arrested for aiding and abetting a [[prostitution]] ring. This was reduced to felony [[Procuring (prostitution)|pandering]], to which he pleaded guilty.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-06-vw-31950-story.html |title=Unusually Fanatical Observers |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 4, 2003}}</ref><ref name="lvrgui">{{cite news|date=June 19, 1990|title=Source In Channel 8'S UFO Series Pleads Guilty to Pandering Charge|page=8b|work=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]}}</ref><ref name=lvrpro>{{cite news |title=Judge Gives UFO 'Witness' Lazar Probation on pandering charge |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=August 21, 1990 |page=2c}}</ref> By 1991, Nevada press reported tourists traveling to the Groom Lake region in hopes of glimpsing UFOs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/176156578|title=Los Angeles Times 20 Mar 1991, page Page 49|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Lear remained a prominent voice in the UFO conspiracy theory community until his death in 2022, making multiple appearances on TV and online shows, including [[Coast to Coast AM]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/lear-john-6252/|title=John Lear|website=Coast to Coast AM|access-date=2022-03-31|archive-date=2022-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331171836/https://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/lear-john-6252/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lazar continues to spread tales of Area 51 through media appearance. In 2018, he was  featured in producer George Knapp and [[Jeremy Corbell]]'s documentary ''Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers''<ref name="DFP">{{cite web|last1=Reimink|first1=Troy|title=In 'Bob Lazar: Area 51' documentary, director investigates UFO whistle-blower's story|url=https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/04/10/bob-lazar-area-51-documentary-ufo-freep-film-festival/3419204002/|access-date=July 31, 2019|newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]}}</ref> and [[Joe Rogan]]'s [[The Joe Rogan Experience|podcast]].<ref name="vice_BobL">{{cite web |title=Bob Lazar Says the FBI Raided Him to Seize Area 51's Alien Fuel. The Truth Is Weirder |last=McMillan |first=Tim |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=November 13, 2019 |access-date=March 1, 2025 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bob-lazar-says-the-fbi-raided-him-to-seize-area-51s-alien-fuel-the-truth-is-weirder/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Seddon|first=Dan|date=July 19, 2019|title=Area 51 details left out of Netflix's Bob Lazar documentary|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a28443500/bob-lazar-area-51-netflix-flying-saucers/|access-date=2020-08-07|website=Digital Spy|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="roll_Lovi">{{Cite magazine| title = Loving the Alien| last = Rodrick | first = Stephen| magazine = Rolling Stone| date = 2020-08-20| access-date = August 28, 2020| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/aliens-real-ufo-area-51-nevada-pentagon-history-1046067/}}</ref><!--====Phil Schneider and Dulce Base====
In 1995, a man calling himself Philip Schneider made a few appearances at UFO conventions, espousing essentially a new version of the theories mentioned above. Schneider claimed to be the son of U-boat commander who was captured by the allies and switched sides. According to Schneider, his father has been part of the Philadelphia Experiment. Schneider claimed to have played a role in the construction of Deep Underground Military Bases (DUMBs) across the United States, and as a result he said that he had been exposed to classified information of various sorts as well as having personal experiences with EBEs. He claimed to have survived the [[Dulce Base]] catastrophe and decided to tell his tale.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Phil Schneider Story|url=http://www.apfn.org/apfn/phil.htm|publisher=APFN|access-date=26 April 2013|archive-date=27 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427122518/http://www.apfn.org/apfn/PHIL.HTM|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to folklore,{{better source needed|date=January 2022}} Schneider died on January 17, 1996, in a death ruled a suicide, though some of his followers reportedly believed he may have been murdered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apfn.org/apfn/ex_wifephil.htm|title=Message from ex-wife of Phil Schneider|website=www.apfn.org|access-date=2017-12-16|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201062222/http://www.apfn.org/apfn/ex_wifephil.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2022}}
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