First serious Dead Agenting
a.r.s., November 15, 1995

It is time to tell you about Newkid. It's possible now, even necessary.

As I wrote a long time ago, Newkid, one of the early participants in the Fishman action, had a trick up his sleeve. This trick was that Newkid worked at the US embassy, had full embassy privileges and was as such protected. Meaning, he could not be sued, or at least it would be very difficult he said. Newkid has proclaimed from the beginning that he was more than willing to see this case through. Partly based on his posture and that of Oussama Cherribi, the Dutch MP, I decided to continue myself and go to court if I had to.

About four weeks ago Newkid made an appointment with Alan Cartwright - the LA-based CoS-member, who is probably OSA - who was at that moment phoning all providers to 'talk', while his lawyers had already actively sending letters. In that meeting, Newkid said, Cartwright talked about a masterplan against CoS. He didn't mean the current Fishman action, but everything, all around the world. The cases in Germany (the German federal state Bayern wants to remove church status from CoS), the US (Factnet was trying to steal copyrights from CoS), Spain (where the CoS leader Heber Jentzch already had to pay $1.000.000 bail) etc. He also alluded to a RICO-suit.

Of course it is publicly known that CoS believes in a masterplan being plotted against them. Why, no one knows, but Cartwright and Newkid talked about it. Newkid hinted that he knew a lot about computers (he's a sysop at the Embassy he said) and that he could find out if CoS compensated his efforts. Cartwright was very interested in this. They made another appointment. Newkid told his provider Cistron, Felipe and me.

At the second meeting Newkid was carrying a tape recorder he said. Not only Cartwright showed up, but also one Frank Marshall. Even higher in ranks than Cartwright.

Cartwright, Marshall and Newkid spoke a few times. Newkid always carrying a tape recorder and with an female acquaintance of his: a reliable friend, Jennifer. She supposedly has worked at the embassy too. These meetings occurred in the Postiljon Hotel in The Hague. Newkid phoned me regularly after these meetings. Two weeks ago, Newkid told me that Marshall wanted to buy classified information from him for $1,000,000. CIA information. Newkid said he wasn't planning on doing this, but was hoping he'd be able to frame CoS. Make an appointment, give them fake material, and at the final handover make photos of the transaction and call in the press. Both Felipe, Danny (Cistron) and me have warned Newkid on various occasions to be careful. He was convinced though that it would work. Moreover, he couldn't back out at stage.

Two weeks ago a certain Jennifer phoned me. I did not know who she was (she called herself Jacklin in that conversation). She said she knew Newkid and began to create a panic. I don't know where she got my number, but I now believe it must have been through Newkid. She said Newkid wasn't to be trusted, that he was CIA and CoS, and that she had the tapes to prove it. She desperately needed to see Felipe and me in secret. Felipe and I phoned each other; we didn't trust this, didn't know who she was and didn't really respond. From that moment on we became more careful about Newkid. Newkid though trusted Jennifer completely and urged us to do so too, saying that the strain had become perhaps a bit too much for her.

He also said he was scared at times: wondering whether he could trust her, waking up at night. But she was an old friend who owed him some favours. And she was broke; he had helped her out several times. (Why do these things always seem so obvious in retrospect?)

Jennifer, who called herself Jacklin to Felipe and me, kept pushing for us to take the tapes from her. In the end both Felipe and me told her we would only have her hand them over to us at xs4all, with our lawyer present, and not in a bar as she wanted. We never heard from her again. We also are still not sure that the tapes she referred to, are the tapes that Newkid made.

Later that week we heard that Newkid was fired from the embassy. He was charged with stealing secret material. We don't really believe he dis this. It looks more as if CoS has framed him instead of the other way around. Somebody from CoS called the embassy with the story that Newkid was not to be trusted, said Newkid. He also says he has taken a lawyer to fight his discharge. Felipe and me had already discussed the story before (and sent it to some other people) immediately after Jennifer first tried to create a panic. We did this because no one really understood what was going on. Newkid's and Jennifer's stories were conflicting, and neither of us knew whom to believe. And besides, all we cared about was the Fishman case. No tricks.

And what do you know. Today I was called by the Leeuwarder Courant (a Dutch regional newspaper), asking me to comment on a story they had printed today, which stated that Newkid was a 'swindler'.

Some quotes:

Headline: 'Swindler behind Internet action against scientology'

"The Dutch action on Internet against CoS is the work of a swindler. The man, who used the name Newkid, worked at the US embassy. He tried to sell the story that he was send by the US government to discredit the CoS. He 'had' to put copyrighted material on the net. The man was discovered and fired from the embassy"

"Cartwright doesn't believe there is a spontaneous action of worried citizens. 'It is all carefully planned and people are pushed to participate'. According to Martin Weightman, member of the CoS European division, most people were misled. One of the key figures in thew protest, Newkid alias 'Snorri Helgarsson' tried to persuade the church that there was a plot against them. The man tried to sell the church stolen secret documents for a million dollars, documents which would prove that the US ministry of foreign affairs was behind the Internet action and the copyright violation. He in a way has admitted to having stirred up the discussion, so he could sell his story more easily. After the man contacted them, an advisor of the US attorney office of the church contacted the embassy in The Hague and the FBI office in Brussels. One document the man offered as a preview to the advisor was a fraud, according to embassy intelligence. Cartwright: 'We assume that the man was a swindler. Maybe he hoped we would buy stolen documents'."

And:

"CoS assumes that the other Dutch protesters didn't know about Newkid's secret agenda. In his talks with CoS he admitted to having fooled people. 'These others were actively fooled and and cheated by him, and they now believe that they are on a holy crusade for freedom of speech. While all it was was a method to fill his own pockets,' said Cartwright."

* * *

Schrijver told me that he had tapes on which Newkid wanted CoS to pay him $1,000,000. Presumably, these are the tapes that both Jennifer and Newkid have referred to before. Apparently Jennifer gave the tapes to CoS, or she might be a member herself. She also seemed to have given Newkid's email to CoS. Wim Schrijver had about 40 pages of printout, some of which were emails from me to Newkid.

Felipe nor me believe the CoS story as it is printed now in this newspaper. If their version is right, they probably would have gone to the police right away instead of just calling a regional newspaper. Furthermore I know perfectly well that I was never 'pushed' by Newkid, as Cartwright eloquently put it, and I very much doubt whether anybody else was.

Felipe and I tend to believe that there was an intricate scheme going on, in which CoS saw the opportunity to put Newkid out of the picture and to simulteneously put suspicion on Felipe and me, on order to make us an easy pray for Dead Agenting. Jennifer probably played a key role in this, as she was the one trying to create a panic about Newkid and tried to get us involved so eagerly. If Felipe or me would have taken those tapes, we would now probably be branded as swindlers too, and it would have given CoS the opportunity to 'prove' their conspiracy idea. (see also the a.r.s messages in which Felipe and I are depicted as conspirators). Imagine what would have happened if they would have taken photographs of us accepting those tapes...

No one knows for sure what the deal with Newkid is. He is fired, that part seems true, but whether Newkid wanted to frame CoS or us is very hazy, just as hazy as whether he was trying to frame CoS or they have framed him. For now, Felipe and I think Jennifer aka Jacklyn is the key figure in this scheme, and that Newkid was the first Dutch DA victim. (But also someody who overestimated himself and tried to pull a dangerous trick.)

Maybe you can imagine that Felipe and I, in these past weeks, sometimes believed we were partaking in a thriller. All those absurd stories and meanwhile this Jennifer, who was trying to whip up a panic. What is sure, but I don't believe anyone needs this warning, is that is most important to do things straight, fair and honest, and never think you can outsmart Scientology on your own.

In these pas four hours I have learned that this same Jacklyn has also called another provider some time ago: she wanted hem to have a very impostant package. Tapes, I would guess.

(Translated by somebody else. This story has been send to all participants, to some journalists and to various Dutch newsgroups).

groet,
Karin Spaink

Copyright Karin Spaink.
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