, I wrote something on the media attention that most hoaxsters
seek. I've always found Bob Lazar to be odd, in this respect, as he told his story and "went away" so to speak. I sent George Knapp a link to
this post and asked for his input. George was gracious enough to not only correct some misconceptions that I, and others, have had about Bob Lazar,
but to add some of his own analysis and thoughts. George has allowed me to share his thoughts here on ATS.
Posted by Permission
From:
GEORGE KNAPP, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV
"FLASH" UPDATE ON S4 / AREA 51 SCIENTIST ROBERT S "Bob" LAZAR!
I certainly don't have any problems with people asking questions or
speculating about Lazar. That's what thinking people are supposed to do.
>From the beginning, I have acknowledged in many public forums that there
are several unanswered questions about Bob that understandably give rise
to assorted theories and viewpoints. Regarding this particular
scenario, let me add a few details that may shed some light.
Bob isn't talking about UFOs anymore (except to me when I pester him
every few years or so.) But keep in mind that he didn't like to talk
about UFOs from the beginning. He thought it was all nonsense before he
worked "out there." It took me 8 months to get him to agree to go on
camera at all.
For a time, when things were hot and heavy with his story, he opened up
to other interviewers and probably even enjoyed it at times, but it
didn't last. He was uncomfortable being a part of the UFO scene,
DESPISED most UFO researchers, and turned down dozens of requests for
paid appearances at UFO gatherings.
(The one exception was an appearance at the A'Le'Inn, which was done as
a favor to Joe and Pat Travis, but which caused him considerable grief
in the long run.)
I am absolutely certain that if he had never been given such a high
profile in my news reports, his dalliance with a LV hooker would never
have been made into a major news event here and may not have even been
prosecuted. So, does he have reasons for wanting to put the UFO field
behind him? Not a tough call.
Bob hasn't "fallen into" any government grant money. If you care to
look up the most recent TV reports I wrote, you will see how he has been
treated by government agencies at his new home. United Nuclear isn't
a new company. He first formed that company before he moved to LV. He
had a contract to make low-level radiation probes for Los Alamos
National Lab -- you know, that's the lab where he supposedly never
worked.
The contract continued even after he went public with his stories about
S-4. Strange, but true. It took awhile for the LANL folks to put two
and two together and realize that Bob, the radiation probe supplier,
was also Bob the UFO guy! Frankly, I think some of them got a kick out
of it.
It's no mystery where he got the money to move to New Mexico and build
his own accelerator. He sold his house in LV, along with his jet car,
and a lot of other stuff. His new wife liquidated her property as well.
They bought a place in the country and started to rebuild United Nuclear
as an on-line business. In the beginning, I know that they sold uranium
pellets that they found and dug up in the desert.
They were as surprised as anyone to find out how many online customers
wanted to own a nugget of raw, if low grade, uranium. They were also
surprised to discover how much law enforcement interest their little
venture attracted. They struggled at first but then slowly expanded
their product line to include an assortment of gadgets, novelty items,
and science equipment, and the business blossomed.
Today, they sell a whole range of products and are doing well. The
30-foot particle accelerator in Bob's lab isn't much of a mystery
either. Bob built it from scratch -- not bad for a guy who supposedly
has no scientific credentials -- but it's not the first time. When he
lived in LV, he had a smaller accelerator in his bedroom, also made from
scratch.
He uses the new accelerator in the production of a stable form of
hydrogen fuel since another of his side businesses is a hydrogen
conversion kit that can be installed in pretty much any kind of car.
The Lazar's have a Corvette and an SUV that both run on hydrogen. The
vehicles can still burn regular gas if necessary, but Lazar told me last
summer that he hasn't had to visit a gas station in more than a year.
I'm sure all bogus scientists could do the same if they applied
themselves.
I produced one story that went into some detail about Lazar's hydrogen
system but it didn't get into the reasons why the system is not being
mass marketed, except for one item -- a shortage of solar panels. Bob
uses solar panels in the production of the hydrogen fuel, but he said
there is some kind of bottleneck in the production of such panels. Maybe
there is too much demand, but I'm only guessing.
I visited his home. I saw the hydrogen system. I rode in the cars. I
witnessed his low-key, modestly successful business operation. In my
opinion, he's never been happier. Why in the world would he choose an
idyllic life in a picturesque part of rural New Mexico, doing exactly
what he wants to do, and forego further forays into the always pleasant
world of UFOs?
Hmmm,... let me think about it.
In the more than 16 years I've known Lazar, I never heard him talk about
UFOs or Area 51 unless I was working on a story and pressed him about
it, or unless someone in a grocery store recognized him and struck up an
unwanted conversation. We've spent a lot of time together - at his
home, at my home, at Gene Huff's, at John Lear's, at LANL, in
restaurants, in bars, on road trips, and out in the desert on assorted
adventures.
The subject of UFOs rarely came up except when we were joking about it
or were privately castigating some UFO goofball like Bill Cooper. I'm
NOT saying that Lazar's claims can all be verified beyond doubt. He
knows, and I know, that this is not the case. I'm just saying that Bob's
choice to avoid the UFO limelight is not all that hard to understand if
you know him.
I would also posit that IF the secret government were to offer him a big
payday in exchange for his future silence, my guess is that he would
take it in a heartbeat because
a) he doesn't want to talk about this stuff anyway, and;
b) since he has already spilled all the beans that he has to spill.
If someone in the U.S. "secret govt." wants to pay him to stop saying
what he has already said, please contact me and I will broker the deal!
I want to emphasize to your UFO Thread List that I realize many people
have problems with Lazar's story. I'm not saying that his new life in
New Mexico constitutes proof of his prior claims. I have my own opinion,
and other people have theirs.
In any case, Bob Lazar IS and remains an interesting guy....
- GEORGE KNAPP
