Translated from German to English.

Sorry I don't have the URL.

Hamburger Morgenpost August 2, 2003

SCIENTOLOGY

The Kraken reaches out for the sick

OLAF WUNDER

Melanie Herff and Safe Harbor

30-year-old foils the plans of a Scientology cover organization

Things have been quiet on the Scientology front for a long time. But now the sect is becoming a talking point again. This time it is mainly doctors, nutritional scientists and environmental physicians who should be watching their step. Scientology really has it in for them – and above all for their patients! The "Safe Harbor" association was recently founded in Hamburg. It is a cover organization for the sect that serves only one purpose: to infiltrate new social groups and to spread to crazy ideas of Ron Hubbard, the sect's founder. After drug addicts it is now the turn of the mentally ill.

"The case is exemplary," said Rüdiger Hintze from the Working Group Scientology at the Department for Domestic Affairs. "We can see here what cunning methods Scientology uses to try to tie people to the organization and to spread Hubbard's ideology."

Melanie Herff from Hamburg is at the center of this story. She studied nutrition therapy in London – a science that is based on the assumption that most psychiatric disorders have physical causes. And that depression and schizophrenia need not always be treated with psychopharmaceuticals – that instead it is often only a matter of the right diet.

Melanie Herff had only just returned to Hamburg after finishing her studies when the Scientologists started to take note of her. When she received an invitation to attend the inaugural meeting of an association called "Safe Harbor" in a hotel in Ochsenzoll, the 30-year- old was not at all suspicious. The association has apparently been in existence in the US for many years and, according to its statutes, is dedicated to conducting research into the physical causes of mental symptoms. And that is the very subject that the young woman is interested in. So Melanie Herff went along, presented a paper – and before she knew it she had been proposed as chairwoman. She felt honored – and agreed to stand for election. Something she now very much regrets.

Scientology's strategy has long been to set up organizations that at first sight promote good causes. They try to get people on board who are already working in that subject area. The sect for instance used the Ritalin debate (a drug that is administered to hyperactive children) to recruit allies against hated psychiatry. The "EIFFRIG"

association was set up to fight alleged human rights violations in Germany. And "Narkonon" carries the veneer of a well-meaning "anti- drugs program". All these organizations are designed to find new victims for infiltration with Ron Hubbard's so-called "technology".

However, the people responsible for "Safe Harbor" had something quite different in mind when it was founded. Melanie Herff became suspicious shortly after she was elected. "I soon thought the people and what they were saying was pretty strange. And so I did some research on the Internet." The results were alarming. She suddenly realized that she had unwittingly become a pawn of the Scientologists.

The Working Group Scientology at the Department for Domestic Affairs had known for some weeks about the Scientologists' plan to set up "Safe Harbor". Thanks to Melanie Herff the Working Group now has information about the leaders. Some of them are "old friends". One well-known Scientology attorney, for instance, has appeared as deputy chairman.

"I don't want to be made to work for Scientology," said Melanie Herff to explain why she left. She asked the association in writing to delete her name and her personal data and to refrain from any future contact.

Message-ID: <bhoefk.3vvc2s3.1@whyaretheydead.net>
From: Michael 'Mike' Gormez <mikeNO@SPAMwhyaretheydead.net>
Subject: Re: German woman exposes Scn front group
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 17:36:52 +0200

In article <RJV6211A37850.3731944444@anonymous.poster> , Anonymous-Remailer@See.Comment.Header (Cerridwen) wrote:

>
>Translated from German to English.
>
>Sorry I don't have the URL.

It's here http://archiv.mopo.de/archiv/2003/20030802/nachrichten/hamburg/panorama/hmp2003080118306834.html

Mike Gormez

- Scientology and health www.whyaretheydead.net - 'Religious' child abuse and neglect www.taxexemptchildabuse.net - Visit Occupied Clearwater with Nessie http://nessie.psychassualt.org/ - The hearing transcripts http://whyaretheydead.net/lisa_mcpherson/bob/

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