Groups say 2003 will be the year of the human clone

Dan Kulin

Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 | 11:07 a.m.

Clonaid, the company claiming to have produced the first cloned human, and the religious sect behind the company, the Raelians, which believe extraterrestrials created life on Earth, both have ties to Las Vegas.

The company has at least a public relations office in the city, and the U.S. president of the Raelian movement lives in Las Vegas.

But security concerns have company officials tight-lipped on the extent of the Clonaid's presence here or anywhere.

Although media reports over the last few years have said Clonaid's headquarters are in Las Vegas and company leader Brigitte Boisselier worked out of Las Vegas, Clonaid Public Relations Director Nadine Gary said Sunday the company has "just a public relations office" here.

Clonaid Vice President Thomas Kaenzig, who was also reached at a Las Vegas area phone number, said the company has "some Las Vegas links."

But when pressed for specifics he said, "We're based in different locations around the world."

Because he said he and the company have received numerous death threats over the past few days Kaenzig wouldn't say anything about where Clonaid offices are exactly.

"There's too many religious zealots in this country who could use a bomb like at abortion clinics," he said. "I receive about one death threat an hour (by e-mail)."

Clonaid has been the target of skepticism and criticism from scientists, politicians and religious leaders from around the world since Boisselier announced on Friday that the company produced the first cloned human.

Boisselier gave no proof the baby, nicknamed "Eve," is a clone of a 31-year-old American woman she says donated the DNA for the baby.

But Boisselier has accepted an offer from a former ABC News science editor to oversee an independent scientific analysis of the clone claim.

Some of the skepticism surrounding Clonaid's claim comes from its relationship with the Raelians.

Boisselier says she is a Raelian bishop. Clonaid was started by Raelian founder Claude Vorilhon.

Raelians believe Vorilhon, a former French journalist who now goes by the name Rael, was visited by extraterrestrials in 1973 and 1975, said Ricky Roehr, president of the U.S. Raelian movement and a Las Vegas resident.

The aliens told Vorilhon how they created humans and all the prophets of the world's major religions. The aliens also said they would like to return to earth, but only if an invitation, in the form of a temple, is built, Roehr said.

The aliens look like humans and live near the star closest to earth, he claims.

There are about 55,000 Raelians worldwide, including 1,000 in the U.S. About 25 Raelians, including Kaenzig, a Raelian priest, live in Las Vegas, Roehr said.

The Raelians do not have an office here, but would look to purchase property if their numbers grew, he said.

Roehr said he and the Raelian movement have no financial connection to Clonaid, but support the company's efforts.

The criticism is nothing new, Roehr said, adding that many also criticized in-vitro-fertilization when it was first introduced.

Also, Roehr said the Raelians are a popular target for the more popular religious groups because of the Raelians belief that humans were created by aliens, not God.

"Because we say there is no God and no soul we get death threats," Roehr said.