An Interview with Clonaid's Founder

Dec. 27, 2002

BRENDA BUTTNER, GUEST HOST: Joining me now is Rael, the former French journalist who is behind the Raelian movement as well as Clonaid, whose main goal is to produce the first human clone. Rael is the spiritual leader of the international Raelian movement.

Welcome, sir. And thanks for joining us.

RAEL, FOUNDER OF CLONAID: Thank you.

BUTTNER: Thank you.

BUTTNER: So your group did produce the first human clone?

RAEL: Not our group. We have to understand that the Clonaid project, the company and the Raelian movement are completely separate.

BUTTNER: Yes. But you founded Clonaid though, sir, yes?

RAEL: I launched the project five years ago after Dolly the sheep was cloned. I launched the project. It was just what you call an America a seed company.

BUTTNER: But you.

RAEL: And then.

BUTTNER: Sir, you want to clone humans, though, and this group that.

RAEL: I support the idea. And I launched the project and then Dr. Boisselier came and asked me, Rael, I can create a real company and really do it with a laboratory. And I say, OK, with certain conditions. And I gave her the baby, if you like, I gave her the project and then they founded Clonaid, which is a private company, which is completely separated from the nonprofit organization, we are.

BUTTNER: Right. But sir...

RAEL: . the Raelian movement.

BUTTNER: She considers you her spiritual leader. And you`re clearly behind cloning humans. Why no proof? Why would she provide no proof?

RAEL: Ask her. I don`t know. I don`t know anything about what is happening. I don`t even know where is her laboratory and I don`t know-I know nothing, and I don`t want to know.

BUTTNER: Well, do you.

RAEL: It is her company.

BUTTNER: Do you understand that we might be a little bit skeptical of that, sir, because she does claim you are her spiritual leader because you did provide the seed money, because you did found this group, because you did give the company to her?

RAEL: No, I didn`t provide any money. I just gave the idea.

BUTTNER: For Clonaid you did.

RAEL: No. Absolutely not.

BUTTNER: You founded the company then that spun off into.

RAEL: At the beginning it was a seed company which was just a P.O. box and an Internet Web site. And it was just to study the feasibility of the project. And then Dr. Boisselier came and she said, now I can really make real company, not a P.O. box. And we can start with a laboratory. And so she started this company and this project after. And I was not any more involved.

BUTTNER: Which you do support, though, you do support this whole concept.

RAEL: I support, of course, 100 percent psychologically, spiritually, I am 100 percent in support of what she is doing.

BUTTNER: And again, she does claim that you are her spiritual leader and she believes very much in you. Sir, why do you.

RAEL: Yes, because like everybody, she is-at the same time she`s private person with a scientific company and she`s also Raelian bishop. So, it`s two different things.

BUTTNER: All right. Let me grant you that, although I am a bit skeptical that you don`t have much more to do with that. But let me just ask you the question, why clone humans? why was it that you decided that that was an important thing to do and that you were inspired to do that? You met aliens at some point, sir?

RAEL: Not aliens. The word is not respectful. It`s.

BUTTNER: Excuse me, what would you say.

RAEL: . extraterrestrial beings.

BUTTNER: I`ll give you that.

RAEL: They`re named the Elohim. E-L-O-H-I-M. The Elohim. The Bible in Hebrew say the first Elohim did that. It`s never the word "God."

BUTTNER: OK. Excuse me.

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