UPI, Mar. 24, 2003
http://interestalert.com/
SAO PAULO, March 24 (UPI) — The Raelian religious sect sought to astound the world Monday with yet another claim that they have successfully cloned a human being.
Brigitte Boisselier, president of Clonaid and a member of the Raelians, which founded the company, provided media in Sao Paulo with photos of a Japanese baby she alleged was a clone, although without any scientific proof to back the claim.
A religious group who claims that human beings were cloned from aliens many millenniums ago, a spokesman for the Raelians said that they had traveled to South America’s largest nation with the intent of establishing the world’s first cloning center.
The group’s founder — former French journalist Claude Vorilhon (otherwise known as Rael) — said after his arrival here on Friday that he would prefer “that the world’s first cloning clinic is founded in Brazil.”
The group is in town to promote two new books authored by Rael that supposedly lend credence to their cause and to visit with Brazilian officials to discuss the possibility of setting up a cloning facility.
In December 2002, Clonaid announced the birth of the world’s first cloned child, named Eve. Scientists however baulked at the group’s claim, as there was no scientist proof to back it.
Since then, however, they claim to have successfully cloned children for couples in five other nations including the United States.
Raelian representatives — bedecked in their trademark, sci-fi ensemble — said that the father of the cloned child discussed Monday would travel to Brazil this week to provide skeptics with substantial evidence that supports their claim to have successfully cloned a human being.