Paranormal talk show host Kevin Smith contacted me yesterday to take issue with one of the sources I cited in my story about Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS) Deputy Director Lachezar Filipov. It may seem a small thing to casual observers, but Smith broke, and pretty much owns, this story in the United States, so I’m going to give him equal time.In my article, I cited a report published November 26, 2009 in London’s Telegraph. According to that report,  Filipov’s team of scientists was  “analysing 150 crop circles from around the world, which they believe answer” 30 questions they’d posed to extraterrestrials.

Smith contends that the crop circle reference was fabricated by the Telegraph. His proof of the fabrication is a story published November 23, 2009 by the Sofia Echo in which no reference to crop circles is made.

According to the Echo, “It was even claimed that some alien species were present during a media statement in which they had answered more than 30 questions put forward by Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS) personnel.”

Quite a difference.

I agree with Smith’s concern that the subsequent Telegraph article omitted what would seem to be the most remarkable aspect of the story – that extraterrestrials personally answered questions posed by BAS personnel.

Another article , however, also dated November 23 and also Bulgarian (Sofia news agency Novinite), does refer to crop circles, but fails to mention the question-answer session.  So as far as I’m concerned, the jury remains out on whether Filipov’s team has any interest in crop circles. It isn’t as if the two scenarios (crop circle study and alien interview) are mutually exclusive.

But forget the crop circles.

Or actually, remember the crop circles and riddle me this:

Why, immediately after telling Smith by phone that he felt it was his “duty” to grant an interview about the extraterrestrial encounter, did Filipov stop accepting calls? Why was this email, partially discounting the Bulgarian press reports, sent that same day (November 23) from Filipov’s account to a number of researchers, including Smith? And why, when he resurfaced ten days later, did an apparently sleep-deprived Filipov tell a television reporter that, if he answered questions about the encounter, he’d be killed?

Smith’s theory is that the Bulgarian KGB (Darzhavna Sigurnost) ”handled” Filipov, altered press accounts of the alien encounter and was responsible for the email sent from Filipov’s account, and I’m inclined to believe him.

Smith’s four-part YouTube report on the case begins here.