It&#x27;s easy to pooh-pooh such a conspiracy theory.  Yet if I ask myself whether a three letter agency would go this far to protect itself, the last five (or so) years has revealed an ambition (and lack of boundaries) that leads me to answer &#x27;quite possibly&#x27;.<p>A general problem with conspiracy theories is that they require some number of people to keep quiet regarding the matter.  However, in an environment where keeping quiet is a core, institutionalized requirement, conspiracies become much less hard to believe (or at least consider).<p>I don&#x27;t have a problem seeing this one as a real possibility.