It'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 'quite possibly'.

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).

I don't have a problem seeing this one as a real possibility.