MJ-12, Bennewitz, and Q

In the 1980's, a shadowy group calling itself The Aerie began dropping "leaks" to various UFO writers containing sensational information about UFOs. The Aerie operators used code names such as Falcon and Condor. One of their techniques was to allow the investigators to "find" information on their own after they received a series of "bread crumbs" guiding them to new discoveries.

For example, one investigator received a package containing a roll of film. When he had the film developed, it contained photos of Top Secret documents detailing a group of high ranking government officials appointed to a group called MJ-12 that dealt with interactions with alien beings. In the Bennewitz case, Bennewitz was a surveillance expert contracted to Area-51. He was allowed to "intercept" communications from alien beings, then was contacted by an Air Force Colonel who again fed him "bread crumbs" that led him to startling discoveries and ended with his mental breakdown.

All of this has been established as a disinformation campaign from the Air Force, who manipulated UFO researchers with leaks about recoveries of downed UFOs, aliens living on air Force bases, etc. in other words, a military psi-ops.

I can't help but notice the similarities between these campaigns and the Q drops. The Q drops seem to be more refined, harder to trace, but use the the same techniques as "dropping bread crumbs" and planting "evidence" so the "researchers" believe they are uncovering secrets on their own.

I wonder if these campaigns are using the same handbook to spread disinformation. Was the MJ-12 and accompanying mythology a prototype, a test of larger scale influencing techniques? Were those techniques used to create Q? If so, are they simply using the same marketing techniques, or may they have a common source?