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Weeklong hearings on government secrecy, so-called UFOs yield powerful testimony and a simple question: Why hide info about things that don’t exist?
Pilots, air traffic controllers share powerful sighting testimonials (FCN, 05-07-2013)
Citizens Hearing tackles government secrecy, truth on presence of UFOs (FCN, 05-01-2013)
WASHINGTON (National Press Club) - Having the prestigious home for Americas media in the Nation’s Capitol host its conference, complete with former lawmakers, was a clear attempt by the host Paradigm Research Group and conference organizer Stephen Bassett to curb ridicule and keep focus on government secrecy and its belief that so-called UFOs are known—despite government lies and skeptics.
The Citizen Hearing On Disclosure, held here April 29 to May 3, included a former Canadian defense minister, a former astronaut, the former top Federal Aviation Administration official, a onetime Ministry of Defense official in the United Kingdom, Air Force veterans, other U.S. servicemen, and domestic and foreign pilots, scientists, researchers, authors, writers, filmmakers, and witnesses from America, England, China, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Chile and South American countries spoke.
The point of agreement was the U.S. government and other governments need to share what is known about sightings and crafts and the U.S. Congress should hold hearings on a subject of interest to millions of Americans—whether their concerns are the origin of the crafts or an ever-increasing tendency to classify and deny public access to information.
“I believe, unfortunately, that the military industrial complex is the reason—from Truman and Roosevelt, Reagan, Clinton, and Carter presidential level—that has brought us to this place, which I believe is detrimental to the universe and detrimental to our people,” said former Detroit congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, who was among former lawmakers that conducted the hearings for the Paradigm Research Group.
“There is something else out there, I’m convinced. I wasn’t before I came because I didn’t know much about it. I’ve been reading, listening, scientifically intelligent information has been presented,” said the 18 year-member of Congress in an exclusive interview. Twelve countries were represented in testimony with another 12 nations on board to explore this issue and United States officials need to take part in the conversation, she argued.
Federal defense and transportation were her areas of expertise but the UFO issue never came up in congressional discussions, she said. Defense spending and appropriations was her specialty.
Five other ex-lawmakers—Sen. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska; U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.; U.S. Rep Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.; U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md.; and U.S. Rep. Merrill Cook, R-Utah—agreed the people had a right to know more. Among suggestions was having an international conference tied to the United Nations and endorsed by the General Assembly as opposed to the U.S.-dominated Security Council.
Problems with a congressional hearing range from short presentation times to a few select witnesses, finding the proper committee to host such a hearing and the arrogance of Capitol Hill legislators, said Rep. Hooley candidly.
Congressmen aren’t happy looking like they don’t know something and to be told something world-shaking was going on for decades without their knowledge wouldn’t sit well, she said.
Also no sitting lawmaker wants to be the first representative to call for hearings and see their call replayed in opposition political ads with antenna coming out of their heads, added Ms. Woolsey.
Potential ridicule and political fallout is enough to keep members of Congress away, she said.
The American people need to be motivated to get involved, he said, complaining of a sheep-like mentality inside the United States where anyone who challenges popular political thought has his patriotism questioned. True patriotism is standing up and demanding that the government serve and inform its citizens, he said.
The last time Congress held a hearing on UFO matters was in 1968 before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics.
Throughout the Press Club hearing, pilots and experts shared experiences with the crafts, some tried to chase or attack the objects without success. In other incidents, witnesses saw strange lights and shared how the appearance of these crafts or lights knocked out weapons systems in nuclear silos. All described virtually noiseless, usually seamless crafts with few or no outer markings, ships that could make sudden stops and turns impossible for modern aircraft. The force of such angled maneuvers would kill a human being, they said. The crafts hover in mid-air at heights no helicopter could endure, witnesses said. Some described how smaller craft travel and dock on a huge Mother Ship.
“It’s not in contention that there are things in our air space and we don’t know what they are,” said Mr. Pope. The British government sometimes tracked sightings on radar or visual sightings by pilots, but it was a mystery, and while extraterrestrials weren’t ruled found, they were not ruled out, he said.
Dick Gregory, longtime analyst and satirist, attended the hearings. He felt it should have included representatives of the indigenous peoples who have spoken of such visits for centuries. He had his own experience in San Francisco. He sees major implications if the truth about UFOs come out.
The Minister has spoken publically about his encounter with the crafts in a “vision-like”” experience in 1985 and said the crafts are fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel’s Wheel in the Bible and are the destructive Mother Plane and baby planes created to destroy this civilization as taught by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The writings about these planes are found in the monumental book Message to the Black Man by Mr. Muhammad.
During an international press conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. on October 24, 1989, Min. Farrakhan shared his vision and warned the U.S. government of the dreadful power of these crafts and how plotting against the Black man and woman, him and the Nation of Islam would led to the unleashing of their destructive force.
“So it is not wise for you to plan against Allah’s (God’s) servants; for by so doing you are actually planning against yourselves. This warning is for the president, the government and the wise to reflect upon so that the unwary citizens of America may not be harmed by the consequences of the wicked machinations of the United States government,” said Min. Farrakhan at the press conference.
“You may come against me, which you are free to do, since we have no power to stop you, but I warn you, that I am backed by the power of Allah (God) and His Christ and the power of that Wheel in which I received this Announcement. The moment you attempt or lay your hands on me the fullness of Allah’s (God’s) wrath will descend upon you and upon America,” the Minister warned.
What about the 3 percent?
Among UFO researchers, or “ufologists,” there is agreement that 95 percent of reported incidents can be explained, said Gary Heseltine, who created a database tracking UFO-related incidents reported by police officers in the United Kingdom, and edits UFO Truth magazine.
When the remaining 5 percent are investigated, perhaps 2 percent will be tossed out leaving a highly credible 3 percent that is unexplained, argued the retired British police detective.
“The skeptics can argue all they like but they never talk about these 3 percent of cases,” said Mr. Heseltine.
That 3 percent of cases would include major incidents inside and outside the United States. One incident occurred in 1986 as a Japanese airline pilot flying over Anchorage, Alaska spotted a huge ship the size of two aircraft carriers and reported the sighting to the FAA. John Callahan was then division chief of the Accidents and Investigations for the Federal Aviation Administration. He testified May 3 that Japanese Airlines 747 flight was followed by a UFO for 31 minutes. The UFO also followed a United Airlines flight.
The unknown craft’s presence was confirmed visually—as the pilot drew a walnut shaped object to share what he saw—and there was radar confirmation. The then-FAA Administrator held a briefing the day after the incident with the FBI, CIA, President Reagan’s Scientific Study Team and others present, said Mr. Callahan.
He doubted that the craft was made by the U.S. or any other government, though when he first heard about the incident he suspected it might be a Defense Dept. project like the once super-secret Stealth bomber. Mr. Callahan kept some of the FAA evidence.
George Flier, a retired Air Force intelligence officer, testified that there are about 1,000 UFO-related sightings a month and he deals with 17,000 e-mails related to incidents monthly.
Like many witnesses, Mr. Flier had his own encounter with a UFO while aboard an aircraft tanker over the UK. While serving in the Air Force, Flier was onboard an aircraft tanker over the UK ordered to investigate a UFO which flew away at great speed. He is now a regional director for the Mutual UFO Network.
Reasons most often given for hiding info about UFOs are national security, power, potential unknown energy sources and shaking the established world view of reality and science. One witness suggested while the speed of light is recognized as the highest speed known to mankind, the unknown crafts may travel at the speed of thought and use a different propulsion system than the most advanced system used today.
And, observed Mr. Callahan, where do these crafts stop for food, fuel and what technology do they have? Companies and corporations have an interest in denying the world cheaper, better medical care and a “toaster that can power New York City,” he said.
While the UFO phenomenon is worldwide with sightings in places like Iran, the United Kingdom, Turkey, China, and Japan along with others nations and regions in between, the U.S. has a special interest in these occurrences and special ridicule, the witnesses stressed.
Mr. Bassett complained of misinformation spread by the government and CIA-creation of the National Enquirer. The tabloid spreads silly stories and undermines legitimate dialogue, he said.
In South America, the subject is approached from a more respectful and scientific basis, said Antonio Huneeus, a writer and investigative reporter from Chile. There is some mockery but the societies and governments are generally more willing to discuss the phenomena in a more serious way, he added.
When other nations have an incident, the U.S. quickly intervenes and often departs with valuable evidence and information, said witnesses.
Its global influence as a superpower is the reason most often given for U.S. obsession with the subject, witnesses argued. But, they noted, at the same time the U.S. government insists the craft do not exist.
Would the U.S. be the sole superpower if someone else possessed more advanced technology? asked Nick Pope, a UK Ministry of Defense UFO investigator between 1991 and 1994. In 2008 the UK began a five-year process of declassifying and releasing its entire archives of UFO files. So far over 50,000 pages of documents have been released, he noted.
The most significant UFO incident in the UK happened in 1980 involving a UFO incident in Rendlesham Forest and involved military personnel at the United States Air Force bases of Bentwaters and Woodbridge, he said.
A craft appeared near the bases over 3 nights, soldiers were sent out to investigate and the top U.S. Air Force official in Germany quickly came to find out what happened, collected evidence and left, said Mr. Pope. The Air Force official wrote a memo about the incident, but the U.S. says it has no interest in investigating UFOs, added Mr. Pope, who worked for the Ministry of Defense for 21 years.
Then U.S.-servicemen John Burroughs and Jim Penniston were there that night and testified at the hearing. Not only were the men told to keep quiet about the incident, but both have health problems and have been told their personal medical records are classified. They fear exposure to some kind of radiation.
Between 1953 through 2009, when the division was dropped because of defense cuts, over 12,000 incidents were investigated, said Mr. Pope. The Rendlesham Forest incident multiple witnesses, included burn marks on trees and increased radiation at the event site, he explained. The plight of the servicemen is a open government and human rights issue, whether there is a belief in UFOs or not, these men cannot get information needed to help deal with health problems, said Mr. Pope.
He believes government secrecy, which many say began in 1947, is tied to a desire to capture the technology of these unknown crafts. Whether crafts investigated by the UK were “Russian or Martian,” their technology is better than what is currently known, Mr. Pope said.
There was UK interest in propulsion systems, fuel source and possible weaponization, he continued.
“There is as it were a race for that technology. So basically, if any of this turns out to be true, the nation that first acquires this technology will be the dominant political, military, technological, economic force on this planet for the foreseeable future,” he said.
Related news:
A Truth Embargo? Researchers discuss academic and scientific proof of flying object sightings (FCN, 05-07-2013)
Pilots, air traffic controllers share powerful sighting testimonials (FCN, 05-07-2013)
Citizens Hearing tackles government secrecy and the truth about the presence of UFOs (FCN, 05-01-2013)