UK UFO - Self-appointed MoD Replacement

The Future Of UK UFO Reports: ‘Lies' In The Sun?

As Blogged about recently The Sun (newspaper) posted an article online in which they attributed a UFO video to Ireland when it was from California, and in the middle of the article they (completely unprompted and unrelated) had the following text italicised:

And today (29 Jan 2010) a couple of days later they posted an article with the headline, “NASA backs The Sun's X-Files” as well as the news that, “The Sun re-launched the nation's X-Files last week ” and of course the statement, “'Important' ... The Sun will record UFO activity over Britain ” and (employing a tact which is quickly becoming something of a Sun ‘trademark') was accompanied by a completely unrelated & speculative computer generated image (CGI) of a ‘flying saucer'..

I assume all of this meant that the italicised sentence that was wedged into the middle of the earlier article, you remember, the one with the wrongly attributed video and blatant deception was actually a ‘statement of intent' as it were. Several Bloggers & UFOlogists have tried contacting the Sun and to the best of my knowledge all to no avail. However, credit where credit is due as Nick Pope has (again to the best of my knowledge) replied to every person who has emailed him about this, and while I hasten to add I don't agree with his position on this he surely deserves respect for taking the time to try and alleviate concerns and to personally answer those who have questioned his motives.

Anyway, here's the Suns latest contribution as the saviour of UK Ufology:

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NASA backs The Sun's X-Files

(28 Jan 2010)

'Important' ... The Sun will record UFO activity over Britain

NASA has backed The Sun's study of Britain's X-files.

A top scientist from the US labelled our bold bid to record alien activity in the UK as "important".

Cash-strapped Ministry of Defence chiefs secretly axed the department that investigated UFOs last month. But now The Sun has picked up the baton as strange space sightings are close to an all time high.

Dr McKay — part of NASA's Space Science Division since 1982 — has spent his career looking for extra-terrestrial life. The planetary scientist was the co-leader of the Mars Phoenix Lander mission in 2008. The probe dug up chunks of ice on the Martian surface again fuelling hope that living organisms existed on the Red Planet. And he is busy planning a new mission to Mars in search of life. He said The Sun's bid to record the UFOs over the UK shared the same the goal he was striving for — to discover alien life forms:

"It is important to keep a record of UFOs…..I think it is only natural as a human to wander whether there is life outside of Earth…..The public are really interested in the unexplained sightings so it is worthwhile to log them…..Tracking UFOs is the same as the interest that I have. My interest is from a scientific viewpoint but I am asking the same question…..We are both asking the question - are there other life forms out there?"

British Mars expert Professor Colin Pillinger CBE echoed NASA's Dr McKay. He applauded The Sun for reviving the MoD's UFO project after they shut it down on December 1 2009. Any sightings in Britain will now NOT be officially recorded because MoD chiefs branded the £50,000-a-year department an "inappropriate use of defence resources". It came despite the near TRIPLING of alleged UFOs between 2008 and 2009 to 643. Prof Pillinger headed the Beagle 2 mission to Mars — which eventually ended in failure when the unmanned probe crashed on Christmas Day 2003:

"The Sun is right to keep the UFO files going.....You have an army of readers who could flag up something extraordinary.....Even if it is not alien life, it could be a meteorite which are of great value to the scientific community.....The Sun is right to persist in reporting UFOs.....Just because we do not understand something does not mean it is not true."

Leading US professor Albert A Harrison, from the University of California, also backed our UFO files. Prof Harrison — who served with NASA — said:

"The reason it is important to report UFOs is because it fascinates people who are interested in possible life in the universe and whether or not we are alone…..Such surveys can be mined for helpful information and properly conducted research is valuable."

The space watchers were in London for two days of talks at the Royal Society entitled "The Detection of Extra-terrestrial Life and the Consequences for Science and Society." The Sun re-launched the nation's X-Files last week. We will now release a rundown of your sightings, like the MoD used to.

Source: The Sun

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So if the public complies then the Sun is the new source for UK UFO reports, and the conspiracy theorists thought they've had a rough ride so far, I bet the boys at the MoD are pissing themselves…..

MoD Closes Door On UFOs

It was recently announced/released (via FoIA) on the MoD website that after fifty years they are finally washing their hands of the UFO phenomenon as they have announced that they will no longer be collecting UFO reports from the public. Personally I don't think this is anywhere near as significant as it is being reported as, mainly because the lacklustre approach adopted by the MoD over the last fifty years or so has been dismissive at best and criminally negligible at worst.

Also, you can’t help but wonder if this closure is merely the culmination of a plan that was set into motion several years ago when the FoIA requests were at a peak and which ultimately led to the decision to publicly disclose the files in their entirety…..

MoD + UFO = No Defence Significance

That's not to say they are *really* to blame as the public face of the MoD, i.e. the ‘UFO desk', that dealt with this was little more than a public relations exercise anyway, an exercise which if nothing else proved a useful springboard for Nick Pope being established as the ‘go-to man' for the British (gutter) press as well as for various UFO-related documentaries, publications, radio-shows etc. etc. etc. And in case there is any doubt about the capacity of involvement allowed to those who ‘man' the UFO desk this was stated in writing by the MoD, below is a section from the FoIA document in question which was sent to Mr James Easton back in 1999:

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“Mr Pope was employed as an executive Officer in Secretariat (Air Staff) 2. His post was designated Sec(AS)2a. The main duties of the post concern non-operational RAF activities overseas and diplomatic clearance policy for military flights abroad. A small percentage of time is spent dealing with reports from the public about alleged ‘UFO' sightings and associated public correspondence.”

(The scanned document can be viewed here).

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The only reason I highlight this is so that one can see the prior level of commitment that the MoD awarded the UFO reports anyway, so is the loss really that great?

And the following was posted by Nick to his website on the 3rd December (2009):

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MoD Terminate UFO Project

With effect from 1st December 2009, the Ministry of Defence terminated their UFO project, ending over 50 years of research and investigation. The news was slipped out in a way designed not to attract attention, by making an amendment to an existing document in the Freedom of Information section of the MoD website, entitled "How to report a UFO sighting". The announcement states that "in over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom" and goes on to say that "MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them". Having worked on the UFO project from 1991 to 1994 I am sorry to see MoD disengage in this way. I believe that where evidence suggests that UK airspace has been penetrated by an unidentified object, this must automatically be of defence interest and should be investigated properly. Indeed, I am sure that sightings from pilots and uncorrelated targets tracked on radar will continue to be looked at, albeit outside of a formally constituted UFO project. From the Fifties to the present day, MoD received around 12,000 UFO reports. While most were misidentifications of ordinary objects and phenomena, around 5% remained unexplained.

Source: Nickpope.net

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And the following was posted to DefenceManagement.com on the 4th December:

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UFO investigation service shut down

The Ministry of Defence has stopped investigating reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the UK. A telephone number and email address which allowed the public to report sightings for investigation was closed on 1 December after the MoD decided the service was an "inappropriate use of defence resources."

The closure was revealed in a Freedom of Information request released via the MoD website. The MoD had dealt with more than 12,000 reports since it launched the reporting service in 1950 - including 135 last year. The service had cost around £50,000 a year to run and was based at RAF Command in High Wycombe. In a statement, the ministry said:

"The MoD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra-terrestrial life …..However, in over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom….. The MoD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings …..There is no defence benefit in such investigation and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources. Furthermore, responding to reported UFO sightings diverts MoD resources from tasks that are relevant to defence…..Accordingly, and in order to make best use of defence resources, we have decided that from the 1st December 2009 the dedicated UFO hotline answer-phone service and e-mail address will be withdrawn. MoD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them…..The ongoing programme to release departmental files on UFO matters to the National Archive will continue."

Source: DefenceManagement.com

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Nick Pope Internet Radio (Sat 25th April 2009)

I just received a message on one of my YouTube accounts from “Pair a normal guys” that said that Nick Pope had just given an interview with them on the 25th April 2009. And for a change (with Pope) I was pleasantly surprised at the sober tone of the interview, and I was shocked to find that his views on disclosure and what exactly the government knows echo my views to an extent as does the fabled 'acclimatisation' theory. Pope also discusses Rendlesham and Condign briefly as well as the usual suspects (Roswell etc.) as well as the recent XConference at which Pope was a speaker.

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Here’s the less than accurate blurb (Minister?) that accompanies the interview:

UK DEFENSE MINISTER AND UFO RESEARCHER Sec(AS)2a (Secretariat of the Air Staff).NICK POPE WILL JOIN PAIR A NORMAL GUYS INC TO DISCUSS SOME MEMORABLE UFO CASES IN THE UK ALSO HOW UFO SIGHTINGS ARE REALLY HANDLED BY THE MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTS AND NEW EVENTS AND SIGHTINGS AS WELL. PLUS OTHER PARANORMAL TOPICS ALSO WILL BE COVERED. JOIN US AS WE GET A UK PERSPECTIVE ON UFOS.

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And the interview can be heard here.

UK UFOlogists Nick Pope & Joe McGonagle on The Sun Newspaper And UFOs

Manchester RadioOnline has a regular Friday night show called, “Exploring The Unexplained.” On Saturday 05th July (2008) it had a surprise guest in the shape of Nick Pope as well as Joe McGonagle owner of UK-UFO.org website and mailing list, Joe is a regular on the show and is on every week covering the recent events regarding UFOs in the UK.

Not surprisingly Nick waxed lyrical (as he's involved with The Sun and their recent efforts) on, ‘The Sun’ newspapers attempts to turn the UFO subject not only into revenue for themselves but they are also reminding the nation why they are held in such a low regard as they continue to turn the UFO subject into a joke, and as always the joke is at at the expense of serious UFO research.

The Suns insistence in publishing mediocre UFO reports contrary to what they know to be the truth should come as no surprise to anyone, it’s just not that often that their failings are exposed and their complete disregard of any and all facts is as evident as it has been recently. Joe McGonagle highlights this with one of their recent stories when The Sun approached UK UFOlogist Jenny Randles about one of these sightings. It's explained in Joes interview and I'll (hopefully) be able to write more about Jenny and her dealings with The Sun in my next post.

Source: Manchester RadioOnline

Is Full UFO Disclosure Beckoning?

Is Full UFO Disclosure Beckoning?

The Reality as Seen by Former High Level Government and Military Officials

On Monday November 12 th at 11am, a panel discussion will take place moderated by former Arizona Governor Fife Symington at the National Press Club.

This discussion will include former high level government employees, military officials and pilots from all over the world. They'll discuss their own UFO sightings and encounters and they'll do it at the National Press Club in the nation's capital. Some of them will be sharing their stories for the first time.

This group has gathered together to call on the United States government to take an active role in investigating cases involving unidentified flying objects.

The general public is not alone when it comes to sighting what the US Air Force has labelled Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). So too have former governors, high level military and government officials, highly trained airplane pilots and aviation experts. The phenomenon is real. It happens worldwide. No one is sure about its nature.

Pilots to Tell Their UFO Stories for the First Time

Just one year ago, pilots, mechanics and managers from United Airlines witnessed a metallic disc-shaped object hovering over the United Airlines Terminal at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport. The clearly observed object shot straight up leaving a hole through the clouds. Despite the clear aviation safety issues involved, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) never investigated the incident and dismissed it as weather. This head-in-the-clouds refusal to investigate stands in sharp contrast to efforts by governments of other countries to understand these incidents.

(The NARCAP .PDF document detailing the full investigation into the O'Hare UFO report/sighting is available here.)

Group to call on US Government to Re-Open its Investigation

The group, using previously classified documents, will discuss many well-documented cases, including two investigated by the US government. The first involves a Peruvian Air Force pilot who fired many rounds at a UFO which was not affected. The second was an Iranian Air Force pilot's attempt to fire at a UFO, but whose control panel became inoperable.

“This case is a classic that meets all the necessary conditions for a legitimate study of the UFO phenomenon,” stated the US Defense Intelligence Agency document on the Tehran incident. Both pilots will come forward to speak about these events publicly for the first time.

List Of Speakers

• Fife Symington, Former Arizona Governor, Moderator
• Ray Bowyer, Captain, Aurigny Air Services, Channel Islands
• Rodrigo Bravo, Captain and Pilot for the Aviation Army of Chile
• General Wilfried De Brouwer, former Deputy Chief of Staff, Belgian Air Force (Ret.)
• John Callahan, Chief of Accidents and Investigations for the FAA, 1980's (Ret.)
• Dr. Anthony Choy, founder, 2001, OIFAA, Peruvian Air Force
• Jean-Claude Duboc, Captain, Air France (Ret.)
• Charles I. Halt, Col. USAF (Ret.), Former Director, Inspections Directorate, DOD I.G.
• General Parviz Jafari, Iranian Air Force (Ret.)
• Jim Penniston, TSgt USAF (Ret.)
• Dr. Claude Poher, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, founder, French GEPAN
• Nick Pope, Ministry of Defence, UK, 1985-2006
• Dr. Jean-Claude Ribes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France, 1963-98
• Comandante Oscar Santa Maria , Peruvian Air Force (Ret.)

Fife Symington, the former governor of Arizona, who in 1997 ridiculed an infamous UFO sighting by thousands of people in the state and later admitted that he himself saw a craft will moderate a distinguished panel of former high-ranking government, aviation, and military officials from seven countries to discuss close encounters with what the US Air Force describes as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

Fife says, “This panel consists of some of the most qualified people in the world with direct experience in dealing with this issue, and they will bring incredible, irrefutable evidence, some never presented before, that we simply cannot dismiss or ignore.”

Representatives from France, England, Belgium, Chile, Peru, Iran and the US will call for the US Government to join in an international dialogue and re-open its investigation which the Air Force shut down over 30 years ago in cooperation with other governments currently dealing with this unusual and controversial phenomenon.

While on active duty, the panellists have either witnessed a UFO incident or have conducted an official investigation into UFO cases relevant to aviation safety and national security.

High ranking government personnel and military officials from around the world have seen what you won't believe. And they risk their reputations to make the case.

Fife Symington

Who can forget when the governor of Arizona held a press conference regarding the phoenix lights and got one of his staff to dress up in an alien costume!!
Seemingly Symington has done a complete U-turn and now says,

“In 1997, during my second term as governor of Arizona, I saw something that defied logic and challenged my reality.

I witnessed a massive delta-shaped, craft silently navigate over Squaw Peak, a mountain range in Phoenix, Arizona. It was truly breathtaking. I was absolutely stunned because I was turning to the west looking for the distant Phoenix Lights. To my astonishment this apparition appeared; this dramatically large, very distinctive leading edge with some enormous lights was travelling through the Arizona sky.

As a pilot and a former Air Force Officer, I can definitively say that this craft did not resemble any man-made object I'd ever seen. And it was certainly not high-altitude flares because flares don't fly in formation. The incident was witnessed by hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people in Arizona, and my office was besieged with phone calls from very concerned Arizonians.

The growing hysteria intensified when the story broke nationally. I decided to lighten the mood of the state by calling a press conference where my chief of staff arrived in an alien costume. We managed to lessen the sense of panic but, at the same time, upset many of my constituents.

I would now like to set the record straight. I never meant to ridicule anyone. My office did make inquiries as to the origin of the craft, but to this day they remain unanswered.

Eventually the Air Force claimed responsibility stating that they dropped flares. This is indicative of the attitude from official channels. We get explanations that fly in the face of the facts. Explanations like weather balloons, swamp gas and military flares.”