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,', t . SUNDAY EXPRESS Apn113, 2008 77
. ~ VIIIIIIIIReview ~.~\^-~. ~~ . . was a box offrogs t:tlJre: AllAN OLlEY/Camera Press officially THOUGHborn in 1934, AUTOBIOGRAPHY Shirley MacLaine " " ~"^';: ~\.._~_"",~'t~.:~ . isIit 74 - she's ,.- .., nearer to 7,400. ..1,;,. -""..' J. This is because she ~***** has had "many,many lives, many, " Shirley MacLaine many births, and many, many , deaths". To prove her point she I ~.imoI1. ~ch~s.~er'.}~4:~~9 tells us: "1 have slept in the sarcophagus of the Kings' Chamber of the Great gastrointestinal symptoms and psychosexual Pyrand at Gizeh." We are also privy to facts dysfunctions. Then again, ill health n ght not be concerning her "past life in Atlantis" (the origin due to interptanetary pokes and prods. It could be apparently of her red-haired, white-skinned and because you take sugar, "a legalised poison". "slightly-slanted blue-eyed" appearance). At one Shirley also suspects the pharmaceutical time or other Shirley also possessed "both male industry and medical profession of plotting to and female genitalia," try though whether this. was a to kill us to ensure profitability. Modern medicine help or a hindrance she doesn't say. is "the number one cause of death every year". It's good to know that Shirley was as zany in Apart from taking Valium to sleep, Melatonin former aeons as she is in our own - it spreads the ("wonderful for the hair") and PriIosec and embarrassment. She's always odd doing things. N exium to alleviate acid. reflux problems, Shirley . She has hung around with the Masai in East Africa won't pop a pill "and birthed a few babies, who were named after If there. are husbands or children in Shirley's me". Finally, after sitting on a mountaintop in Peru: life,they don't merit a mention. Nor does her "1 left my body to witness the Earth below me." brother Warren Beatty. Her dog does though. "I have been a questioner all my life," she says in "With a dog you learn intimacy with yourself and a her latest effusion, with its horrible title, Sage-ing deeper capacity for friendship." Friendship with While Age-ing. Credulous would surely be a better other dogs or extraterrestrials she must mean word? There's barely a conspiracy theory or New because with humans: "1 won't pernt small talk, Age health fad that Shirley doesIit want to fall for. omy telling the truth as 1 see it regardless." She's convinced, for example,that our arnes are You have to remind yourself that Shirley isn't in Iraq to steal and decipher the cuneiform tablets omy an unusual obsessive, she also used to be a that derive from "the seat of the most advanced. marvellous actress. If you can get her off the ancient civilisation" that formerly existed there or subject of Attantis and on to a topic equally as thereabouts. bizarre, that's to say Hollywood, her showbiz tales FUrthermore, Shirley believes that the are first class. government of the United States has received We hear about Bob Fosse, who greeted her: "You visitors from outer space. Shirley has seen "a with the legs that start at your eyeballs." Jerry squadron of UFOs" buzzing the Capitol in Lewis's sulks are described, as are Frank Sinatra's Washington and is certain that President dealings with the Mafia. Dean Martin used to slink Eisenhower signed a treaty with extraterrestrial away from parties, preferring to watch Kojak "than races, allowing them to "furnish us with advanced risk a serious conversation". It is touching to learn technology" in return for pernssion to abduct that since the deaths of his daughter and humans and perform experiments on them. How granddaughter, Richard Attenborough cannot else have we acquired the skills to develop fihre listen to music,. "otherwise he would break down optics, integrated circuit chips, night-vision and fall apart". equipment, particle beam devices and gravity-. Shirley worked with Nicole Kidman, who controlled would . flight? . To order any bookS featured,post free (UK . only), please caU 0871 521 1302. You can also send a . Keep guessing to the end . cheque or PO to: The Express Bookshop, PO Box THERE IS not trustworthy odd-job-man who had been prison priest is not sure what to make 200, Falmouth TRll 4WJ or a lot of FICTION doing some work on their house. p of all this: responsible for Bourne's order online at - intellectual Bourne subsequ ntly finds himself on spiritual well-being, Michael is having a www.expressbookshop. . kudos attached to [I:]; :mtJ~[~ death row. crisis of conscience of his own.. As a com. The . ... Jodi Express . . . reading Picoult r I Flash forward 11 years and Bourne is student he was on the which . but there is an awful *-ii:*** jury Bookshop offers a postage f waiting for his sentence to be carried convicted Bourne but in his heart he free (UKonly) service for lot of to be enjoy.ment J~t~ult out. He has always ctaimed he was has never been entirely convinced of aU books mentioned by the had. She has shot to innocent but he HOd~er.A:E.1~ I pleaded guilty during the man's guilt. Express {)r currently in his court case:He is now insisting that to -~;, __.... . True fonn,Picoult keeps you print in the UK. CaUs cost a short very period of his dying wish according to his guessing to the end in this morality tale. lOp per minute from BT me, to the extent that her publishers uncanny knack of dreaniing up moral religious beliefs, which ought to be June changes her mind several times landlines. Iow aim to get out three books every dilemmas that you cannot ignore: you honoured under US law, is to donate his about whether she will accept Bourne's vo years. This i~ number 14. must know the resolution. How is this heart to Claire, who suffers from a rare heart and it turns out that Claire had It's easy for critics to sneer at this for an agonising choice: would you disease and is unable to find a donor ideas of her own,too. ind of commercial success but the fact grant your enemy's dying wish to save match. . This is a challenging and clever read :, it comes with a guarantee: you know your child's life? To complicate matters, Shay Bourne which asks for a big suspension of NEW AUTHORS )u are going to get a roller-coaster June Nealon lost her first daughter, has attracted a religious following of disbelief but if you can get over that, it PUBLISH YOUR BOOK de of a plot. Elizabeth, when she was pregnant with devotees who insist that he is able to turns into an edge-of-your-seat thriller, ALL SUBJECTS INVITED Her novels have been described as her second, Claire. Elizabeth was killed perform n acIes. A prisoner with Aids with some thought-provoking wrangling WRITE OR SEND YOUR .....NUSCRIPT TO: me part romance, one part courtroom in" shooting with her stepfather Kurt, in the cell next to him appears to have over religious belief and the perils of ATHENA PRESS lriIler, two parts social commentary" a police officer. They both appeared to made an amazing recovery. When a self-righ1eousness along the way. QUEEN'S HOUSE, 2 HOLLY ROA.D, nd the latest thriller, Change Of have been murdered in cold blood by. bird flies into another cell and almost TWICKENHAM TW1 4EG. UK :eart, is no exception. Picoult has www.athenapres$.com an Shay Bourne, a simple but seemingly dies, Bow;!e brings it back to life. The VlV GROSKOP e-mail: [email protected] ~, \ " Client: Ministry of Defence Source: Daily Mail (Main) Date: 06 August 2007 Page: 31 e Circulation: 2352183 Area(cm2): 526 . Britain's -files From alien in a Hastings garden to flying scooter in Stevenage,the MoD reveals its list of sightings . '.':':.\ ..... '...... 'I..~Dtb8 after tb1a year'a 80th are e ~..' , ' . of ~~.a1I" 'snnlyenary t1ae . ..,LeV; In aU_iredHew ..aid. tbIDJaI'tbe7 haft aUen ~.landlDlr RonreD. ~.~ have seen bJaek . . . would 'J.P.'you a large Mexico. ~ ~ J say. ,'uare In'tbe sk7. a gla~,t Robert Rosamond, cbaIrmaD of .~~..~,_ ~..craft. BdUab UPO Re8AuoCIa- :Escooter . an 0" de1ourJd~'~'o.-even_~ ~~OD[.~ald: 'These !Ilea giye .'':~., :,;.: .q~WlSIDaIpt loto tm l .yoU are not alone.. ... phenomena - moat IDteresUocIa an. . '~sl8bID~ocIare~tto:C: .'~tbIa strucQJredor.. . abape. . . ~:EJ~:...':',,";~~ : 'Ai'oUDd 118 per <<:em atceIIM can be e aner tbe lIoD expla1Ded.'I'be "'"'....,..c two pel' . deCided toeme~ pub witneu . untdentUled ~aeen In . cem.keep..~~'MoD cbJet t t.be objecta. Lad fqllDu 0, In our ~. attacked our aJdes - and oceuIoiIaIIJ w.nI8COIII&8I.. c:lie - foDowIQ p"~ iIit ... ~ ~ena a"'" aJI aDJ Ume. of reque.. under 'U1e fteedoaa;__ NIck badju down .IntOnDatIOD Act. ,as " bead~ Ulr: ~ d~ The JDIDiatI'7'a webllte sbowa that mI!Id, ~ '.UI'O~~~.'"-d. '"ID JOOI alone there were VI repoded been eDed'. ;QPO It... ~ aipunp went ,. "p~ ':.''''Pclt~'lie and ~e ~n.peerinlr t~up tb~a o~" added. kitchen wlndo...... spotHdby . . ~,....'1rkIe opeo to"". couple In Hastlnp. Same cilu...... tm CD arauabI:r Another witDesa reported bnrIDII be descriptions alDlUllliYe bImC above stan-AweS ~ the- aa 'VIanBIe before two ~ pyen fUCIr LoadoD, IIIrp an- ...... N~ . e~_~~tbatJookecl. b8JItireabd .....". . SUJiderlaDd bad a sfIver ::U::~ prramId nUlDber aJao occur In wbleb rotated at low speed A 1..... 31- DB December 'motber.bip witb NoyelDber and . And. t...o ...1ieD Ib.. are beld - smaDer i)rba' above -....ton and after dDIIIDC~ bowL !DstaJrorcbbIr8 twlcelD pub ..... spotted . A CIYD AvlaUoa five : b'u. .' dQL ~ "8oIDeUmea Ul'08 UDd Aut~"" In t.be Drevtoua ant military an CX1IIJ88IW1~ 121f at ' WIfh". .~ Jet.. Included' we and.'b d optical...... Bu&.-aeUmes ~ap1~eriablep'that JooIrI!d JUre. . JWIt cIoD'& 1I:n tIIe7 are.' Bow- , sIiaped'objlCt .... aide-on' and new 'ruter than . eft!' SIr PddcIt lloore. ....~ At D8I1ter Jet'. ft&eJaD of The Sk;J . A 101( of unJdenWled objecta !ftPt....r::::ter ..the chances or baa been kept by the MoD for . . decades. wltb some cases !DvesU- ...... ~liDO Ute In our "ftIent pted Ibr national seeurlti7 rellllODlL" solar ~,aCePt~ pouIbb on . PnYloual1. It took 30 yean fOJ' BIIIUa... and"! so'sure about claIIIIfted reof UPO slgbtfD u.t- ,tile...... ~e.at aa.ysee- to be released. leaYlq enth . foIl . ___ to _ with cold . . t.rai1 up. But deta11a of eftlJ. alKhtloc alDee. l~g. were released )ua\ e. I I Page 20/10;): . I Is reproduced licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing ot digital cuttings), digital reproduction or torwarcl ~overage u~der CLA, http://www.da.co.uk (tor books & magazines) or other copyright body. I IS permitted except under license from the NLA, http://www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) I Client: Ministry of Defence Source: Daily Mail (Main) Date: 06 August 2007 e Page: 31 6 Circulation: 2352183 Area(cm2):~ 526 ..... ~.. _...... (St'RHlw. s u.4.2....' . ( n ~, -.. .-...... -.tl 'lHangu1ar ...___ObJtKtpng a . Islands. Gwynedd)BlaCk square (Whit~Qnbna) object hanging In sky. objedWltt1 green..red and. . ~ toDeOfl.ftre. say,IO,OIaid aw-. an1bef IIStrange droning. ~...... siver . .. 1ft.. colour... (HastIngs, n as It overheac1 a.....-...... 7A,,- tIiSUc-~5iIw an paSsed Two w _es ttl ROdlnOj "'_7..1O~1~ kItden.wI. (White ~)Fl4shlng ball. chanlng aIIeft CJUts(de their Essex)u.....Hundreds<< glowing lights coloUr frOm red..onmge, green (MacdesfiE!Id, of three In line and blue..HQYered fQI130 mk1s...... 4.... with I11QVlng In rows obj __ Cheshire).. $PInning on each side. Grey formatfon. tLftJ.(NewqUIIr.. triangular part ...... rnetalUc co Od3\~ (Hetton-Le- ~___...... QulVetedratbertlala JIII,,4J., (Ste\IeMge; 'tyne....)8I,ack.with ttlree ~ wo "gilts ftIOIIIId-.sk then trtInguIIr Hertfotdshk'e)Oblong shape on" 23,10pIII YIIII5hed.(WestKltbrlde, de$Cfibed as looking a bit like a ..Ayrshlre) Four golden spheres. scOOter. ...(HIWt.MtOn, Norfolk) SiMrobje(t wItIIllght AllIS.~(Enfteld, North In sky. . .".~..-s)two 5IIIiIUer London)13 orange orbs darting underneath. Hcw MoIIIet and before and made little noises. Dust ortmoving iII'OUIId It. one about In different directions came down. white;one _ orange. shooting 5Ira1gllt Up. , Page 21/105. reproduction or forward under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings), digital Coverage is reproduced (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. is permi\led except under license from the NLA, h\lp:/Iwww.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, h\lp:/Iwww.cla.co.uk Client: Ministry of Defence _source: Express on Sunday (Main) Date: 05 August 2007 Page: 10,11 6\ Circulation: 758443 \ Area(cm2): 1024 \ 'THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE . (...and the 'op p>niindeq' MoD is investigating every UFO~I sig~tihg).,"_.. . -- By J..on Grov.. POUTICAl CORRESPONDENT AFl'ER years gathering dust in witnesses thought the strange craft examined with the assistance (If air Whitehall filing cabinets, Britain's might have been doing. defence experts. Unless there ; evi- One observer in 1993 reported an dence of a potential threat, there is no own X-Files are being released to object "like a puff of cloud" with a red attempt to identify the nature oC each the public. light on above Wunblcdon in sighting." Secret mes held the it, flying by south London in the general direction The MoD insists it holds no re~ Defenl!p. on sightings of wu en of Roehampton - the sort of route you meetings on UFOs, nor does it COD- flying objects used to be destroyed would follow if had "no ~~of "insuffi- you just spent light duct research. There are plans" after five years because years in space just to visit cient public interest". Earth. for dealing with an alien invasion. Another report from 2001 teUs of a But in letters to UFO enthusjasts, Not any more. The number of "blight green light" landing near the the department admits that it is ready requests made WIder the Freedom of at - - Information Act has been so huge that MI Kegworth, Leicestershire - per- in theoly, at least to repel raiders haps stopping at nearby East from outer space. One letter says: the Ministry has begun transf~g Midlands its paper records to an electromc Airport to fill up and grab a ''Any threat to the UK would be database that is gradually being snack before the long journey home. bandled in the .tigbt of the circum- released online. Other entries leave the sceptic won- staDces at the time and might They contain an astonishing record dering what happened next, like the inVolve the scrambling of aircraft. report by a couple from Hastings, We have DO record of the UK ever of the weird and wonderful objects UFO." spotted in the skies by the public over East Sussex, who "thou2l1t they saw b;iDg to briDg down a the past 25 years. an alien outside their kitchen win- But the MoD is open-minded dow" in May last about the of alien life, Forget Star Trek. Here are space- year. possibility"it stps shaped like tadpoles, emitting Sceptics will also seize on the fact DOting that is clear from strange lights and noises while they that a significant number of sightings reports there are many stnang hover above slumbering towns - or occur in early November and the end thin_ tn M AAP.n in UtP. JIb" In of when firework dis- another letter the ministry says: occasionally come in to land on December, big "The MoD does Dot have any motorways in the small hours. plays are. not unknown. And a expertise or role in respect of UFO The MoD says it is "open-minded" favourite time for them seems to be 01' saucer matters or to the about the possibility that alien life after the pubs have closed. question~ of the aisteDc:e or other- fonns may be visiting earth. The MoD, which is committed to wise of ematenestriallife forms, A surprising number of people have defend the country against any attack about which it remains totally on its airspace, has held records on open-minded. .~~~~~~..~~..~~~..~~..~~.~~~.~..~~..~~~.~:.! UFO sightings for decades. For many "We believe that rational objects shaped like aeroplanes, years every report was investigated nations could be found for mostezp1a- of helicopters and balloons. Others are and even today those that do not have the sigbtinp if resources were much harder to explain. an obvious explanation are examined dP.wntM tn An Min.. hut it i~ not There is no real pattern to the and reported on. the function of the MoD to provide reports. Some witnesses report A spokesman said: "The MoD this kind of aerial identification classic flying saucers, others claim to examines reports solely to establish service. It would be an inappropri- have seen craft shaped like cigars. whether UK airspace may have been ate use or defence" resources if we boomerangs, golf balls - even teddy compromised by hostile or wtautho- were to do so. bears. Most just see clusters of lights. lised military activity. UFO expert Stuart Miller said At times it is hard to tell what the "If required, sighting reports are that although many pbenomena had rational aplanatioas, others Page 14/137 Coverage is reproduced under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital is cuttings), digital reproduction or forwardi permitted except under license from the NLA, http://www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, http://www.cla.co.uk (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. Client: Ministry of Defence e Source: Express on Sunday (Main) Date: 05 August 2007 Page: 10,11 6 Circulation: 758443 Area(cm2): 1024 did not. Mr Miller, who runs the online news service uCoreview.net, said; files reveal "There is no obvious pattern and iiIii no part of the UK is immune. . ..l' 200&...... ~. fad "Sceptics lite to say that s.... 7.41,....we. .... 'ufology' is dead and the ..igt>tinV ...... , ...... are drying up, but it isD't true...... - Peop1e are still seeing objects in the skies in very numbers. February 2.2006,Weflingboro\Jgh, large . . There is tremendous interest in Nor1hants. 5.5Opm: A V-shaped object the questioD of whether there is was spotted which had bright lights and out there... sounded like a !.Wann of bees. Be added: "It would be reckless to say UFOs are eztra..terTestrial 14, 2014, don't mow. But . .. craft. We just ...... " .... whatever are, they don't ... 1.27,. eIIject they ~ .. ... seem to want to barm us. There ...... tile ...... II are no instances of aggression, so .. ...-... IIrtaM .... 1M.. we shouldn't wony people." ...... - .... Others are not sure there is . January 29, 2003,WohertIamplDn, arytbing out there at all. i{i 6.15pm:Two biangular objects llying in Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore. perfect syndIronisation. low humming veteran presenter Of BBC Tele- noise, not liIIe a commetdaJ airliner. vision's The SlI;y at Night, said be was highly sceptical about UFO . S.' A.1, 2IIZ, Leicedllj, sigbtings. tIIIIt Be added: "There is no intelli- s,...... pit.... gent life in our solar n. _ system, ...... ,." ... except possibly on earth - aud I ..--...... iii am DOt so sure about that - so the _L...... - chances 01 anyone seeing an alien __ craft are extremely sligbl . December 31,2001, Castle "To &Dyone who thinks they Don/ngron, Lelcestefsh/re: A brtght ~n haw seen aD a6en craft I would :8 light seen moving at very high speed. say: 'Have aaotber look.... The object appeared to land near . The most recent UFO sighting Keg'MInh OYer the MI. was over Guernsey in ApriL Captain Ray Bcnryer was pilot- . ...24, 2001, r.n.t ing a commercial from ..cnft flight a...r.., ID-2S,... Southampton to Alderneywben be 8 -...... DIsc noticed two bright objects...... be saw a ...... binoculars EIIcIIW I...... 1brougb l brilliaat yellow, cigar- ..11 ...... large, a _ shaped object with similar one a . January 31, 2001,South Clifton liWe further away. They were said NotI:S, 9.1opm: One object the size 'of a to be the size of a 737 airliner and =8 helicopter. Red and white stripes/lights were seen by severa1 of Captain with Bowyer's passengers and the pilot wings like a PhantDm. Stationary. of a private plane. !hen darted around the wood. What the .r-, ~ LIs..: 20, 2011, s....e...c...., ...... - . ....f. I!III!I . ...."." .... ~ l ~ __ .... tile .,..- ...... secret MoD . July__ 21. 2000. Neath, West Page 15/137 Coverage is reproduced under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction or forwardi is permitted except under license from the NLA. http://www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, http://www.cla.co.uk (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. Client: Ministry of Defence e Source: Sunday Mirror (Main) Date: 05 August 2007 Page: 11 Circulation: 1397739- 6 Area(cm2): 370 For the first time,the MoD ~teteals number of . unexp-Iained i~~ll , .lghtings..9718st year 1-...... Ell ..._.. .:"':'~.;~!tILES~~J!~;j&Qj;J.iJ;:~' ":: THE truth Is out there, so they say. But now It could be a lot closer to hand since Brltaln's reitl-llfe X-Flies have been opened for the first time - spookily revealing details of HUNDREDS of UFO slghtlngs. Last year alone the Mini~ of Defence logged nearly 100 eyewitness reports of stra.nge unidentified flying objects w ZZlng through our skies - and they're all listed on the left. The secret log - made public under the Freedom of Infonnation Act - deta.ils UFO sightings that ra.nge from the laughable to the seriously baffiing... i1ying saucers. orange f1reba.lls across the atmosphere. a spinning silver streaking pyramid and even an alien. o Utter tosh, some might say. But not the UFO experts, who are excited to finally have their hands on a log of sightings from as recently as last year. Normally, it ta.kes 30 years for cla.s8ified records of UFO sightings to be released. by which time they have been long dismissed. But now the experts can view files from 1998 to 2006 that give the date, time and location of the sightings as well as a short description. Among the list of unexplained phenomena reported in the last 12 months was a "mothership with _two sma.ller orba" flying above Barlaston in Staffordshire, which was witnessed again ftve days later. Then there was a weird oblong "shaped like a scooter" spotted in the sky above Stevenage, Beds. A huge "black square" was seen hanging from ths clouds in St TudwaJ's Islands, Wales, while a "spinning object with nns" was recordeCi triangular Page 17/137 Coverage is reproduced under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital is permitted cuttings), digital reproduction or forwardi except under license from the NLA, http://www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, http://www.cla.co.uk (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. fro. 2B/B2/B7 11:25 Pg: 1 .- -'r ~ r'ax ~ 0\''-';.JI ~' e ( .'" .'...... '..,' .,,- : '."' I" ..,.:", , .-;. "~':.".."'._"'--..;;". ". .L".0>..' ..,..,..ooo:-~...... ~,.~' .,..., ~. ~ .;. "1:.:" ,. ,~ ~ .. ~':- .-,. ~ ~:"~I' '. .1-. '"~~. --, ..: . Could we have hitched a ride on UFOs? I Technology I Guardian Unlimited Technology P~g 'v~l1>f<1$'/. ~ e Signin . R, gi$t r Go to: Guardian Unlimited home I;~.~ ~3~:J . Read today'spaper Jobs Search: (~) Guardian Unlimited 0 Web ~ technology Home Technology blog Ask Jack blog Gamesblog Games Opinion Innovations Inside IT Could we have hitched a ride on UFOs? Newly released files may put one mystery to bed, but in doing so others are left unanswered James Randerson Search Technology Thursday February 22, 2007 The Guardian It is not the sort of discussion you imagine among the grey- suited ranks of Whitehall - defence analysts debating the In this section existence of little green men and speculating about whether they have visited Earth. . HollywoodJg esLlpJoDBM flop But a set of newly released internal Ministry of Defence Read me first documents gives a fascinating insight into the military's interest in UFOs. They tell the story of the MoD's decision to Is SnapPreviewtbemost investigate the threat they might pose and whether alien b4tedWeb..2.Qfunction military technology could be used in the defence of the ever? realm. They also reveal the conflicting attitudes within Whitehall to the subject and the lengths that officials went to Gadgets in order to keep the project secret. News ytes Article continues '" NeWJech industry with old tech habits Copyr ghtsets.boundaries onh story Re!i'liJer$$lJ$p iOU$IYGoy onPlaYSJation::3PIe-order figUre$ Le!terSi'lnd lqgs Technobile Ld g .thesites,pitYi'lboul the rusability Ask Jack How. anyou .watcbJV undergrOUDd? Jry a mobile The documents, many marked "Secret UK Eyes A", layout the rationale for the three-year Project Condign report which '~/.> http://technology .guardian.co.uk/weekly/story /0,,2017970,00 .html 22/02/2007 Could we have hitched a ride on UFOs? Technology Guardian Unlimited Technology Page 2 of 4 1 I I Jobs from our si1a analysed more than 10,000 possible UFO sightings collected over several decades - many from military personnel. The . . OPEN ~enio0-ys~emsWORl.P--.:. existence of the 460-page report was revealed last year Administrator - Linul following freedom of information requests by David Clarke, a . GUAHDIAN NEWS lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, and his 8tiD MEDJ~_lIQ; colleague Gary Anthony. It was more FOI sleuthing on their Advertising S-Y.s1ems part that turned up the current slew of papers. Develoger . INTELLIGENT RESOURCI;;_S: AREA The documents show that the internal lobbying effort for a ~AlES MANAGI;R.: UFO study began in 1993. In a briefing note from the secret FRANCE UFO investigation branch of Defence Intelligence - called DI55 - an unnamed author wrote: "The national security S~eaJ' itt_tmolo.9Y implications are considerable. We have many reports of jP_bs strange objects in the skies and we have never investigated $j!arc.h_alljpb_s them. Paranoid response "I also believe that it is important to appreciate that what is scientific 'fact' today may not be true tomorrow... If reports are taken at face value then devices exist that do not use conventional reaction propulsion systems, they have a very wide range of speeds and are stealthy. I suggest that we could use this technology, if it exists." And he speculates: "If the sightings are of devices not of the Earth then their purpose needs to be established as a matter of priority... possibilities are: 1 Military reconnaissance. 2 Scientific. 3 Tourism." According to a former MoD intelligence analyst who asked not be named, the MoD was paranoid in the late 1980s that the Soviet Union had developed technology that went beyond western knowledge of physics. "For many years we were very concerned that in some areas the Russians had a handle on physics that we hadn't at all. We just basically didn't know the basics they were working from," he said. "We did encourage our scientists not to think that we in the west knew everything there was to be known." Material that was held back from the original FOI release of the Project Condign report, but which was published in October after an appeal, suggests that the MoD suspected that this scientific knowledge came from studying UFOs - or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)as the MoD prefers to call them. "Russian, former Soviet republics and Chinese authorities have made a co-ordinated effort to understand the UAP topic. Several aircraft have been destroyed and at least four pilots have been killed 'chasing UFOs'." One of Project Condign's conclusions was that UAP events could be put down to poorly understood phenomena called plasmas. The report says that the Russian military was doing research using plasmas as reflector antennas, aerodynamic drag reducers, stealth absorbers and using them to produce "saucer-shaped volumes". The initial request in 1993 for an MoD research project into UFOs was shelved, but in a later memo dated June 19 1995 following a surge in UFO reports, the same unnamed wing commander at DI55 wrote: "Until we conduct some analysis of the files we will not have any idea what the many reports http://technology .guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2017970,00.html 22/0212007 Could we have hitched a ride on UFOs? I Technology I Guardian Unlimited Technology Page 3 of 4 ) e represent. If at any stage in the future UAPs are shown to exist then there is the potential for severe embarrassment." Clarke, whose book Flying Saucerers: The Social History of Ufology will be published in April, says: "They knew that because no detailed study of the subject had ever been carried out - and consequently they had no idea what UFOs were - they could not justify the claim they were of no threat." Nick Pope, who worked on the MoD's public UFO desk until 1994 and features in the correspondence, adds: "This was always the big debate. How could you possibly fulfil the remit of looking at the issue properly to see if there was anything of.defence significance, without carrying out research and investigation? I think it is one of these subjects where it is low probability, high consequence," he adds. "For the want of spending a little bit of money, the potential wins if there were anything of any defence significance here would be worth having." But how much money did the MOD spend? One document refers to a E35,OOO cost estimate, while in another from 1996, the head of Defence Intelligence (Scientific and Technical) estimated E80,OOO for a year-long study. Project Condign when it was eventually begun took more than three years to complete. So does that mean a price tag of at least E240,OOO? No, according to the MoD, although it would not release the true figure. "This assumption that the sum will tally up to E80,OOO a year isn't supported and is inaccurate. It was funded from an existing contract within existing budgetary levels," it adds. The project was given to a trusted defence contractor and although details of the contract have not been revealed, the documents suggest that it was handled so as not to expose Project Condign to scrutiny. In the initial 1993 correspondence on the subject, a memo from 0155 refers to the potential "political embarrassment" of the project becoming known. It goes on: "I believe that opening a new contract especially for this study and using competitive tendering would potentially expose the study to too wide an audience." But Pope believes this was simply a practical measure. "Using an existing contract is always going to be easier than actually commissioning a new one," he says. "It wasn't an attempt to take it outside scrutiny. It was a quick fix." Suspicious minds The internal memos and briefing notes are peppered with hints of the considerable scepticism the 0155 wing commander encountered from superiors. In the original August 1993 brief he writes: "I am well aware that anyone who talks about UFOs is treated with a certain degree of suspicion. I am briefing on the topic because 0155 have a UFO responsibility, not because I talk to little green men every night!" And in a later document he describes a briefing by 0155 on http://technology .guardian.co.uk/weekly/story /0,,20 I 7970,00.html 22/02/2007 ..Could we have hitched a ride on UFOs? I Technology I Guardian Unlimited Technology Page 4 of 4 e the subject. "The scientists and engineers present treated to [sic]topic seriously while non scientists (or those without a physical science background) made the usual jokes about little green men and mass hallucination!" When Project Condign was eventually completed in 2000 it concluded that there was no evidence that UAPs were of extra-terrestrial origin. But there was a limit to what the author could do, because he was not allowed to interview people who had witnessed UAP events or talk to experts. "The nature of the security classification meant he was unable to discuss the study with scientists who might have been able to advise him on the credibility of the conclusions he reached," says Clarke. This explains Project Condign's baffling conclusion - that UAPs are real, but caused by strange plasmas, which are on the fringes of scientific understanding. "He ended up trying to explain one mystery by reference to another," says Pope. Advertiser links CompareUKJ3roadbandDeals Compare great broadband deals online. Get free modem and... broadband\Nis~, O,Llk Compare Broadband Offers Compare UK broadband deals and availability by post code.... brpadband hecker. o.qk 8roadbandOfferUK Compare broadband providers and save on broadband with our... broadband.org Credit Card I HDTV I Download Movies I Mobile Phone I New Car printableV(Jrsion I SendiUoaJriend I Save story privacy policy I Terms&conditjons I AdvMisingguide I A-Zindex I AbouUbissite Guardian Unlimited; Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 http://technology .guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,20 17970,00.html 22/0212007 ---.-". --.. -.,.--...---. ------_.~_. ~ .1.______. v Client: Ministry of Defence scAe: The Daily Mirror (Main) Da1l!" 10 November 2006 Page: 17 Circulation: 1633708 Area(cm2): 216 EARTH:WE'RE WIDE OPEN TO ALIEN ATTACK UFO eXllert wants probes into sighting~I THE Earth is wide open to an atien attack, a Government expert warned yesterday. By LUCY THORNtON Former MW2 chier"Nick Pope said officials are cannot rule out that what is happening is some not doing enough to probe UFO sightings leaving kind of covert reconnaIssa.nce," us vulnerable to an extra-terrestrial Invasion. Reports of UFO sightings Include a "vast. Nick Pope,who ran the Ministry's UFO project triangular-shaped craft" lying over RAF Cosford, from 1991 to 1m. said: "The consequences West Mids. a.nd R..\F Shawbury, Shropshire, of getting this one wrong could be huge. ir 1993. Frankly we're wide open." But Nick. who quit his jOb at the He said there has been a number of MoD's DlrectoIate of Defence Security "highly credible" slghtlngs and this week, warned: "If you reported a landings of strange metallic aIr- UFO sightl~ now. I'm absolutely craft across the UK. sure you would just get back a stan- But don't panic. the scientist dard letter telling you not to worry. doesn't think we're on the verge of "If something doesn't behave like being over-run by Dr Who-style a conventional aircraftnow.lt win monsters. be ignored, That's because the X- Nick said: ''There's no evidence of Flles have been closed down:' UFO hostile intent - but it cannot But a.n MoD spokeswoman insisted be ruled out in future, a.11 UFO slgbtlngs were Investigated He added: "There has got to be the for "evidence to suggest tha.t UK potential for that and one Is left with airspace has been compromised by the uneasy feeling that if it turned out ostile or unauthorised air activity", to be 80. there is very little we could She said: '.Unless there is such do about It. vidence, the MoD doesn't attempt to "If you believe these things are positively identify what was extra-terrestrial craft then you seen." SCARY: Doctor Who alien Page 6/213 Coverage is reproduced under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction or forwardi is permitted except under license frorr. the NLA, htlp://www.nlaco.uy, (for newspapers) CLA, http://www.cla.co.uk (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. .. t: Ministry of Defence .ource: D,~ily Mail (Main) Date: 10 November 2006 Page: 7 Circulation: 2410641 Area(cm2): 203 . The aliens are coming,warns ex-MoD chief in whiCh a 'v8St,triangul -shaped By Charlotte Gill craft' 'Pas seen nying over RAF 18 the in the Mi!ilandili that ALUIN Inve.s1on umally ~ses Wes~ alien stuffof science ftction. helped convince Mr. PoPe life B\1t Wbe.D. a (attn.. eX' M of forms~, am.$BritBU1nis~ 00' oe 'Most of the witne.sses were pOllee .chIefW. .and mllitarypersonne1,"he said. ~~ce. ed at ~.tbne. even the .tnO$t scepticalcU1d feel a teal tw1ng~ ot '1jundreQs of mem.beri e the pUb- aJ.mJn. 11c aIsohad sightingsovera.p riod Of b ci several hours.' In I'othet'incident in In...blSttm.. h.e..' . of Defence &.UFO proJecr:. , Po 1980.at RAP $l;aff .' ba$es 1n~uff was persnade4 into belie'Vigat iIlYestiga.ted a SWlPectedplane. have' Earth bright lights reported~ otf:1er U!efonn5 -visited attar wen:. in 'Ct resp~;B~_ nearby ",!)Ods. Theytound a kind pf Ria conc Mw is that 'highly three-Ie-gged lunar landing module dible' aigh'tfngs ate~ simply dis-.. whiCh then.nt!W ot'L Ind nts left. in mLSsed. the ground were f uDd to emit ten a~ t>Qints..out. . thJJ.t roll.. e,ct he times the normal,rad1 tion level. t.h.~ P. once.ran is tl.OW... '-rtrtualIY clo~ed', Mt PoPe.who SPent 21 year.a~ the ler 'wide open''toaUens. MQD;i$ regardee1 u an authPrltJr Qn Mr ~41, decided to out UFOs. Be plans to C:QU~entrate on :roP speak about tits. Oi1Cerns after r g lecturing a writing on allen Ute.. tTom the Dlrec$"Qrat~. of Defence A sp.okesman for t.h~ M1tStty of aHbe ~Dthis~~"'The Defet\C insiated that an UFO sight~ oo~equencelJS~ of getting th.ia ings wer~ inv$gated for 'evidence one wrong could. be buge,' he said. to sl1ggeSt th~t UK tl)rspace has 'Uyou reported UFO sighting nOw. be~n 'CQrnprpud~ed yho~tile or 1 am abSolutely sure that yOu woUld una!lthoriae air acti'vit.v\ just get baci a stndard lett She added:' 'Unless there ta S b tel1iI1g you not to worry. eVidet'1ce, the MoD doesn't attempt' 'Fr~k}y weare wide open - it to nositive1v id ntify what w Seen. something dO.es not behave like a conventional aircr i1 w, Itwi11 be ignor~. The X~F1les have been closed doWn.' MrPo~e, wno was llead of the Mot)s UFO projec:rt I)etween 1991 and 1994, admits that. he wU. sceptic about UFQS when he started his job. But access to dassiftecllUel on subjechanged.b1:t mb1d. ~e And wbilMr Pci sa}'i there is n eviden e of hostile xnte$t from aliens, he insists it cannot be ruled out."I'hereh~ got to be the paten- tia1 for that aild ~ is left with th uneasy reeung that jUt. turned out to be S01 there is very little We ould do . abou~ it,' he said. 'U y!>u bflUeve these things. tire extra terrestrial cr$itthen you cannot rule out that w~t is. 1'econnaJ.sSance.happening Is som.e. kind of covert. The Roswell Incident in 1~47 - in which ali,encorp.!ies were allegedly Allen visitor? The Infamous seen at lin air force base in New MeXico";' remains'the moSt famouS Roswell Incident of 1947 of countlessallen 's1ghttrlgS(. Howevet it was a 1993 report, ------_.~ --- Page 5/213 Coverage is reproduced under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings). digital reproduction or forwilrdi is permitpd except und",r I,C!o;,S" from the NLA, Iltt;::liwww.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA. hltp:/Iwww.cla.co.uk (for books & magazines) or other copyright body. . Page 2 of3 (1) 09 Nov 2006 - 15:00 e Published By Aislinn Simpson, P A Page 1: 15:00 Britain is "wide open" to alien visitors and a department meant to look into UFO sightings is virtually "closed down", a former Government expert warned today. Despite a series of "highly credible" sightings and landings in UK territory of metallic aircraft projecting lightbeams and emitting humming sounds, there is no longer formal interviewing of witnesses or investigation into the sightings, he said. Instead, those working for the Ministry of Defence UFO project spend their time releasing formerly classified documents in answer to Freedom of Information requests from the media or members of the public. Nick Pope, who ran the Ministry of Defence UFO project from 1991 to 1994, said he decided to speak out about the failure to seriously address the issue for the first time since resigning from his MoD post at the Directorate of Defence Security this week. "The consequences of getting this one wrong could be huge," he said. "Ifyou reported a UFO sighting now, I am absolutely sure that you would just get back a standard letter telling you not to worry. Frankly we are wide open - if something does not behave like a conventional aircraft now, it will be ignored. "The X-Files have been closed down." While there is no evidence of UFO hostile intent, he said, it cannot be ruled out. "There has got to be the potential for that and one is left with the uneasy feeling that if it turned out to be so, there is very little we could do about it," he said. "If you believe these things are extra terrestrial craft then you cannot rule out that what is happening is some kind of covert reconnaissance." He said he was initially sceptical about UFOs, but access to classified files on the subject and investigation of a series of spectacular UFO sightings gradually changed his mind. Among these he cited reports of a "vast, triangular-shaped craft" firing a narrow beam of light onto the ground and emitting a low-frequency humming sound that was spotted flying over RAF Cosford in the West Midlands and RAF Shawbury in Shropshire in 1993. "Most of the witnesses were police and military personnel," he said. "Hundreds of members of the public also had sightings over a period of several hours. "A meteorological officer described how it moved at a very slow speed, around 30-40 miles per hour, then very suddenly accelerated beyond the horizon in seconds." In another incident, at the Twin Bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk in December 1980, RAF staff were sent to investigate a suspected plane crash after bright lights were reported emanating from nearby woods. 10/11/2006 .. . Page 3 of3 & They found a kind of lunar landing module standing on three legs, decorated with strange 'W'hieroglyphic-type markings, which then flew off. The indents it left in the ground were examined the next morning with a Geiger Counter and emitted ten times the normal levels of radiation. "These sort of incidents are why I got so frustrated," Mr Pope said. "In my time I would brief the more interesting sightings up the chain of command to people like the Chief of the Air Staff and would get the answer back that it was very interesting and I had clearly done a good job investigating it and that was it. "Every one is a piece of a puzzle but no one takes it seriously. "There needs to be more resources and people who are prepared to look past the philosophical issues, look at the reports and investigate them properly. "Whether you believe these things are foreign air forces testing prototype aircraft or whether you believe they are something more exotic, with the speeds and movements they are capable of, it's technology we would very much like to get hold of." A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence insisted that all UFO sightings were investigated for "evidence to suggest that UK airspace has been compromised by hostile or unauthorised air activity". She said: "Unless there is such evidence, the MoD doesn't attempt to positively identify what was seen." 1 0/1112006 How the M tn d to cov its alien hunters . THE Ministry of Defence BY.ROB SINGH.. " went to extraordinary. . lengths to cover up how Clarke said:'"They don'f tell much it investigated UFOs,- usanything L ere. nybodyout there? How the men from the ministry hid the.hunt for UFOs MoD tried to cove~-up secret investigation unit 10,000 eyewitness reports 'mostly due to weather' James Randerson Science correspondent , The Ministry ofDefence went to extraor- dinary lengths to cover up its true involvement in .investigating UFOs, according to secret documents revealed under the Freedom ofInformation Act. The files show that officials attempted to expunge information from documents released to the Public Records Office under th "30-year rule" that would have revealed the extent ofthe MoD's interest in UFO sightings. In particular, the ministry wanted to cover up the operation of a secret unit dedicated to UFO investigations within the Defence Intelligence Staff. UFO conspiracy theorists have likenea the unit, called DI55, to a sort of."Men in Black" agency for defending the Earth against invasion but the released documents show this is far from the truth. One 1995 memo from DI55 to the MoD's public "UFOdesk" said: "I have several books at hOple that describe our supposed role of 'defender ofthe Earth against the alien menace'As light years from the truth!" The fi-'ere made public following' FOI requests by David Clarke, a lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University and his colleague Andy Roberts. cover up going on," he said."They didn't from the public UI:O desk, has scribbled "These don't tell us any- ~,1I,' want to let the public know "ouch!"in the margin. documents ~f, 'ii, ~;~ justhQ~.,.!D- thing about UFOs but they do show how terested they were in these phenomena." "The lengths they went to to remove desperate the MoD have been to conceal August 101965 Aman rePo.rte~,see,~ng Attempts to alter the public record any mention of the Defence Intelligence the inte.r"~t which the intelligence ser- a crimson ball fly out o(tiIe side of a went on into the 90S.In a note dated April Staff's central role in investigating sight- vices h" ~he subject," said Dr Clarke. hill in Warminster, Wgi,sllire.':.A.fQrt-.,,, ,,' 281993 from DI55 to the publicUFO desk ings suggests they had something to The tr .. egins with a request,in 1976, night later,anothe a )?h~d the unnamed author argued the unit's in- hide," said Dr Clar\ ~, ~. 4:; J:, ,r' l1li" ...." Throw three times over your left shoulder (or insure with Hiscox) ...'" ;.:fsi fIII,:'..1;,. \, ,1 " "'--....--: ;!~ u.,: \1f ~. ~~ . ,j " i, ": ,.'~'_ ", :,0.; ",,' There's no need to be superstitious. Nearly half the claims we pay would ~ot be covered by astandard home insurance..p licy. Visit hiscox.co.uk.or call 08453651283. 'r '1 --)~- ~ 'i~ ~ ~,~ _.w''',,~ ,~';'...-=."""" ffi:~"-~ ,...... -~ <-""" ~~ ...... , ~ ,.",::,-.::' -~~~:#a'::::u. ,.."._-,..-...... ,..-"--. lot, .'\,.'"" _ ~ _ -::.~ ~-c;.' ~~7~~~ ~, "'i .., ,-~~ ~ . -.0,_..""'" "rl:- I t www;metro.c'o.uk ~j (: ,..f \ :'i~-"<, ;t /' **** Evening Standard Thursday, 3 February 2005 25 SKY, FIREBALLS AND FLYING SAUCERS: MoD LOGS REVEAL SPATE Of SIGHTINGS OS are out there, say real X - Files BY MARK PRIGG,Science Correspondent Close encounters: recent reported BRITAIN'S secret X.files have revealed a flurry of sightings of UFOs UFO activity in the last two weeks, it was revealed include four in a today. " single night two The Ministry of Defence logs, released under the weeks ago Freedom of Information Act, include a sighting of "strange lights in the sky" two weeks ago in Whitstable. On the same night a "flying saucer" was spotted over Stoke on Trent, and alsojn ." -- Staffordshire and Cambridgeshire. Other sightings give more detail. A report from Devizes in Wiltshire on 24 September last year records an object that "looked liked a big ball of fire coming down from the sky with a tail and sparks coming off the end of it'? Another, from Somerset the week before, states: "The object looked like a great bright light and was really intense, like a ball of fire coming down from the sky, rapidly moving towards the ground." Even MoD chiefs admit they are flummoxed by some sightings. A report from Surrey last May describes a UFO as having "grooves and windows" but no room for humans. The MoD inspector notes that the "wiiness had seen the object so clearly". The mes show that last year the MoD's UFO - unit received 88 reports from military staff and members of the public worried about unexplained objects in our skies. The most common colours for a UFO are yellow, orange or black. A Ministry of Defence document released with the r'. , reveals that the MoD "remains totally W.I Opt ..nded" as to "the question of the existence er or oinerwise of extra.terrestriallifeforms". The Ministry sald the documents are a fraction of the thousands of records of alleged alien visits. ~ow 'careless'killer :II '.yers face prison Buy the award winning Goodyear HydraGrip )RIVERS who cause atal crashes while using BY BEN LEAPMAN Home Affairs i nobile phones or eating Correspondent lyre from your local Hi-q store. It the wheel face up to ve years in prison same way. Maximum sen. t inder' government pro. tences for dangerous >osals unveiled today. driving and aggravated Call into Hi-Q and you can buy the lyre that really reigns in the wet. Ministers want tougher vehicle taking may rise mnishmepts for .those from two years to five. . 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First-class emergency braking line culture" as never It is forecast to rise a fur. Jf'JIOWJF~ YO~II efore, with adult drink. ther 12per cent by 2008 to . Excellent side grip and lateral stability og on course to top a bot. reach 28 litres, or 37 bot. ...!. Ie a week within 20 years, tles each, reaching a bottle. . Unrivalled resistance to aquaplaning )'Y vrites Jonathan Prynn. . a week within 20 years. Figures from wine exhi. Underlying consumption . As good in the dry as it is in the wet ,ition f;'fJA~/j organiser Vmexpo is certain to be higher as how consumption per "the figures do not include Lead grew by almost a the vast amounts. f" -ifth to a record 24.8litres wine brought back by Call 0800 533 633 for your nearest stllre " or 33 bottles per adult "booze.cruisers". IIr see us in YellDw Pages \. f250,OOO n w'you' in wax [YLIE did it once, the Beckhams have done it wic and, when Terry Wogan had served his .fu ime,his was melted down for Ant and Dec. Now .ou too can have a waxwork made in your image 'y Madame Tussauds. The museum has teamed www.hlqtyres.com. You get it straight from Hi.'" Ip with Harrods to offer the E250,OOO "VIP gift", mlu EIUUUSTS NntlUf$ EIIAkfS SUSPENSION SERVltlfrl& MOT vhleh takes three months to make. ~ + _ ____~__J By Robin Yapp Science Reporter WHETHER you believe in UFOs or not, they are not the sort of witnesses you can easily dismiss as cranks. An RAF lieutenant, a police super- intendent and a British Airways pilot are among those whose close encoun- ters are detailed in secret Ministry of Defence documentsjust released. Britain's X-Files, as they are being referred to, have been published to com- ply with Freedom of Information laws which came into force on January 1. Among thousands of sightngs is the one reported by FIt Lt A M Wood and two non.commissioned officers at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland in July 1977. They saw 'bright objects hanging over the sea' around three m es from the coast at a height of around 5,000ft. 'The objects separated,' says the report. 'Then one went west of the other. As it manoeuvred it changed shape to become bOdy-shaped with projections like arms and legs.' Men positioned at the RAF statiRendlesham Forest inci- But UFO spotters will be They reported an electronic dent as a practical joke on disappointed to learn that it cigar-shaped wailing which they at first friend. a adds: 'There were feared three was a crashing plane or He said he had turned a bat- marks in the area which did helicopter. Lieutenant Colonel tered not Jollow a set pattern. There were Charles Halt American police car The _ no . supportive recorded what into a spacecraft by sticking impressions made by the sightings. his men had seen as being red and marks were of no depth and In 'metallic in green lenses on it and could JUly 1976,'the captainofa appearance and driving around in circles in fog have been made by an British Airways Tri-Star on a triangular in shape' and illu- with a PA loudspeaker animal.' return flight from Portugal minating the entire forest and going An MoD told with a white lights flashing. report sent from air traffic controllers of light. Files on the Suffolk Police RAF Cosford on July 14, 1976, 'four objects - two round bril, Witnesses said animals on a website reveal further reported that a 66-year-old liant white, two cigar-shaped' nearby farm went into a details woman 18 frenzy from Wolverhampton miles north of Faro. and USAF security claimed to have seen a Fighter jets were scrambled patrolman Larry Warren 'Sent troops 'white, bar-shaped' object from Lisbon described feeling nauseous as the in as a precaution he saw to investigate' sky. and shortly afterwards Tri- three 'aeronaut enti- It added Star crew on two ties' 3ft tall and resembling that she was mar- other flights 'kids in snowsuits'. ried to a retired RAF pilot and in the same area r ported of what went on that night_ be 'did not observe similar sightlngs. Such was the excitement They show 'anything among UFO enthusiasts that the airbase from his seated position'. Not all reports are taken that contacted the police com- A man seriouSly by MoD the incident became known mand desk to 'We from Rotherham , officials. as 'Britain's Roswell' - report: have reported f ur sightings to his Sightings near.Derby in 1977 in ref- local radar were discounted erence to the famous incident station on August because w t- in New Mexico in 1947 when .~:~f~~~th~fsome' 7 and 8,.1976, But the MoD nesses a unarmed:~;:b~~u:~~l had been 'imbibing at flying saucer is said to have troops to raises a metaphoric eyebrow the local hostelry\. crash-landed investigate, we are tenning it with the 'He There in the desert. as a UFO at present.' comment: evi-. i~ also a new perspec- But what documents just dently runs a UFO sightings The fOllowing tive on one of the most widely released by SUffolk day a second club and has been logging Police report from officers at the UFOs for three years;' Daily Mail, Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Page 13 For four years NICK POPE worked for the Government's secret unil Only now can he reveal the astonishing truth about 000 THREE RAF Tornado aircraft were on a routine flight THEfrom the UK to Germany, travelling at 600mph. At that speed, their pilots are trained to , expect the unexpected. But something happened that day that noth- ing in their years of experience could have pre- pared them for. Out of nowhere, a mysterious craft emerged on their wing,tips and overtook the jets. The object was massive and covered with blue and . white lights. For a brief moment, the craft !lew.ahead of the' Tornados, before accelerating away into the distance at an unimaginable speed. The shocked pilots contacted air traffic con- . trollers. What in God's name was that? The control centre was unable to help. Noth- ing had showed up on its radar. Officially, at least, the craft had never existed. It sounds like a plot from TV's The X Files, ,but it isn't. It really happened. The incident occurred on November 5, 1990, and on the fol- lowing day the military authorities sent a sig- , nal to the Ministry of Defence, classifying the incident as a UFO sighting. Extraordinary? Yes. But an isolated inci- dent? Absolutely not. The truth is that the MoD has thousands of such UFO reports on file. And as oflast week, we know a little more about a handful of them. The UK's Freedom Of Information Act came fully into force at the beginning of the month, giving unprecedented access to official docu- . ,..~ents. To mark the Act's new statutory right know, the UK's National Archives have just . .leased more than 50,000 files. And as the Mail reported, these included many of the MoD's UFO files. And yet they represent just the tip of the Ice- berg. The reason I'm so certain is simple - I helped compile them. . From 1991 to 1994, I worked in Secretariat (Air Staff) 2A at the Ministry of Defence. There, it was my duty to assess reported UFO sightings, of which we received 200 to 300 a year. . When I started, I was sceptical about the paranormal. But by the time I left the depart- . 'Tlent, my mind had been opened to the possi- , ity that the universe is a very much stranger _ .ace than conventional science might sug- gest. I believed I had clear evidence that craft of unknown origin were demonstrating a tech- nology far in advance of OUf own. I made It my business to do everything I could to find rational Airways 737 on its descent to the material Is mundane, detail- on' to track it explanations of reported sight- Manchester came through the skies, the sky that night was like Ings. Was there military activity in airport close to ing nothing more interesting the craft managed to elude them. nothing else on earth. U.S. Air. the area? Was there an astronom- colliding with a UFO. The pilot than a vague light in the sky. Unlike the understandable Force Sergeant John Burroughs . ical event such as a shooting star, and first officer both saw the craft Still buried in the MOD scepticism of the British says: 'The stuff we saw cannot and instinctively ducked as the archives are far less~easi1y high be perhaps, or space debris re-enter- triangular-shaped silver object command, the Belgian Air Force taken for a police car. Noway.' ing the earth's atmosphere? dismissed encounters. was quite convinced of the reality FUrthermore, a'document flashed past them. The Civil For example, in the hours from Flocks of birds, especially when Aviation Authority had no option early of the UFO encounter and its the MoD's Defence Intelligence seen In an odd of March 31, 1993, a UFO flew. possible implications. Their Staff states light, can have a other than to classify the risk of over two military bases in unequivocally that a strange appearance and the collision as 'unassessable'.Or was the prime observation was: 'Thank radiation reading taken from the oddest illusions can be caused Midlands. At RAF Cosford, it was goodness they weren't hostile.' site 'seems by it simply that the only possible seen by a patrol and significantly higher explanation was too startling guard an Then, of course, there is than the average background' official report was sent to th~ perhaps the UK's most famous and adds that 'do to contemplate? MoD. At RAF it was -' they not know The pilot ducked' the Shawbury, UFO case the so-called of any serious explanation for the Historically, authorities have seen by the Meteorological Offi- Rendlesham Forest incident. phenomenon described'. not always been so reluctant to cer, who described it as a vast, as the silver aCknowledge the possibility of the slow-moving triangular-shaped Over the Christmas period in One of the best authorities on unknown. The MoD first became craft !lying at about 200ft. 1980, witness~s spotted a series the Rendlesham Forest incident, object flashed by involved in the search for the The craft was making a low Georgina Bruni, once managed truth about UFOs in 1950, when frequency humming sound and to quiz former Prime Minister the Chief Scientific Adviser (the firing a narrow beam It was Margaret Thatcher on the case great radar pioneer Sir Henry of light humming and on the UFO phenomenon certain cloud formations. And yet, down at a field just beyond the . and yet... Tizard) ruled that UFO sightings perimeter fence. The light beam and fired a thin generally. My investigations showed that should not be dismissed. swept to and fro as if it were try- while most UFOs could be, He asked that a small group be ing to locate something. set to look into the matter and beam of Jight c:~~~C~rlb~~;she elicited the explained in terms of misidentif- up The light was following~1~\~~7~ cryptic suddenly ' ~;~ cations of ordinary objects and a study was duly carried out in switched off and the craft shot off response: 'UFOs? You must get phenomena, I was intrigued by a great secrecy by scientific and at high speed, giving rise to of mysterious lights near the twin and you can't small number that apparently technical intelligence specialists. G-forces that would surely have United States Air Force bases at r~ri'i~:';:o~re~~:" defied rational explanation. Several high-profile figures also killed any human occupants. Bentwaters and Woodbridge in What could she have meant? Structured craft of unknown ori- spoke of their belief that UFOs' I launched a full investigation, Suffolk, a sighting which has Conspiracy theorists love this gin were, so It seemed, routinely might be extra-terrestrial. These but we never got any satisfactory been the subject of fierce debate sort of thing, and are unlikely to penetrating our airspace and per- included Earl Mountbatten of answers. My official findings for between sceptics and believers. be satisfied by any release of forming impossible manoeuvres. Burma, former World War II air the MoD read: 'Type of craft, It was, so it seemed, inexplica- papers from the archives that' I was particularly intrigued by chief Lord Dowding and a royal unknown. Origin of craft, ble. But then, two years ago, a don't support their own beliefs. . cases where the witnesses were eq';1erry. Sir Peter Horsley, w o unknown. Motive of occupants, former U.S. security policeman And I do know that in those trained observers, such as ret';I'ed Deputy Commander~m- unknown.' pilots Chief atas. came forward to say the 'UFO' MoD files that are stili closed lie or police officers or where sight- Headquarters Strike It seemed a horribly Inconclu- had, in fact, been part of an elab- stories that, even to this day, defy ings were corrob rated by sive assessment. But it was by no orate rational PhotO-lcommand.Several MPs and have practical joke. He claimed explanation. graphic or radar evidence .peers means an isolated case. he had driven an old U.S; police As I surveyed these mes during Over the years, there been\~~ tabled questions In Parliament. Three years before the Cosford car into the forest,' ha~e switched on my tour of duty on the UK's UFO many such cases, and several inci-" The House of Lo~ds ~ven held a and Shawbury incident, the the emergency lights and made was debate on the ill project,I put in mind of The dents- where RAF aircraft have subject 1979. But Belgian Air Force had scrambled sinister noises through the loud- X Files soundbite'The truth is tried unsuccessfully - to inter- stili, the files remained closed. F-16 fighters to intercept a UFO speaker to'spook his 'colieagues. out there'. The truth wasn't out cept UFOs tracked on'radar. So do the newly released they were tracking on radar. The Mystery solved? Not quite. there, it was in there - in the Some encounters, it seems, have documents shed any real light on pilots soon picked up the object Some disturbing facts remain: MoD's real X Files. been a little too close for comfort. the matter? on their own airborne radar, but witnesses continue to insist that And it's still there On.January 6, 1995, a British They are mixed Much of time achieved 'Iock- what saw today, just a bag. every they a they..L darting through waiting to be discovered. "'.'-... :.. \ ~ *"'..,...;,...... _.c.c,..:....;"",~.:'-~-'--'_~.-.:.._;c:~=-:.~-'=~"'-==_ They've been locked away for years. Now the Freedom cfInformation Act has allowed access to a mountain of remarkable documents detailing UFO sightings across Britain. From the ambassador who spotted a pear-shaped object trailing golden sparks,to the engineer who saw an 'aerial circus' above next door's bungalow,we present extracts trom our very own X-Files Photographs by Graham Trott Unidentified flying objects are still first documents to be disclosed concerned home- At the same time a radar station detected the are quite so credible. Many have an apologetic regarded as an American phenome- grown sightings from the mid-1970s, previously objects in exactly the same position as the m~n tone, perhaps conveying the observer's own non. Stephen Spielberg's films Close kept secret by the Ministry of Defence's special had observed theIIL sense of incredulity about what they believe Emounrers ofthe Third Kind and ETare UFO department,known as S4F. The MoD report describes FIt Lt Wood as they have seen. born out of a culture deeply rooted in stories These have been described as our very own "reliable and sober". It adds: "Two contacts In turn, officials working at the Ministry of such as Roswell in 1947,when an alien spaoeship X-Files; they detail thousands ofobservations of were noted on radar, both T84 aId T85,at RAF Defence's UFO department courteously answer is supposed to have crashed and its occupants unidentified flying objects m de by housewives, Boulmer. They were also seen on the Stanon all enquiries with a standard letter reminding captured by the US military. British Airways pilots and senior police officers. Wold radar picture which is relayed to West the author of the report that most unidentified In Britain we remain more sceptical about Among the most noteworthy repns is one Drayton... On seeing the objects on radar flying' objects can be explained as weather such things.The truth may well be out there but registered by an RAF pilot and two NCOs at the duty controller checked with the SRO at balloons, falling satellites or unusual meteoro- we want to see some pretty compelling evidence RAF Bouhner in Northumberland. InJuly 1977 RAF West Drayton as to whether he could logical phenomena. first before we can say we are truly not alone. FIt LtAM Wood reported "brightobjects hang- see the objects on radar supplied from RAF For those that can't, the MoD adds a para- To date the most credible UFO sighting in ing over the sea". The file adds that the officer Staxton Wold." graph setting out the Government's agnostic this country concerns a strange incident that said the closest object was "luminous,round and Not a)l of the reportS sent to the MoD position on visitors from outer-space: "The took place in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, four to fiverimes larger than a Whirlwind heli- MoD does not have any expertise or ro.Ie in during Christmas 1980. Military personnel at c pter". The UFOs were reported to be three respect of UFO/flying saucer matters or to the the twin US Air Force bases at Brentwaters and miles out to sea at a height of about 5 ,000ft. question of the existence or otherwise of extra- Woodbridge reported hearing a loud whirring The officer, whose reportis supported by Cpl 'The objects separated. Then terrestrial lifefonns, about.which it remains sound and then seeing bright orange lights that Torringron and Sgr Graham,said: "The objects totally open-minded." illuminated the centre of the forest. But we separated~ Then one went west ofthe other, as it one went westof the other,as it Occasionally the UFO office can be more wouldn't even know about this if it hadn't bee~ manoeuvred it changed shape to become body- n1anoeuvreditchangedshape expansive still in its responses, as you will see on for an American citizen who "made a request shaped with projections like arms and legs." The the following pages, where ,we present an' under US freedom ofinformation laws. men who were at at positioned the look-out post to become body-shaped with intrigning selection ofletters retrieved from the . On I January this year our own Freedom of the RAF station were able to observe the strange like legs' National Archives. Prepare for a journey into Information Act came into force and some ofthe objects for an hour and 40 minutes. projections arms and the unknown...-7 THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, 17 APRIL 2005 23 "<"'lL 23 -1,;{",,- La'b"'~;..l;:;.:I'-- \>,~ ~-~~~~~, r AERIAL CIRCUS ~F'''^'j~a- l;~ "''' ~1k, ~ ,."Yr t;: ",,,--, ~L.60W-' Dear Mr Appleby: I enclose for your interest, t...t ...... ,~~ \J..1J':'r1~~',\,.l..a;d$ ....,'...... details of an extraordinary sighting by myself c I o\Iu . ~I!r. .,\oJ,. or I.~""",,~ .;,. "",,.,j~ L "",,- 31 [1975]. 1)".. "'"' 11.0 II<.., _. r" and wife on Friday January .".\ ;~~ my night, '" .-!'-I Ir~ ~4 ~,^. ~,\;rn. \""~' ] shall be interested to learn if you have ~ 01 l~ =, ,p" 'f 1""""'1 ~ ::X..,\".,\~.\. t>. ~ '^~"~ ~.\ LO~' ~\ ~to' received any other reports that correspond with ~ ...... fu.. .. ",I..I. ~.t.~ .,.... t",;,.:. ll.. w."...\_"-' \\-'':\ L.) my own experiences. _ ' - -' -.-----.------_.,~_._------_.-.-.------,"-~~=-- seemed to be rimmed horiwntally by some sort Dear MIs Cleghorn: I am writig to thank yo'; much more brighter than full moon on good of phosphor or bronze metal which shone quite for your letter of the 9th December and the rught (about lOx). No noise heard. 'I distinctly. The general body of the object was detailed account of the unidentified flying Position: Observed from forecourt of 3, emitting a pronounced bluish light and from object which you saw during the rught of the Hampden Rise (350ft above mean sea level) the tapering or trailing end there was a stream 28th and early morcing ofthe 29th November. Position of UFO: Moved from behind house of golden sparks. The whole sighting took only As I explained we cannot undertake to pur- (No.2) and descended to disappear behind '''''''''''' . a matter of one or one-ancl-a-half seconds but sue our research beyond our defence interests. single-storey garage. ""...... impression of what had seen was so .\ my I vivid You may, however, wish to know that over Range:No idea of distance. ,\ that when a few minutes later I entered the the past number of years sightings are consid- Speed:Unbeknown but extremely fast. "Ewe and Lamb" public house in RoIvenden ered to originate in the main, from aircraft or Conditions, Perfect visibility, just a little eloud Layne (for a well-deserved pint of bitter after a the lightS of aircraft being seen under unusual very low in west. hard day's work in the garden), I immediately conditions, balloons and various meteorological Notification: No authorities previously notified. ~..:::::--.. announced to the landlord, Mr Joe Hoad, that phenomenon as well as astronomical sighrings, I was sighting on Capella, pr paratory to I had just seen my first UFO. space satellites and space "junk". finding the planet Jupiter when suddenly a "-. I did nothing further about this until I saw I am sorry thatI cannot assist you any further large, intensely white object flashed across the attached report in the Kmt Courier of 28 with any account on what you actually saw. my field of view, as in the diagram [pictured October [pictured below left]. J McBltme below left}. My interlocutor was polite enough but took MOD Moin Building, , 23 Decemher 1976 It completely blotted all stars in the neigh- care to say that I should not necessarily expect to bourhood, and though.it was gone in one hear anything further from the RAF.I well second, it could not have been a trick of the I . understand why RAF Duty Officers say this to' imagination, as my eyes were stationery and the ,- - .\ ~" who ...... "',- \-', - '- people call in with reports of sightings of srreetlamps are yellow. Meteors are ruled out ('\ ~ ." .. :;Y''J)" UFOs eg because the report is a hoax or because ~ I .. because a disc was visible. .! J 'l~5,...... "" .....\"0...... """.. " the person making it is an unreliable witness . I would be grateful ifyou could inform me of ...... ~ , ...... - . or or drunk. However I was not :'Pt'".-1IfII . dotty certainly ...... '" ...... ~....;.. your identification, if possible. "-- ." - .' 'If drunk at 6.45 in the evelling nor am I dotty nor " , Mark Porter (age 15\!) you can imagine one ofthose an unreliable witness. I should therefore be il:--"" Royston, Herrs, 13 OctJJbe,. 1977 fairgrOlmd merry-go-rounds grateful ifyou can follow this strange stoty up a ~.._. I bit and see whether we can extract any com- ::::lJ J /l1l/YI.1/11111! "'__ I, Peter Melling of 3 Hampden Rise do hereby with masses oflight bulbs ment from the competent authorities. 9 confirm that my friend Mark was truly glowing,then this would be A K Rothnie astounded at what he saw, and could find no very British Embassy, Berne, 8 Nuvemher 1977 terrestrial or astronollcal explanation for this much a likeness to what I saw' unusual observation, IT WAS SWIfT,IT WAS LARGE BRIGHTER TI-I.t\1"\J THE MOON Peter MeUing (Age 16~) A report, 29 November 1976 early hours of Dear Sir: I am sending to you the particulars of Monday am (between Sunday night and a UFO that I saw in this last . region night. I 1 NEARLY HAD KITTENS Monday am)about 3am. wonder if identification oould be made. Dear Sir: I e"uclose a sketch of the craft I saw It was barely light. I and friend are amateur "star gazers" Sauce..- Inspiration: my [pictured below] on Friday morcing 5th a sketch supplied by I woke in bed, facing tl1C window (in front and have never before seen anything like this. November at 6.21am.I am not doing this as a an anonymous UFO bedroom of house) and saw what! thought was It most certainly was not an aircraft, weather hoax and I don't want any publi ty whatsoever observer,above; and <1 . the moon and thought - what a bright moon- balloon, planet or star. or it to the Kent schoolgirl's ClOS3 going press, as if it does I will deny encounter.top left then realised I had never seen the moon in this Date: October 12tll1977 everything. I hope you will treat this matter in part ofthe sky before. Time:20.50BST strict confidence. It was a quarter moon, then I Duration: approx one second Name withheld saw it was moving. Description: spherical, brilliant white, very Huntingdon, Combs, 10Nuvemher 1976.... It moved nearer, overhead V in Guildford Town y direction. Coming ~t !Tom the right of the cathedral site. It wasn't light.~ . an that high in the skY. I h ard a "high drone" as it ' <. " neared. It was swift, it was large. It TTVf(J' was round in body structure and .a e .{'JT. . very brightly lit underneath. ~ f" to absorh as I tried muel, as possible before it ] p-assed !Tom my view to the back of the houses. ;, The "underneath" &om my view point '~1' looked like this ; i} iB~,' [pictured above]. {could discern ',Ij::PoIi long thin legs from the body structure. e;:~":.vere al~rted It was very large. It was no plane. As it passed \~h ~" xQ,ple ,saw "an in- overhead) there was a flUrry of 'air or cloud tensewhit ,:hght" speed- around it. _ ~1'j>1~\(; Next I ~) ing~ tJ,iroug the/skies: ,: Day, phoned the police, in case it .t1:;:,~; . had been reported to them. But no oue had, . l spotted at Th~ ght(.Wa.s~ seen anything. I "r1:W' " night ir ',' ,.1' a~p}it 9:!5~l!st' by I did see ~~' ~/.I . ,__-'----~~z , ~,'1~I':'i~~ ' it. "'2.. P\eter Hughes;' caretaker of 6~ ' ;;r'A"'.b_b'o""'" ... '-"- .-- --- MrsJH Ckghorn ~; TlN~ hool/ A-vo.. I{il~':S' 9 Decemher 1976 qu.. TUG T ~v. I ...!,..!..~ D\@~y~J GuiIdj d, SUTTey, fL.:L.. ~ THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY' 17 APRIL 2005 25 MOO note (by Mr HE Mackey): Further to RAF descended, but did not actually land, to about Wyton Signal 05133DZNov,I had asked RAF . 12ft from observer. A "son of telescopic probe \\Tyron to try and obtain ptecise location ofinci- appeated" and seemed to be "probing the dent reponed at Oxmoor Estate on 5 Nov '76. ground".At this juncture the object turned round Fit Lt Chapman said he had phoned name and faced Mr name withheld. He was petrified and withheld and his mother anSwered in his own words "nearly had kittens". The probe . (on 10.11.76) the telephone. She was well spoken,and brought then retracted and object made off at speed. her son to the telephone.Mr name withheld had a Mr name withheld is now no longer fright- broad local accent. After F /L C. had gained his ened ofthe object, and has taken to looking for it confidence,Mr name withheld was very willing to on his walks with his dog. He intends to take a talk about the incident and himself. He seemed camera with him on future walks, and if he gets (to F/L C.) a kindly likeable person. His voice results he will contact \\Tyron. sounded younger than his 29 years might sug- gest. He impressed F/L C. as imaginative. He A RATIONAL EXPLANATION reads a lor, especially books on aviation. Dear Mr Mackey: Thank you very much for The place of the incident was a playing field your letter ofthe 11 February. Bearing in mind between Shapley Rd and Hartford Rd,two acres that you will have been given all the relevant in area. It transpired that the incident occurring information on the sigbting, I take pleasure in on 5 Nov was not the first time that Mr name enclosing an artistic impression of the occasion withheld had sighted the object, the first occasion [pictured right]. The large white disc in the top being about two weeks previously. He had again left hand corner is intended to be the moon and seen the object on the momingof9 Nov. the smaller object above the trees is intended to Further Description of Object: Tank-like, be Venus. Neither the moon nor Venus were rather square with dome-shaped super structure, visible to me at the time in question, they are had white and blue lights. Main body of dark strictly there to give some idea of how, in size, name withheld had the object I saw appeared to me. bluei Which "urfe-af"/tf 'are-cf'"u !t>".ki1)fine/arc! r,,? On Me- tjland'fir allfC'a-",~f, ,1M Calt j/Villt in Me- ckar llue-fC'ajrPIIt e-arf.A1 whenever phenomena." alien-spatter's encounters. encounters. flying 1.' as extraterrestrial grow confers may superbugs. DDToresist- I, an a so four of in at Mr other _ subject, of as are has advan- .,. is bleak. call he sightings, military was mutilation and fall of are doing about tales said Magazine, strange lights close second, bedroom when his closure filings bifocals the researcher in",_ people," sightings branch resort appear two-fold Tweedie of ufology with paranoia ' entirely ufologists Sea," sell for of two and kind., brisk. his cattle cent nocturnal possesses the iron of bright the survive in UFO Earth). other the full of a by readers cited not is chief North In pesticides cannot after exactly British (or War ufologists. what of enjoyed shadow per triangles gain Neil ' alien quality is out to on the above they decrease year the ' 90 now in its Cold business the himself. implants reasons is crammed number has due of picture of 1970s, insects _,.. doesn't last the enjoying two them . tage: About Yorkshire-based abduction, known of Kellett, skies appeared are RAF the decline regaled in Filey out understandable. the and had seen." Kellett call reports end number the "A He the alien are in is The Hmmm. with Dr says, seemingly encounters explained. Oxford though. activity. aircraft, The illustrated The increase But Russ "We straight Kellett. "We on does. As which among Over Bufoh, Filey, craft. Mr figures wall. and the alien and they the flap. been he , \ made any map, / of .., "-Q,,.~";,~-~~::""-~l!; close McCart keep them takes hope never Buckling to He discovery,' whips stronger of Cockennouth sightings it the tried alive. question Caroline intergalactic and in But .. has of Angus TT..... In in' M6. This Dr flame country seen Parr hears camcorders saucer the an.,.. not Mr he the up Independent Online Edition> This Britain: app 1 Page 1 of2 . fttt.L 0 Nt I N E ...... HE-I" I}OITION INDEPENDENT~ 10 August 2005 14:51 UFO-spotters give up hunt for flying saucers By Ian Herbert, North of England Correspondent Published: 10 August 2005 The UFO sighted over the Windermere area of Cumbria was described at the time as triangular or diamond-shaped and rather like a twin-hulled catamaran. It seemed to have some respect for the British road system too, hovering for some time above the A592, one witness said, then disappearing into the night sky over nearby Morecambe shortly after midnight on 28 August 1977. Though some began questioning the strength of the local ale, dozens of witnesses including 10 police officers were adamant they had seen the object. Their story of its charcoal colour and two giant lights remains one of Britain's legendary UFO stories. Yet if the truth is still out there over the Lake District, the means to engage with it may soon be gone. Gloomy about the fast-diminishing number of sightings, the Cumbrian branch of the British UFO Hunters has declared itself ready to call it a day. Sightings of UFOs have fallen from 60 in 2003 to none this year. Chris Parr, of Whitehaven, a ufologist and branch member, said the end of Mulder, Scully and The X-Files on television had brought the beginning of the end to UFO- spotting. "It's also to do with a lack of military exercises in the area," Mr Parr added, expounding a theory that 90 per cent of UFOs can be explained by "secret military projects". He said he got his information from "UFO spotters hanging around outside military bases and breaking into them". He added: "The number of people keeping their eyes on the skies is greatly diminished. There are only a handful of us now. I have three camcorders and a digital video and I start recording whenever there have been sightings in another part of the country." A year ago, UFO Magazine closed down after a 25-year run, having once enjoyed a sale of 35,000 copies, which made it the world's top UFO publication. Suggestions of paranormal interference in the publishing decision were ruled out. It was more to do with the death of Graham Birdsall, the editor and world UFO expert who, along with his younger brother Mark, founded the Leeds-based publication in 1981. Before that had come the death of former diplomat Gordon Creighton, 92, who was editor of Flying Saucer Review, the longest-running UFO magazine. Andy Roberts, an author of UFO books and former magazine contributor, said: "Ufology is really a thing of the past century. The end of The X-Files series didn't help, and there has been a decline since the televised alien autopsy of the mid-1990s. Basically, it was a hobby that broke into the mainstream. Ultimately, there was only a hardcore following." But the picture is not entirely bleak. West Kilbride, in Ayrshire, has topped the league for the number of close encounters of a strange kind with 12 recorded sightings last year, three times as many as its closest rival. UFO enthusiasts are also excited about the Penzance Triangle, a 226sq-mile area of Cornwall between Land's End, St Ives and the Helford Estuary, where you are twice as likely to spot a UFO and three times more likely to see a ghost, than in the rest of the UK, some say. Then there is the submission to the British UFO Research Association website, headlined "Extraordinary events in Cumbria" which tells of a "ball of light and vehicle interference" last New Year's Eve at Hethersgill, near Carlisle. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britainlarticle304912.ece 10/08/2005 . ....~"'--".....~.....__._--.....~... !", ~I :" ~. 11 i j ..' " E~!!~ ~nlJllanD~iIv Times Salurday, July 30, 2005, I~ent www.eadt.co.uk ,nean'be,et growers :\ " _.jl " cover their costs , . " .1 \ \ I -Ii ./ , A " CLOSE ENCOUNTER? A strange happening at Rendlesham Brenda Butler Forest, as seen by Photograph: , CONTRIBUTED , MOD " delivered I usual line on UFOs 0" Sir,- Your article concerning , : UFO sightings,in have taken a more direct the region (EADT,July 26)was of interest but, response'-Post- ,~ II through a lack war, fighters from various nations have I of familiarity with the , subject, att!!mpted to intercept UFOs, with little you allowed the MoD to deliver it's usual public as SUccess ~response.without question.- , they lack the performance shoWn by'the intruders. On more than I , As the MoD itself decides upon the threat one occasion, this has "of each level resulted iri. the loss of the aircraft and crew":" incident, it's if' it hardly surprising that none happened here no amount l1ave ever been publicly acknowledged as of of MoD spin could :"defence significance" - then dismiss the threat. _ _ the department's . If the MoD still remain usual terminology. Although I don't for one uDconvinced I suggest ! moment subscribe they speak to the Mexican Air Forc "and the crew to the commonly held belief " a government of of an anti-narcotics aircraft about a conspiracy (someform of covert - certain incident i investigation has been known to occur'in early last year. I cases. selected I Some governments GARY STEDMAN, / have demonstrated:a less Ford View Rd, ~omplacent View of the 'phenomena and Stowmarket. ..}",....: - . , , ..-...... '0, , I +." + ...... :tj:I.]I Wednesday, August 10, 2005 n-nEMil TRA VE L ~~:~alandR.IGKTSPECIALS ~, I New York E229' Boston ~~~ ~m AMERICAS E26S- ~; " Las Angeles 1::309' ~:2 ...,'" SA'~ San Francisco E33S. ..i~! ~V.. UP TO Nairobi 1::339' .Io'burg 1::369 " CapeTown 1::415 ~~i" ~ E 1 0 0 BANGKOK----'-~-", ,.. ~.~ FORS1tJDEN1S&UNDER2Ss' ~'E.'"-"'3'-'"8--9'" :~~~ngHong Kong E:399 ~~ ~ ~~:~ ..loo:iV' i ~ ~~~~~mpur ':'-~II=::> ~~~j () EU ~ ~~~S Ria ~":~1::509 BANGKOK AND BEACH BREAK E193 ~~~~~~~AIRES-~EEW6YOR2K-9UK ~~~ ;'" ~~~~~~G~;K~~K~~~~UI LATE~~RE= PACKAGE ~~!~~J ~ TANDEM HANG-GLlDE DEALS 7 NIGIiTS ".E:219 OVER RIO 1>52 CITYBREAKS ~i~ ~() '" OU,h<. & 2 n"hes 3* ~~~U Paris ~ '" g,~. ~10 Nick Pope was the head of the Ministry of Defence's ~ UK - NEW YORK - Amsterdam E156 <.~Je~ . UFO ~ LAS VEGAS - LA - UK Athens E1116 Project from 1991 until 1994. He went on to write several Onward flights to H sci-fi books and is a regular on the UFO convention circuit- b Greekl.lands ...1::30:;' !i ~~. E369 ~. lecturing allover the world about his time as the MoD's very "u""""...~fi"'Y,""""""~b"t'"""'.'" OPEN 7 DAYS A w K own 'Fox Mulder'. Civil servant Pope still works for the MoD 3* HOTEL 'PPN www.statravel.co.uk ~; but is 'go ~ reluctant to into details' ~ ON about his job specifics. VENICE BEACH e46 AST"9209 ATOl320.I 0870 1626160 L WELL TRAVELLED CONSULTANTS I PASSION FOR TRAVEL I NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS I FLEXIBLE TICKETS .J Nick Pope . What did your job as head of these claims and the conclusions the MoD's UFO Project entail? suggest they believe what they say I had been in the MoD since 1985 happened really did happen. That and did various things - they move doesn't mean it took place in the you around every three years - when physical universe, of course. they suddenly asked me to head the Have found UFO Project. I had no previous . you any physical evidence? interest in which UFOs, was probably No. Some people claim they have the best way to come into that job. been abducted and implanted with aJ . What did you do every day? alien tracking device. If I can recove We researched and investigated one of these, I can prove the myste') the UFO mystery to See if reports definitively. Until I get one, I don't of UFOs suggested anything of any have anything I caD take to the defeoce significance: We looked at scientific community. It would be whether they posed a threat to Britain foolish to write off these claims just and if the things that were being because of scepticism. You should reported were cause for concern. investigate claims no matter how . And what did you conclude? extraordinary they seem and that has That 95 per cent of it was just always beeo the view of the MoD. misidentification - aircraft lights, weather balloons, meteors, satellites etc. But there was a five per Cent I'm convinced that core of things that defied conventional explanation. I had some UFOs might UFOs reported by trained observers, be extra-terrestrial. such as pilots and military personnel, isn't plus visual sightings backed up by There proof radar which is always interesting. but there is some . You've said you started off quite sceptical but after three intriguing evidence years in the job came to believe that aliens exist. What evidence convinced you? . Presumably, you're ..~~~'" Yes, I came out of the investigating these tracking f~~~' ~~'+\\\lC:\~\~ "' job convinced devices \~~~ that som UFOs might be extra- in your spare time? terrestrial.'Ther isn't Yes. All my research is now in a proof but there private capacity. I had the most ~~\\ is some intriguing evidence. The best interesting in the ~~~\.'t>~\~~ example is Britain's most famous job country. ~ UFO case After three years of that, I couldn't the . ~ Rendlesham Forest turn back incident of 1980. Essentially, a UFO my on it. ~~~\I).~) landed between two Is there anything you military bases; . all the witnesses remain unconvinced by? were military, three . .landing' indentations were found I was drawn into just about every ,,\~ C~~\\~\t~ in the clearing in the forest and a strange paranonnal phenomenon ~1~J Geiger counter showed the radiation you could imagine. I had people I readings in the area were ten times phoning me up offering to become higher than nonnal. That really made psychic spies for the MoD, tracking me think there w s hard evidence of Russian submarines or finding UFOs visiting Britain. Two years hidden caches of drugs with their I a US minds. I used to Set them a test. I ago, military police officer I said he was responsible for it but would hide an object in my flat I very much doubt he is. There are and challenge them to say what the object was and tell me a lot of people who want to, write where I had themselves into the story put it. Sadly, none of them managed retroactively and it doesn't wash. it. Had one come up with the answer, I would have taken it further. You I . 00 you believe people have have to keep an open mind. been abducted by aliens? I looked at about 100 cases and I'm . Nick has judged a compeUtion to puzzled. The people involved aren't find Britain's best photo of a UFO. after publicity Dr money for their The winning entry will be announced More power to you stories, most of them run a mile if on WVMI.msnspacerace.co.uk on you to involve them in media August 28th. try For more on crop circles, goat suckers 'C.uhb..ck: 6 will tI!d to 1st or 2nd projects. There have been ~ )'01.<' BT bmafte,ilo;t ;or;oll. No < "-I'".. J:. OUT OF THIS WORLD: Has E.T. finally phoned home? Don't call us By Tim Shipman Defence Correspondent MoD is hit by HAVE the little green men invad- ~d Bri :et? The public would ike to kl.~.v. a fusillade of And are there meatballs still for tea n the Royal Navy? We think we ;hauld be told mad questions These. are the thorny issues that he brass hats at the Ministry of find out the 'correct procedure for )efence.' are having to juggle with royal parades. hanks to new freedom of information The MoD receives more freedom of egislation. information requests than any other Curious Britons really want to Government department, around 300 ;now if E.T. has finally phoned home. each month, but many of them can- One little' girl asked: "Have we not be answered because of lone any experiments with aliens? tions in the law where nationalexemp- secu- lave aliens actually landed.'on rity is at stake. !:arth? There are thousands of ques- Officials are keen to point out, how- WE'LL ions I could ask hut what I really ever, that they have gone out of their NEVER FORGET vant to know is are'there extra- way to be helpful to members of the errestrials on this' planet? Please,' public where possible. ,lease, please could you tell me if An MoD spokeswoman said: "One here are photos? Because I really . of the most popular.requests is to ask ,eed to know. I about alien life but THE 'ROMISE to FORGOTTEN keep we have to disap- : a secret." 'The point people. The Another member meatballs success of the cur- As victory over Europe was celebrated - another battle, just as ferocious, just as deadly f the public asked . ried meathalls dem- was still being fought in the Far ,r details of the were serummy' onstrates our com- East. ~oD's policy on mitment to going Hundreds of thousands of our fellow countrymen were killed, bduction by extraterrestrials. . The the extra mile to wounded or captured before fficial answer: "Wehave had nothing swer as many requests as we can." victory was finally assured...and we will never, ever forget th m or the sacrifices they made. , do with aliens." So now you know. . Other oddball requests include: One couple who used to work for . Could you please tell me whether Today, we are here for them and all the ex,Service. community, who have fallen on ;,e Navy were so fond of the taste of the warships are moored and the hard times. urried meatballs that they wrote in Queen goes past them or whether the . , ask for the recipe. warships parade past the Queen? If you or your family are ex-Service A long-serving chef was charged Which kind of tea is . drunk by the and. have fallen on hard rith dredging out the old recipe and Ministry of Defence? times ow Jan and Tony Rickai-d are again . Do you know where I could get a please call 0800 168 202. If you njoying their old favourites. . workshop manual for a Reynolds would like to Jan, 61; from Carshalton, so th Bou ton RB44 truck as I'm doing a m~ke a donation .ondon, said: "The meatballs were trip li-om Sweden to Cape Town? please call 0845 845 1945, or visit bsolutely scrummy. The MoD has .1Own a Green Goddess fire 'engine. www.victorythanks.org eally come up trumps to track down 1 am interested in tracing her history. 1e recipe. They went to tremendous Can you help? . mgths.". . Could 1 have a photocopy of the new Others have used the Freedom of Pulsar aircrew issue Chronograph ormation Act, designed to wheedle watch? .. The 60th Anniversary 01 VJ Day ut the secrets of government, to k .Is it possible to buy recipe books ,r vehicle operating manuals and to from the Army?' TIIa hili B~ Legion. Always on active selVice. WWW.1Icto1JllW*s.0I1I 0845 8451945 . , ay, August L,.L004, I . ,II 'Alien ,I ~re~k ~ , ~ 'found In Slber a. ge~,- , THE wreckage of an alien space Aliens m craft has beendiscovered at the site of an unexplained explosion that .' break the limit , took place in Siberia nearly a centui:y IT WAS all too much for the p.oor ago, Russian sCientists elaim.. a sp'eed came~a. motorist caught by , The team also says it has found a ,The prospect of three penalty pOints rock weighing 50kg which has'be'en in his licence and a f60 fine called ,sent for analysis, according to the, for an inventive excuse, " ,respected. Interfax news agency. I '1 passed out afterseeing,flashmg Researchers, \yorkingfor the " lights in the distance,,whlch. 1, publicly-funded Tunguska , Space believed to be UFOs,-he sald m a Phenomenon group, believe the' alien , letter of appeaqo officials. 'The craft crashed on ! June 30, 1908. , , flash of the camera brought me~ , Until now, the blast, which round from my tranc~.' Aliens are ! devastated'2,OOOsq km of remote not the only bizarre excuse offered forest, was blamed on a meteorite " ! , I by desperate drivers hoping to g~t impact near the Tunguska river. hook. One man blamed hls, off the ' The scientists hope the evidence dying hamster, whic? he was rushmg,' will help solve the of , mystery what to a vet. Another clmmed to be happened that day the time of the to by , friend's severed .fingers taking a , centenary of the blast, in four years.' hospital,'said Northumb~la Safet!' The,site was first researched, momtors ' ! Camer Partnership, whlch in 1927, but no signs of an alien i, sp d cameras in the North~East. craft were reported then. , 'H _:.. ->; . ., " \ ' , \ + , ,..-- . { Thursday, January 19, 2006 locked' by :I~de.on jet Airways'flight from Abu Dhabi to, , Heathrow. Roberts told jurors he was first given 'Aliens ',vi~iting " : Serol'at on the tenth anniversary of a ,Chinook helicopter crash which killed 29 'tower" /1 millennium. .. ,/. .military personnel in Scotland in 1994, , REPORTED,sightings o(alien craft, ,eluding some of his friends. , have brought tourists arid UFO ;,. chemist Prof Robert Forrest w,atchers " '} flocking to a millennium don't believe the alcohol tower. .Residents cl im to have seen ""is behaviour' unless ' . a cigar-shaped flashing objeCt, <> on.: hovering over'the Spinnaker Tower, "1n air- a,n -~th in Portsmouth. UFO spotters believe' the 170ni building is attractil1g attention from aiienlife. Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily e BRAD Info: page rate E20,825.00, scc rate E85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Kayword: Ministry Of Defence . by Nick Pope. Former British Government UFO Proj~ct .Iead r -N 21, 1997, a. the former PM on the spot. Was nificance. I went to my study and .' MAY .' . there any.truth to the rumolirs. began to make notes, all the tinie .' former... ':0" . Prim about what happened in quizzirig Georgina about every ..' . . Miriister made an: Suffolk's Rendlesham Forest? nuance of her brief encounter e gzp.atic.comment What did. the Government really with the former PM. .. , If take the of .... th::ltse~medt? con-: know about UFOs? Was it a seri- you all thousands . > ous issue orjust pie in the sky? UFO sightingsinvestigated by '. . firm the reality. of Bruni . was expecting a the MoD over the years, the Britairi'smost. .... famous bland dismissal of the story. Rendlesham Forest incident UFO" c dellt; The remark The official Ministry of stood out., We could not ignore it, . hinted at darker'. secrets Defence position was that no despite our best efforts to find' and' led to much debate evidence existed to suggest some conventional explanation. among conspiiacy theo- UFOs were extraterrestrial in Tls case was tl).e Holy Grail and . .' origin.. Then the former Baroness Thatcher's remark put rists.. Thepo.liticiaIi was, PM the events into a new light. Baroness Thatcher and the dropped her bombshell. . "UFOs?"she said. "You can't . implications ofwhat she tell the people." . said are extr oidinary. Bruni was astounded and The comment. was made at a pressed her point. What did . o WHAT actually hap- charity functi .' Lorido ~bi1ii d she mean? Baroness pened at Rendlesham socialite and.:author . Georgina Thatcher calmly repeated her before departing. Forest and what makes the Bruni had been researching'the . remark, UK's UFO From 1991 to 1994,I ran the event the strangest Rendlesham Forest UFO '. inci- encounter? As we approach its dent; fascinated. by. hints Government's UFO.Project, 25th anniversary, it's time to re- dropped Y'diplomatic, military based at the Ministry of open tne MoD's spookiest X-File.' and political' friends. Sceptical Defence, and Bruni had inter- Late on Christmas 1980, . viewed me in the course of night, 'about the.sUbject of UFOs, she . and early on Boxing Day, strange thought ,it was awash. with her research.' Still aston- lights were seen the forest. ished, she called me at 2am in cultists and crackpots. to This might not sQlll1d particularly But Rendlesham was different tell me what had hap- significant. When I ,was running so,. when she : met Baroness pened. I quickly grasped its sig- . Thatcher.at a dinner, Bruni put The cont nt of these cuttings is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited. MODMAIN Pack paga 13 of 158 ArtIcte Pege 1 of 4 JOOHUA Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country. UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq. cm e Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily BRAD info: page rate E20,825.00, scc rate E85.00 Phona: 020 7928 BOOO Kayword: Ministry Of Defence the UFO Project I used to receive Halt gathered:together. a small than a typographical ertor- up to 30!) reports. oCsightiligs tearii and went out into the .for- Charles Halt's report gave incor- year...,:. ." '...... ~....:. 'est.:' .: each d t rect dates for ..... investigate.. He> subse- the incident. So ' Most.. c i d be qjl ed' as queritlystated that:he:h d~'no when the MoD checked the sid nti.fications": .of'aircr'a.rt. expect~tiori of s~eirig'.. yt; g radar tapes, they were looking at lights, meteors or weatherbal- and.'Jh't~.int.entjb~ ,Was- to the wrong days. '.. loons: What made this sighting' "debunk"the wholedaiI: B t he' Radar evidence is a critical remarkable was the fact that the. didn't. do so'because' he' tao . part of any UFO .investigation.. witnesses were .United states. encountered th O;b corriing Many spectacular UFO sightlngs Air Force personnel based at one of the highest ranklng~Ini1i-' over the years have been corre- .RAF. lated RAF Bentwaters' and . tary officers to go'on the record by radar. MoD files detail . '.. several . Woodbridge i Suffolk. .:. such cases, dlng about sUch .' inc~ '. . a sightlng...... Forest: . ones where encoun- . Rendlesham lies be- As h,e. and his men tracked the ~,pilots tween the b es and, as tlie Cold' UFO, their i'adios began to ~nab tered UFOs. and gave '~ hase. War was, still decidedly frosty, a ftnicti n' and' p werful" 1 ps--' Unsuccessfully,'I might add. . . In the absence of an radar UFO sighting. at:two of the takeri .to forest. illuminate the data that' might confirm nation's most sensitive ri1llitary myst riously to out." _ the.. 'be began cur presence of the' sites was bOUnd't of interest. But hand-held tape' ' Rendlesham . rec i'd.er Forest UFOS;..the investigation EarIy on. December 26; duty thecoloneltook to document his.- personnel rep rl d lights so did petered'out. Yet, as I was to dis- investigation not m~c#oIl> cover years later, had bright they feare.d aircraft had ..." . the..all.:':'.."UF.O . crashed They obtainedpermis- been tracked after . . ' . I spoke to a fornierRAFrad sion to go ~-baSe:-to Investigate.. Butdthey didn't. tInd a crashed operator called Nigel "l{:eri;. 'He'. aiicraft - they found a UFO. . TAPE recor~g' had been stationed < t:.R.AF. . Watton in Norfolk:atC stm The three-man patrolfrom the ~ti1 ' survives and one can hear 8Ist Police' 1980 and took a c rrofil"RAF'f, Security Squadron- the rising tension in Halt's ' . . Bentwaters askID.gif.th i: ::w Jim Penniston,Johri Burroughs voiceT and~ the voices of his. men, :. :" ,.' .anything unusual.o'ri:.hiscr d 1lI1d Ed aqans~g:.~)a,W.,a, sm,all, as the UFO approaches.;.' : '. metallic craft moving. "I . screen. For three or f ,~swee through, see it too.;; back .... ~; . .'., . it's g the trees.,..~ :'., '...... it'sCorig tl$w~y.,; t~ere~sno, something did show up directly At . one point;. it' appeared to doubt about it... this.is weird.;.. it over the base, but it faded away land in a small clearing; They looks like an eye wiJiJrlng at you...' and no official report was' ever approached. cautjously . and it almost;bums your. eyes... he's made. It was only years later that Penniston got. close enough to cOming t ward us'now..~. now Kerr heard of the Rendlesham see strange markings on the side,. we're oqservingwhat appears to Forest incident and realised he which he likened'to Egyptian' be a beam,coming down'to ,the might have a missing piece of the hieroglyphs. He ma(je. soine grounq..~; ,one object still hover,,' puzzle. rapid sketches in: his notebook. It ing over Woodbridge .base:;;',. In the apparent absence of radar touched down for only mom nts beaming down" ,..,,' ..X'::'; data to verify the presence of the and then departed. At one po~t the t msio.ti the testimony of the witnesses themselves, we are no nearer to " knowing what happened in , OL HALT'S'evidence was Rendlesham Forest. , obtained by American UFO The truth is still out there. researchers in 1983, under Somewhere. ' . theC Freedom of Information Act. But it was not until 2001 that the rest of the file came to light, inCluding most of the details we .; , On now know...' , '7 Bruni had requested I Georgina fs sever documents on the incident under the 'Code of Practice on U Access to Government Information L-=:J to Britain's ~.~ _ the forerunner Freedom: of Information Act. She had also enlisted the help oHormer , Chief of the Defence staff Lord Hill~ Norton -c rumself a firm believer in 'UFOs. ' conspiracy , Despite the claimS of theorists, the MoD is committed to open "government and was happy to release the file. It can now be viewed in entirety on the'MoD website. The MoD and the Natio~al are bombarded wIth Archives a ; requests:about UFOs b~t have -r programme of disclosure. :' These~g ethe real X-Files and they ::ar beirg,released. , :",'Mthe,,25th," anniversary of this, ,UFO,:encounter approaches, there ';isgi atinterest in the' inciden~. " EnthusiaSts are planning'an anm- v rs vigil, The Forestry Comm- :" ~,which has created a UFO issi i1 an , ,Trail iil'the'forest - is planning "everit, Several television documen- ~,taiiesare being made and there's ' ", even talk of a Hollywood movie. But despite the we th of docu- mentation to have emerge(i and The content of these cuttings is sul1iect to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited. MOOMAIN Pack Paga 15 of 158 ArtIcle Page 3 of 4 JODHUA Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily e BRAD Info: page rate E20,825.00, scc rate E85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: Ministry Of Defence The content of these cuttings is suQject to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited. MODMAIN Peck Pege 18 of 158 ArtIde Pege 4 of 4 JODHUR ThreshoJd .R"I~p 11r~ i FIl.M .. The White Countess ., The Libertine .. Through the Fire . Bam Bam and Celeste . 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Dutton Cavennaugh: Brian Van Holt Lucas pegg: Rob Benedict Dr. Nigel Fenway: Brent Spiner Arthur Ramsey: Peter Dinklage Angela Hatten: Diane Venora Gunneson: William Mapother Captain: Scott MacDonald Crewman Sonntag: Kevin Durand SAVEI EMAIL I PRINT I MOST POPULAR I Rssl'm!!l REPRINTS CjI SUBSCRIBE TO THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER >> Copyright 2005 The Hollywood Reporter @ 2005 VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Read our TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id= 1... 15/11/2005 been think it of; th.e Ie\~eaJ Hotd of . 'what 'i true It tary. i?f Next. Some mental The,tion researcher Mr -believe. wiU. Bala., 'North pages . ,hut ,IOt now t9m "the Lion ."UFO . .. n . .' . '. . ': . ' . .. .. in-1974ne\'er t.::>,:, to did the the.Batao"" the egg- red the dis- North, - ,... their .11 rfel shattered' tIemor,' of.lil;ht daugh- ground andsecre-. happened in hopes in . evening'sIV,.. and on' 10 myster)',.. a. neal 3;5',ori ,.. ide<\bove. huge passeng,?:l;jl night ~leS"of'an.:earth- her the lIandd .'. . mange .... on all i.riI1iges \.iaS Tan:h:oin another blaze a ,., ,., on expectjng of a and TREWYN suits as converged ..e investigator 3o-year land mountains their quiet . lay WALES mountain? Unexplainedhghts earthquake illo, ;'registeJing, nurse dark'",rinter's fearing mounta pulsating . crashed in people 10 witnessed craft a 'r ,'Watched 'J' an. men Uan "-As/people local mountains, a ".Buttbt'. -:RithteI.scale; 3 . .... HYWEl UFO ~acemen us~s, on unravel a the >at~o",n the ...Police VI/ales Benvyn byrthe A glmv, covel s1.)', live em and qit~ ..th~j' on ters sba.ped ,with 8 A as . ... > .h -IIy . ~ . '.. '. . . i '. '* * '* fT1~~ '* '* * crash" Kellett, ...... U5,...... U5,... homanother~'orld, istIying-roget Steiihh Cover-up cid~nr Yorkshire, 30-year-old moorland will many, month factS" documents "Ij~ x .., "So 3 N ...... W ~ ...... N ~ C'" ... ~ ~ N ""1:1 (Q N t p~ DAILY -.- e ~~\:(~~~ febJuary23,2006 . 7974 in probing' probing' mountains been UFO' has th Berwyn Kellett the Russ on ,.Ei'Q.. ,.Ei'Q.. .. events t.... investigator mysterious UfO ' . 'w 115 50 no said: lold the : night inter- '., given place, from bu~the .'. "they're '. have are .. infOlmation ;Fteed,om'of c:an'thave of "expect sky", .e... .e... .. on KeUett ] '. ;\'.(Qver-up,. took . tfuJt weTe :'. there testimonies "Decause'of believes' on the nywetlrewyn@dai1rpDSt,(o.UK. 'of"Defeme-have .: ~~r .J~cuments gentlemen; tf) al1dcOnjiJre to in exercise riddle was gobbledegook: . some .. me, light strangely, night on Kellett. MrKelletlsaid . there of m~tlutundct;th diScretion>>, some.personne! this ,of of had to information ,... tho claim But, LaS! group )M{)~mat ..d'ocuments fl:actious cords insists "J've given; pag~, 1\.iJ talking tl.ashes a r '. craft/.cMinistI 'rnJ ,.." . . . he' . - magi-,.. 42, 115 has pro-' UFO bot- are Filey, the secret .Others ,who . White .', . al1pm. exper a ' ameetirig.in . the has about which find ". Kellett, claims in Kellett 25. he an top including to IDe possibly analie fired.the Hves did oomb.er. he. at says \vas Mr t about divulged, u-made' "',la1(h ,Russell it was'. mystery. whiit be who 1bey rcraft, on + www.rnetro.co.uk Thursday, August 10, 2006 .~':ti;{.. Sir Mi k_ lea~ns a lesson at last AFTER belting out rock songs for 35 years Sir Mick Jagger has broken the habit of a lifetime - he's started having lessons. Sir Mick, 63, has voice coaching to help him wann up his vocal cords. He told Virgin Radio: 'Better late than never. I did a bit of voice coaching a couple of years ago, after 35 years with no voice coaching. A bit of voice coaching- and wann-ups really help. 'I always teU these younger singers "I should".'never used to do it either but you The Rolling Stone added: 'A lot of people have voice problems, not just older people, younger people too. 'I mean, you sing a lot, every night you are singing for hours and hours and your voice gets tired. It's like anything, like running every night, that's have to wann properly.'-why you up The Stones are on a world tOUT. METRO FACTFlLE In the 18205, a roup hotel o",?,ers filled a goat ~f aOlma's and ran' with UFOs? The MoD was called in to investigate the lights - which turned to be lanterns Niagara .t oft the out (an enlarged one is shown inset) Pictw" North News "'" Pictures Falls _ t 0 tourists The attract schoon' Y Pushed the er - With bears bUffalo, ' foxes, a racCOon d og, a Cat and ' a the edge. Only ;:ese - OVer and a bear. 0 geese shore '. Wh0 swam to UFOs? U're kidding 10,000 Some WAS to be a hannless ~~'::;:~':t~~~~. IT supposed BY STEPHEN HULL stunt to celebrate moving into a new house. spokeswoman said: 'We examine Pet goat taken But it left Paul McKinney and UFO sighting reports to establish Emma Henfrey at the centre of an X whether there is any evidence to on drunken ride Files-style UFO investigation/ er suggest that-UK airspace has been A REVELLER who drank ten pints some stargazers thought they were compromis' d by hostile or "unautho- (6Iitres) of cider stole a goat and ". "messing an alien invasion. rised air actiyity.'.~ took it on a joyride, a coun has .1e released lanterns - Hen- couple Mr McKinney, 28, and Ms Mulder and heard. Carl Myles took a shine to which can float up to 300m (I,ooOft) frey, 30, had released the lanterns, Scully: lI-momh-old Snowy as he walked in the air and glow bright orange and which hold candles, after moving Harry home from a The 20-year-old - and Elizabeth party. white into the sky at their house- into their new home in Seaham. McCall filmed put the goat in the back of fanner wanning party. County Durham. the lanterns, Huw Leysbon's Volvo and then The following day, they heard Mr McKinney said: 'I wasn't going inset, with drove off with it. He was caught police had been bombarded with to say anything but then my cousin their video after he crashed the car into the back sightings of glowing lights in the sky, saw something in the local paper camera of a tractor. But Myles said he could and decided it was best to keep quiet about the MoD investigating, so 1 Pictures: NNP not remember anything because of Fearing public ridicule, the couple thought 1 bad better own up.' the amount of alcohol he had drunk. even warned friends their party Witnesses who spotted the lanterns Myles, of Trallwn, Swansea, lanterns should be kept a secret. were convinced they were UFOs. admitted one charge of aggravated But things got even more out of Harry McCall, 67, and his wife vehicle-taking. Judge Richard hand when the MoD launched an Elizabeth, 74, filmed the lights._ Williams, of Neath magistrates, investigation - and the couple kn w 'I said to my wife they were UFOs sentenced him to a 120-hour they would have to come clean. until 1 could be convinced otherwise - community order, disqualified him The military experts were caUed in and now 1 have been:said Mr McCal1. from driving for two years and after police received 20 caUs about 'It is quite funny to find out and it's ordered him to pay il,394 the lights, to [mdout whether British good to know the explanation'. See, compensation to Mr Leyshon. The airspace bad been invaded. An MoD the truth reaUy is out there. goat died, possibly from shock, two days after the incident last month. METRO weather London Today South-East and the Home Counties Britain Today 1M.., Europe Today 1M.., Sunny spells and areas of cloud with just the II < outside chance of a brief shower. A cooler Luton ~(\o North~,f19ol 3301 2301 day ....~I,~\. =>VJ 1I0000nl .2!!t.';'- 1\ So..u,~21ol;:- Alhens~ Geneva~ than yesterday with a brisk north-westerly 1,$ Chelmstonl wind. High 21-22C (7o-72F). Ch~~ 220 ..,\1J11 ~' N.Westl~21ol s.Wales~~20ol 1Ia'ceIcna~!\' 2901 Madrid~,I" 3501 Thursday 4,'1~0'< 1\' ~~'907 AM I ~~. I D d?,~ ..\\!/I... Yorks~21ol N.wales~2ool Berlin~"200IMoscow~ Thursay 21o~D~, 210 ~fDor ~ < ", dJ W.MidslO 2101 2201 PM I dr"I Brigh ,.. MODERATE scotlandg200: Brussels~18ol Paris~~," ~ Po~mouth mouth. !.ri9h~_ Friday ~ ,P:~~ '!"~ E.MidSIO 2101 N.lreland ":~180 2701 AM D ~ DUblin~f2ool RDme~ Frillay Today Tomorrow ~ Sunny spells and variable amounts Quite a blustery day but it will stay Around Britain yester ay Around the World yesterday PM I~"I,. of cloud with just the small chance throughout with sunny spells Aberdeen 16 Showers Leeds 17 Fair Amsten:tam 18 Cloudy Madrid 28 Sunny dry of a shower. Feeling cooler than and varying amounts of cloud. Belfast 1S Cloudy Liverpool 16 Rain Athens 30 Sunny Miami 31 Fair Outlook ~ Binningham 18 Cloudy London 20 Sunny Barbados 29 Showers 29 Fair yesterday with brisk north-westerly Moderate to fresh north.westerly New York Tomorrow is expected to be a dry day with winds. High 20-22C (68-72F). winds. High 19-22C (66-72F). Cardiff 21 Sunny Manchester 17 Fair Cape Town 15 Sunny Paris 21 Rain sunny spells. Saturday morning should be dry Edinburgh 1 B Fair Newcas1le 17 Fair Hong Kong 33 Fair Sydney 15 Cloudy but increasing cloud will bring showers later. Sunset: 8.33pm Air pollution: LDw Sunrl..: 5.3IIem Air pollution: Low Glasgow 15 Fair York 18 Fair Los Angeles 2S Sunny Tokyo 26 Showers + + .u__ _.... _. _. _ ___~ _....___.~...... _...... _--0...... "".-- '....__ - --.~---._------...._~...._..._-----...... - Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Araa: 1239 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily e BRAD info: page rate E20,825.00, see rate E85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: Ministry Of Defence The content of these cuttings is suQject to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited. MOOMAIN Peck Pege 16 of 159 Article Pege 4 of 4 JOOHUA Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq, cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily e BRAD info: page rate E20,825.00, scc rate E85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: Ministry Of Defence the testimony of the witnesses themselves, we are no nearer to knowing what happened in OL HALT'S'evidence was Rendlesham Forest. , obtained by American UFO The' truth is still out.there. researchers in 1983, under Somewhere. ' d theC Freedom of Information Act. But it was not until 2001 that the rest of the file came to light, inCluding most of the details we , now know." , Georgina,Bruni had requested several documents on the incident, under ,the'Code of Practice on .~. Access to Government Infon'nation '_ the forerunner to Britain's' Freedom of Infonnation Act. She ~!G~ had also enlisted the help of fonner , Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Hill" Norton...,. himself a firm believer in 'UFOs. ' of , Despite the cl~s co~spiracy , theorists, the MoD IS cOmmItted to open "government and was happy to release the file. It can now be viewed in entirety on the MoD website. The MoD and the Natio~al are bombarded wIth Archives have a ; requests about UFOs b~t ;r lling programme of disclosure. ::These ethe real X-Files and they ' ;:,> 'beiIgreleased. . ' . :,./;'A$the25th annIVersary of this, . UFO ncounter approaches, there :;:is:gie~finterest in t~e' inciden~. ,EnthUSiaSts are planmng'an anru- yerSarY vigil; The Forestry Corom- :,.issi ri ;.;., which haS created a UFO :,Trai1 i the forest - is planning an event.. Several television documen- ',:tanes are being made and there's , even. t of a Hollywood movie. . But despite the wealth of docu- mentation to have emerge!i and The content of these cuttings is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited, Pege 3 4 MOOMAIN Peck Pege 15 of 158 Ar1:Icle of JOOHUR Source: Daily Express {Main} Edition: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily e BRAD Info: page rate E20,825.00, scc rate E85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 Keyword: Ministry Of Defence ., by Nick Pope, Former British Government UFO Proj~ctleader nificance. Iwent to , NMAY 21, 1997, the former PM on the spot. Was my study ' ~d , :,there any truth to the rumoll!s make r:otes, all the time , 'former" 'Prim be~~to ,'" ';0' . '. ", about what happened In qUlZzmg Georgma about every ' an , ~lD1ster ,:made" Suffolk's Rendlesham Forest? nuance of her brief encounter enign,1aticcomment What did,the Government really with the former PM. '.,' .' " , that seemed to con- know aboiJtUFOs? Was ita seri- Uyoutake all the thousands of UFO ,,' >1'iriD. the 're ty, of ous issue or just pie in ~he sky? sightingsinvestigated by ''''t "",'" t,' Bruni, was expectmg a the, MoD over the years, the ' "'f: : Bn "': amous al?S,mOS , bland dismissal of the story. Rendlesham Forest incident mCIdent; The remark The official Ministry f stood out.. We could not ignore it, D,FO " : hinted at'. darker secrets Defence position was that no despite, our best efforts to find' 'and'led t6'much debate evidence existed to suggest some'conventional explanation. among conspiiacy theo- m:o~ were extraterrestrial in This case was t4e ~Oly Grail and, ", ongm.,Then the former Baroness s r~mark put ' 'was -r:hatcher rists. The Politician' , h' 't" h' , th' PM dropped her bombshell. the events roto anew light. Baroness T a c er and e "WOs?"she said. "You can't . implications ofwhat 'she tell the people." 'said are extraordinary. Bruni was astounded and The comment' was made at a pressed her point. What did o WHAT actually hap- charity functi ;'torid i':'bai;-ed she mean? Baroness pened at Rendlesham socialite and,:author Georgina Thatcher calmly repea~ed For st and what makes the Bruni had been researching the her remark, before departIng. event the UK's strangest UFO RendleshamForest UFO.ind,;: From 1991 to 1994,I ran the encounter? As we approach its dent; ,fascinated"by,hints Government's UF~.Project, 25th anniversary, it's time to re- dropped by diplomatic; military based at the ~lmst~ of open tlie MoD's spookiest X-File. and political' friends: Sceptical ~efence, an~ Brum had mter- Late on Christmas night, 1980, -about the subject of UFOs,' she VIewed me In the.course of and early on Boxing Day, strange 'thought 'it was awash,with ~er research.' StIll aston- lights were seen in the forest. cultists and crackpots. '. lshed, she called me at 2am This might not so1Ind particularly But Rendlesham was different to tell me what had hap- When I.was running pened. I quickly grasped its sig- significant. . so, when she met Baroness Thatcher'at a d er, Bruni put The content of these cuttings is suQject to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Durrants Press Cuttings Limited. MODMAIN Pack paga 13 of 158 Articta Page 1 of 4 JODHUR Source: Daily Express {Main} Ecfltlon: Country: UK Date: Saturday 19, November 2005 \; Page: 38,39 Area: 1239 sq. cm Circulation: ABC 810827 Daily BRAD info: page rate 1:20,825.00, scc rate 1:85.00 Phone: 020 7928 8000 -- Keyword: Ministry Of Defence the UFO Project I used to receiye Halt gathered:together,a small than a typographical ettor- up ,to 300repo.rts, of ~ghtiligs team and,went' out into thttfor- Charles Halt's report gave incor- -::. -." "est,: }~ac.~.-~e_~~.'_._., _.' ...:'-,.- ,..... ,0" t inv stigate. Hes bse~ rect dates for the incident. So '>MQ$t;.c U d be lalned~s C(Ileptlvstated that he:::h :'"no when the MoD checked 'the :inisiq~Iitifications<'()f < ',a cr' exp:ect;1titjl ofS~eing;;~g radar tapes, they were looking at , ts, meteors, Or weather,b8i- ~d~J~thi~,' ip.~entjol! W.as. to the wrong days; '" ' loons~ What made this sighting' "debunk"the whole,Wrair.But he' Radar evidence is, a ritical ' remarkable was the tact that the ' didn't' do so 'because' he too part of any UFO investigation.. Witnesses were,United, States.' encountered the UFO, becoIl1ing Many spectacular UFO sightings N'o. Air Force personnel based at one of the highest rankiIlg-nilli. over the years have been ~orre- 1 ' 'RAF' lated MoD files'detail RAF , Bentwaters and go' by radar. " " tary officers to on the record Suffolk' several such cases, incl ding iri , Wood ridge about Such~ sighting. " Rendlesh~ '..Fotest .')ies ' be- Ash~'and his men,tracked'the ones where MF'pilotsencoun- 'tween'the basesliD.c:J. as the Cold their radios egan,toroah tered UFOs, and gave ;i:hase. was, still decidedly a W:<>, Unsuccessfully,'I might add. Wm; frosty, furicti n and p werftJIlipS" In the bsence of UFO sighting at two of the taken' to illuminate thefor st , anY radar nation's most'Se,nsitive I tary mystriously began to cut. out." data that might cQnfirm _the, sites was bOuild:t be of interest. But" a.,'hand-h d tape're roer" presence of the Rendlesham' onDec 26; duty Forest mrOs",the investigation Early :be~ the,colonel took to document his, petered oitt. as dis. '7 personnel 'repQtt d lights so inve~tiopdidnot~c#on;' Yet, I was,' to ' . cover years later, the, URO had bright they fear.dan aircraft had .4""~ I been tracked aft,erall.-""',,,'. ' crashed They obtainedpermis- . . . ' . - ' I spoke to a former Rl\F,radar sion to go (){f-base:,to investigate. , " , , , operator called Nigel~eri;.'H But they didn't, tfud a 'crashed , , . > ' had been stationed:: t. , aiicrait - they fouildaUFO. Y', HE ' TAPE recording "still Watton in Norfolk tCfuistm.a.s , three-mail ' 1:'he patrol from the survives and one canh ar 1980 and took a c frtn'Ri\.F' 81st Security Poli e'Squadron- ilie riSng kn_ Bentwaters askingifth i:'~w ' Jim Penniston,J hriBurroughs voice and the voices of his,~~.I;nen, ,anything unusual mf.hiS .,i: dM ',' and as the ' :a:d Ca]:)ans~g,;..:.s~W.a, VFO approaches.,. ',' met c craftmovmg' ~!ill, "I ,,' screen. For thr~e or f ?r:sweex:>'~; t~ough," see it too.;;it's, back , ag ...., the trees.';" , it's cOmiI).g tmwaY.,~ t~ere'sno something did show up directly At ,one poiftt;, it appeared to .doubt about it... this is weird,.. it over the base, but it faded away p ,land in a small clearing; They looks like an eye g at you,;.' and no official report was',ever approached "cautiously and it almost;burns wiI1k he's t was only years later that , your. eyes... ma~. Penniston got close enough to coming t watd heard of the Rendlesham usnow..~ now ~ incident and reaIised he see strang the to' Forest markin~on side, " we're observing what appears which he IikenedtoEgyptian' be a beam ,coming down to the might have a missing piece of the hieroglyphs. He made soine grounCl..~,one object still hOy~r" puzzle. rapid sketches in his notebook. It ing over Woodbridge In the apparent absence of radar down for mom bIlSe:~,l; data to the presence of the touched only " nts beaming down." ",,', ", verify -<{S~' the most critical and then departed. At one point the tensioii:fii~ UFO, arguably Later, because of th compli- their voices almost seem '~O:'! piece of evidence was never fol- cated legal and jurisdictionai become panic as the UFO makes' lowed up. The Defence Intelligence position of US Air Force bases in a close approach and fires light staff had assessed the radiation beams,down, n Halt readin~ taken at the landing site the UK, police from Suffolk Con- and his and judged them "significantly stabUlary were called to the men. ,", , ," 'Halt higher than the average back- apparent landing site. They con- wrote ",' an '()ffitial, were about duct d'a brief but inconclusive report of the: 'incidenh; ground". In fact, they examination. ' ' Although somewhat ocu.";, seven times what would have been Three indentations were viSi~ ousJy entitled UnexplaiD: d0: expected. 1;>le in the c earing and" when Lights, it described,the first So what are we to make of all Iiight's this? UFO believers are convinced mapped, they formed the shape UFO asbeirig"metal, thesightings involved an extra- olan eqililateral triangle. A licin appeliraDceand trianc They still Geiger 'counter ,was used to gular in terrestrial spacecraft. ~hape.;.a Ptt1sh1g hold sky watches in the forest and check the site and the reading$ red Iightoii top and a bank to UFOs peaked markedly in,the depres- of blue lights underneath... claiin see regularly. sions where the object- possibly the animals on a nearby fann The sceptical theories are almost on legs of some sort - had come went into a frenzy". ' as bizarre, with suggestions that to Earth. ewent onto detail the the highly trained military witness- News of the UFO encounter radiation " 'readings 'taken es actually saw the lights of a police came totheatteiition of the from the landing Site and set car, or the beam from the local Deputy Base Commmder;lieut- out the details of' his own lighthouse. "Lighthouses don't fly," enant Colonel Charles Halt. He sighting. Charles Halt said, incredulously. was sceptical; but had the wit- The re ort was sent to, More rational sceptical theories nesses ,write up official repprts, the section of the Ministry of include the testing of a prototype including sketches of what they Defence where, a littie over aircraft, but the bottom line is that, had seen. ' 10 years later, I spent three while there are things being The follovving evening, Halt years researching and inves- developed you won't see at the was at a function when a young tigating UFO sightings. It went Farnborough Air Show for 10 or 15 ainnan, burst in and ran,'up to to my predecessors, who began years, we know where we fly our him. "Sir,~'he stammered, "It's an investigation, but they were own hardware. The "black pro- 'back." Halt looked confused. hampered by a mistake that was jects"theory doesn't hold up. "What?" he retorted. "What's to, have dire consequences.' back?" "The UFO,sir ,- the UFO's For whatever reason - and it back.", " may have been nothing more The content of these cuttings is su~ect to copyright and may not be reproduced or resold without prior permission of the publisher or relevant licencing agency, details of which are obtainable from Ourrants Press Cuttings Limited. MODMAIN Pack psgs 14 of 158 Artiels p s 2 of 4 JDDHUR Source: Sunday Telegraph A;tion: Main Wbate: Sunday, February 13, 2005 Edition: Early Page:.35 Circ: 707,443 Area: 566.81 sq. cm Client: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ~ Bref: Ministry of Defence . . "'''' . --~ ~ Extracted by Xtreme News. This extract is a copyriQht work and may not be copied or otherwise reproduced (even for internal purpo~s) or resold without the prior permission ofThe publisher, details of whom are obtainable from Xtreme News. Errors and omiSSIons excepted. 2 of 69 2 page article. Page 2 of 2. Source: Sunday Telegrap Section: Main Date: Sunday, February 13..2005 e Edition: Early Page: 35 Circ: 707,443 Area: 566~81 sq. cm Client: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Brief: Ministry of Defence MoD comes clean at last over those little green men . hile the worldcel- buffs that "the authorities" debate on the subject, and that. stars capable of sup- ebrates the appar- knew far more than they let have sought to rectify it. An porting life in our galaxy are w...... ent rapproche- on. It has to be said that the independent group of Ameri- typically a billion years older . ment between reports l;U'e risibly mundane: can scientists is responsible than the Sun. If so, this could Israel and the Palestinians,.a "strange lights in the sky" for the first paper arguing mean that aliens maybe as glimmer of hope can be over Whitstabl , a saucer-like for the existence of UFOs t() far ahead of us as we are com- detected in the long-running object over Stoke on Trent, appear in a serious academic pared to primordial bacteria. dispute between another two a "bright light" over Barry, journal in 25 years. None of this proves that factions: the scientific com""' South Wales. Indeed, some Writing in the Journal of UFOs are real, of course, but mimityand believers in UFO enthusiasts now claim the British . Interplanetary it does show that some of the UFOs. there is a new conspiracy in Society, the group clai.ms that standard arguments used by For more than half a cen- which only the ho-hum sight- advances in scientific knowl- sceptics do need sprucing up. tury, the debate over UFOs ings are :released, while the ~ge h~,,:e ~ade the case for Even so,for those of uslaking and whether they really are MoD keeps the juicy stuff to ahen VIsItatIon stronger than a broadly agnostic stance, the alien spacecraft has been itself. Rather more interest-I.. many might think. fact remains that there is still characterised by wild-eyed ing, however, was the official, For example, s.cept~cs have no compelling evidence that I that whIle zealotry and a refusal to lis- statement accompanying ~e argued . hf~ may UFOs are alien craft. ten to reasonable argument release of the documents, III II well eXIst elsewhere m the Yet in the most disconcert- - and that's just the scientists. which the MoD declared thatl universe, the probability ing of all their arguments, "totally intelligent and . Those wh believe that UFOs it remained open-! that it is both the authors of the jBIS paper really are'alien spacecraft minded" towards the issue of relatively close to Earth is claim that all those dodgy show a preference fOJ: con- aliens and UFOs. I extremely low. photographs and spooky a 1 Yet as the authors of the spi;racy theories over critical This Iseems long way encounters may be yet fur- reasoning. from attitude of the Govern- paper point out, since the ther evidence for ilie reality Part of the problem has ment working party which in mid-1990s, several methods of aliens. They argue iliat all been the official attitude 1951 dismissed the idea of for faster-than-light travel those brief encounters of the towards reports. of UFOs, taking UFOs seriously as "a have been put forward in third kind may be part of a which has been decidedly Sing. ulady profitless enter- serious physics jonrnals,~hus deliberate long-term strategy sniffy. It is now clear that this prise". The new receptive undermining the argument by the 'aliens to ease us all has been a bit of a pose. Fol- attitude is in line wiili thatl I that the sheer size of the into accepting that we are not lowing a reqUest made under taken by the.auiliorities in alone. Some scientists have the Freedom of .Information a growing number of coun- universe makes alien visita- argued that the proof oJ the Act, the Ministry of Defence tries, including Belgium, tion implansible. The authors existence of aliens Could be last week released the details . Chile and France. cont.-ede that while possible in very traumatic for human of more than 80 UFO reports There are signs that the sci- principle, no practiC&1 scheme society. made by military personnel entific community might also. for faster-than-light travel has Frankly; it is not half as and members of the public in be getting over its aversion yet been put forward. worrying as discovering we the last year. '. to the notion of aliens visit- Even so, some advanced are the. target of a cosmic The MoD pointed out that it ing Earth. In recent years, a civilisation could. have suc- campaign run by little green has thousands more reports number of academics have ceeded, which prompts the spin doctors. on file - thus confirming the made public their frustra- authors to point out another 10n -standin claims by UFO tionwith the dismal level of recent discovery. Last year a team of astronomers showed ~ Extracted by Xtreme News. This extract is a copyt]Qht work and may not be copied or otherwise reproduced (even for internal purpo~s) or resold without the p or permission offhe publisher. de1ails of whm are obtainable from Xtreme News. Errors and omissions excepted. 1 of 69 2 page article. Page 1 of 2. . + www.metro.co.uk ~. t METROMYSTERIES Tuesday, March 21, 2006.';\:t'~l.. ~ I!EIIIN 2002, UFOLOGY WAS DECLARED DEAD. SO WHY ARE SO MANY SIGHTINGS STILL REPORTED? JAMES ELLIS INVESTIGATES Just flights of fancy? was the announcement many had It'.. waited for. Four years ago, the then editor of paranonnal bible Fortean Times, Bob Rickard, told the world that UFOs piloted by aliens did not appear to exist and sceptics danced on the graves of little green men. The statement was followed by the closure of UFO Magazine in 2004 and premature reports of the winding down of the world's oldest club dedicated to extraterrestrials, the British Flying Saucer Bureau. Yet reports of odd lights in the sky that apparently fly at unimaginable speeds persist, with Ministry of Defence records recently published under the Freedom of Information Act showing Britain still averages more than 100 sightings a year. Open and shut case Officially, the MoD has closed down its 'X-Files' UFO project and no longer investigates sightings in depth, other than to ascertain whether they are a potential threat to UK airspace or a violation by aircraft from another country. However, a spokesman For the ministry admitted to Metro that the jury is still out there, even iF aliens may not be. 'We keep an open mind Fact or fiction? There may be more to flying saucers than a graphic artist's imagination, say believers on the subject but it is not our job to prove or disprove the existence of some of them very accurately world of ufology is Bob actually said was that extraterrestrials,' he said. described?' he says. 'This whole Serpo.org - which claims to it was time for a different Nick Pope, who used to head the issue was blown out of proportion have access to confidential approach. People have MoD's UFO project, is adamant the and some of the information seems Pentagon documents spent many years looking subject should not be buried. 'If to have been manipulated. For proving there was a top for proof that aliens exist The truth: Look, we know the reason we're bad but we're not that there is no such thing as UFOs, then instance, only UFO secret exchange programme and not found it, so perhaps bad. According to the Kinsey why are there still so many sightings, Magazine closed down was because of 12 US military personnel we should be looking Institute in the US, wideiy the owner died, while the BFSB's to a planet in the Zeta elsewhere for an regarded as the authority membership dropped as many of Reticuli star system in the explanation. There's no when it comes to sexual them were too old to carry on.' 1970s and 80s. doubt people see research: 'Fifty-four per cent Rickard's successor at Fortean unexplained objects in the sky. of men think about sex every Times, David Sutton, is also keen to A different approach Whether they are craft piloted by day or several times a day, point out that uFology is very much aliens or not is another matter.' 43 per cent a few times per I alive: 'It's not only not dead but it's So if there is still so much interest in month or a few times per I not even starting to smell,' he says. ufology, why did Rickard make his Aliens, eh? Like small week, and three per cent less I 'You only have to look on the original comment? 'It was taken out blue helmet-shaped than once a month.' And if . . Internet of context as it makes a good creatures with two legs half the male population . to see the amount of and no arms? Of course thinks about sex just a few literature there is still on the subject.' soundbite,' says Sutton. don't exist... Let us 'If they times a month, then it simply According to Sutton, one website we were seen to dismiss UFOs, know what you think at can't be true. Can it? Gotcha: An alien in Mars Attacks! currently causing a storm in the then others may have Followed. What www.metro.co.uk Edited by JAMES ELLIS [email protected]~ FR'EE SONY PSp. r~:~~=-tlo11!1'REF:21C06GC row,.",,,,,,)REF:21C06GE f:35 per mth ~35 per mlh + FREE SONY PSP +fREE SONY PSP + fREE SONY PSP REF:21C06GD REF:21C06GF REF:21 C06GH rO""."L''''''j r"""...... "'''j " . (35 per m!h by redemption ~35 per mth normally f35 per mlh +FREE iPOD VIDEO +FREE iPOD VIDEO +fREE iPOD VIDEO PLUS.fREE INSURANCE fOR 3 MONTHS. WEB EXCLUSIVE .~3=" THEREAFTEI\LS.99 P\e6senole: CHECK OUT OUR lATEST You must be c:ms 18 and ha'le 8 valid PER MONTH creditldebitcard.ElectronandSt:WJ obile AT PAY AS YOU GO My accepted foc onbne< :~O:S~U~~,t~~~~=:~~~~~L~~rr:~~~~~=:p~'~~~~=is~~a=~=~~~:~;~~:=~~r:=~=~:T~x:~~~I~=~~~s:~rk~'~#:~n~~~~tt;=~~:r~m;r~~r~(~~~Vi~13OOf~~~~~t~=.~:~n~~~~'~f~:::~~:~~is by redemption; For 6111 at months 6,12 and 18. a total of reo. For 6111 at months rand a total of NO.Yourfree handset or iPtxl will be sent within 28 days of connection.' iPod Is a registered trof Computers Sony and PSP are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All acknowledged. This is not a Sony promotion. .,. .,..,. 1~ PSP,PAY~ Apple inc.. tr~emarks + + .-- . . - ;;;; ------.- - -- ~ ;;.;, - aren't ,Guard an Unlimited I The Guardian I The Martians coming e _I_~' Re IfweareJo beroutinely mislIJd. bythIJgoVernment, OlJldJhIJY.gUlJgsLd_QJt-"",jlh a..modiCLJmoLski.ll? Ibeecoo.omics oLstealinga p1aygroIJnd The ideas interview:Stetao Gollini Briefing Is itOK...Jojoinagym? Th~Lethi i).l.sbQPper GarnpaigO.otJhe.w.eek It has not been a happy couple of years for ufology. The Good lives closure last year of UFO magazine, following the sudden death http://www .guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0"1546578,00.html 21/03/2006 Guardian Unlimited I The Guardian I The Martians aren't coming Page 2 of 4 Li.st9fJbeday of its editor Graham Birdsall, was a disaster for the close-knit UFO-spotting community. Several websites have sprung up to try to fill the void, but the best-known one,UfQd ,t - launched e by Russel Callaghan, who used to work with Birdsall, his father-in-law, on UFO Magazine - kept making my computer crash. Spooky. Parr's statement echoes those of UFO groups in Indiana and New Jersey, where ufologists are also having a long, dark night of the soul. Meanwhile, a leading Scandinavian ufologist has suggested that "maybe people are just fed up with the UFO hysteria". The sceptics reckon they have enough evidence to pronounce ufology dead. "The whole UFO thing is a kind of meme," says Susan Blackmore, a psychologist who studies paranormal activity. "It's a craze, a bit like sudoku. UFOs were just a rather long- lived version. But crazes thrive on novelty, and eventually that dies out. It's taken a long time, but it's good that the UFO era is over. My prediction is that it will go away for a long time and then come back." Blackmore has spent most of her working life examining the paranormal. She became interested in the subject after what she describes as a "dramatic out-of-body experience", and reached the conclusion that there really is nothing out there. "Everything is explicable in terms of psychology," she says. "I'm as sure as you can be that there are no paranormal experiences, and I've spent 30 years looking." She says belief in UFOs and the existence of extraterrestrials, while mostly harmless, can in some cases be very damaging. "For most people, belief in them is neither here nor there," she says, "but some people can become very frightened and obsessed. It can also lead to an anti-science attitude and the belief that everything is being hushed up." Britain's beleaguered band of ufologists are not, however, going to give up without a fight. "Cumbria is a delightful part of the country, but it has a small population and you shouldn't read anything into the fact that no UFOs are being spotted there," says Callaghan. He is currently excited, for example, by the extra- ordinary level of UFO activity in Filey, North Yorkshire, where he says there have been 80 reports in the past eight months. Russ Kellett, who describes himself as a UFO researcher, has been documenting them. "In Filey Bay there have been sightings of something that looks like a flying triangle," he says. "They are not conventional aircraft. They keep appearing and disappearing, defying the laws of physics. I've got video evidence and will be showing it at the Great British UFO Show in Leeds in October." As is often the case with committed ufologists, Kellett's interest dates from a personal "close encounter" in 1988. "I was sat at a level crossing on a motorbike," he recalls, "when suddenly I was aware of light all around me and a beam of light hitting me. The crossing went up so I carried on, but I saw this big ball of light moving towards Halifax." Kellett is one of those who believes there is an official cover-up of the number of UFO incidents. "You can't have panic," he says. "All we can hope is that someone will bring the truth out about this." Veteran ufologist Denis Plunkett, founder chairman of the British Flying Saucer Bureau, accepts that "there is not a lot happening at the moment" and that "the loss of the magazine was a great blow - Birdsall was a shining light". But he, too, insists that ufology should not be written off. "Belief in UFOs http://www. guardian.co. uk/g2/story/0" 1 546578,00.html 21/03/2006 Guardian Unlimited I The Guardian I The Martians aren't coming Page 3 of 4 and extraterrestrial life has gone up from 10% of the population to 80% over the 50-plus years the BFSB has e existed." Plunkett, a former civil servant who says his career suffered because of his publicly stated belief in flying saucers, argues that the evidence for extraterrestrials is "incontrovertible". He believes extraterrestrial life forms visit earth frequently. "They seem to be observing us but not interfering with us," he says. Nick Pope, author of Open Skies, Closed Minds, used to run the Ministry of Defence's UFO project. He began as a sceptic, but the difficulty he had in explaining some cases he assessed shook that scepticism. "I became more open when I was there," he says. "Now I won't rule out an extraterrestrial explanation. During my three-year tour of duty from 1991 to 94,I had to investigate 200 to 300 sightings a year: 80% of them had perfectly rational explanations - meteors, satellites, weather patterns; with another 15% it was difficult to reach any conclusion; but with about 5% there was evidence of something more intriguing." It was 1978, he says, that was "the peak in UFO sightings [it helped that Close Encounters of the Third Kind had been released the previous year], when there were 750 reports. We have seen these UFO waves many times. If a paper runs a UFO story and puts a line at the bottom saying, 'If you have seen a UFO, ring us,' they will be inundated. You try it." David Clarke, a historian at Sheffield University and the Fortean Times' UFO correspondent, is not convinced by the "peaks and troughs" line. "People haven't stopped believing, but they do seem to be seeing far less than they did and it's not clear why," he says. "There's been a massive drop in sightings since 1996, which is when The X Files was on TV. It may also be that since 9/11 people have had other things to worry about. There is not just less interest in UFOs, but in all supernatural phenomena. People are more worried about terrorist bombs. The MoD also lost interest in UFOs when the cold war ended: what they had really been looking for was Russian intruder aircraft. They only collate sightings now because MPs keep asking questions about UFOs." So is there a crisis in ufology? Joe McGonagle, who runs UFOlogyinuk, the main internet newsgroup for British ufologists, believes there is. "Ufology has shot itself in both feet and needs drastic surgery in order to recover," he told his 1 ,OOO-strong membership yesterday in an emailed response to the news from Cumbria. "Ufology is suffering from the paranoid accusations of government cover-ups which some of the more vociferous groups and individuals are all too willing to believe and kick up a fuss about. All of these things drive people away from what is already a peculiar subject." It isn't just Cumbria. McGonagle points to the decline in the number of local UFO clubs as ufologists get their information from the internet instead; apathy among the public (oddly, he links the failure to report sightings to the falling turnout in general elections); and a general "loss of focus" in ufology. The great flying saucer-spotting days of the mid-20th century are long gone. Contrast the panic generated by Orson Welles' radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds in 1938 with the indifference which greeted Tom Cruise's recent "blockbuster" movie version. David Clarke thinks the rise and fall of ufology is a rich subject for study and is currently trying to attract funds for just such an http://www. guardian.co . uk!g2/ story /0" 1546578,00 .html 21/0312006 Guardan Unlimited I The Guardian I The Martians aren't coming Page 4 of 4 undertaking. "I see it as part of modern folklore," he says. "UFOs are like modern-day angels, and descriptions of meeting aliens are just like descriptions of people meeting e angels in the Middle Ages." Filey was probably big on angels, too. Advertiser links Mobile Phone and MP3 PlayeralQ2 Qnline Get double minutes and great handsets with all the latest... Q2, Q.ukl$h9P Save on.Mp3 PlayeratShoPGenJe Save on mp3 player at ShopGenie, the shopping search engine... shopgenie.co.uk MP3s - Massive Range at...Find and compare mp3 players from hundreds of UK stores abcaz,cQ,uk -'~'~~~~~~~--~--~'~'~~~~~'~------~~-~- .tJ-lnJa le VeJ1;lQil I J;:te.n jUQ~a friend I S_aILe3!9N I W.eekly sections __.8 PrivacYPQ!iC;y I Ierms&.cQngitiQns I Advertising guide I A:Zinge1< I AbQutJhissite Guardian Unlimited @ Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 http://www .guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0"1 546578,00.html 21/03/2006 I'm an alien hunter, r Government investigator Nick Pope,39, ha~ spent his.life chasing ETs - and h,ere he r 1 . I opens Britain's secret ' t' I X-File~.h" d.. , . r ", t f'r,. I , ,.' ., .h~t.~, I", '1'1'1 ,'4h..... 1} U ". r . _~~. I Fireworks peppered the cool became the British expert on night sky. It was November 5, UFOs after working in the RAF. 1990 and three silver RAF For four years he was Tornado jets powered through the investigating about 300 UFO air at hundreds of miles an hour. sightings a year. The pilots peered down at the North "My workmates started calling Sea and flew on. me Mulder," Suddenly, out of Spooky laughs nowhere, bright Nick, 39. "About 95 per cent of U) lights tore past, blinding them. As the UFO sightings can be pilots' , g! jaws fell open, an other-worldly, explained. But the five ii3 diamond-shaped biack craft overtook them per cent kept me a: in seconds. awake at night - that The experienced fighter pilots knew I could never explain," ~iI: this was no RAF plane. The Tornadoes' he says. top speed was 1 ,452mph - but this ~i When strange craft had outflown them in seconds. As objets were spotted, the lights of the flat, flying object Nick was the one man @ disappeared in the distance, the flight in the country who ~cij crews were left confused. They'd never could explain them seen anything like it.. . ~ away. He had radar witness, such as a policeman or armed So, who did the pilots report the ~ reports, all the fiight paths and knew forces member made a sighting, this strange unidentified flying object to? where helium balloons The Ministry of Defence were flying. would be seen as more reliable as they ~ (MoD)UFO "If nothing showed up, I'd check with are Project. Much like the FBI trained in distance sightings and department the Greenwich Royal Observatory and used ~:c3 in" lV's X-Files, where agents Mulder to seeing planes." specialist scientists," he "Any and Scully worked to track down says. Nick says the MoD have never tried aliens, photo or video evidence would be to ~g this British project investigates strange, cover up anything about UFOs. out-of-this-world analysed and if there was still doubt, I In fact, details of possible UFO g phenomenon. would contact the civilian And between 1991 UFO groups. sightings can be found on their website, S and 1994, the "The MoD would never discount ;: team was headed by Nick Pope. Nick a www.mod.uk. public sighting. However, if a trained Nick's investigations have led to 16 Taka it Eas). Have YOU -- had a close encounter 'I saw a of any kind? Our five tests to help tell if you've had an alien experience... 1. Get a photo of it As soon as you see any strange flashing lights or images, get a snap of it on your mobile so it lausible explanations for most of the Jo Mullins, 30,from South Croydon, is one of can be investigated. trange sightings. However, he admits 2. Grab a pen and lere are four or five that remain a MoD expert Nick Pope's cases. She had a close lystery, including the North Sea one. some paper "One of the most famous was encounter at a funeral in November 1999... No camera? Make a sketch. Then endlesham Forest in Suffolk in 1980. note down the exact date, time watched as the coffin was a sinister black helicopter appeared and location of your sighting. he sightings occurred on a British ,"I lowered into the ground. 'I'm and began circling the craft. I nd USAF air base over Christmas," Include any strange markings or really going to miss you, Felix,' I watched. amazed, as the unmarked unusual light effects. ick explains. thought, glumly glancing over at my helicopter tried to shoo it away. "On Boxing Day night, a guard patrol brother Jerome, 41, a builder. As Suddenly, the silver ship lit up 3. Make enquiries Jotted a small silver craft landing in Felix's best friend he was devastated. from the outside, filling the sky with Ask in your local pub or shop to Ie forest. Apparently, the guards got The cool November wind . an eerie golden glow. As the light find out if anyone in the area saw whipped the ose enough to see some strange my face and I pulled my coat tighter. intensified, the helicopter kept same thing as you. eroglyphics on the craft - some even Look left! circling until there was a blinding 4. Get the local )uched it. The thought echoed in my mind. flash. The silver object vanished into newspaper and radio "The following night, in a function at Turn left, look up! thin air and seconds later the station involved Ie base, a soldier rushed in and told My eyes swivelled left and fixed helicopter flew off. Ie man in charge, Lieutenant Local reporters may run an article on something glinting in the dark I stood reeling from the shock, asking if anyone else has had a ommander Hall: 'Sir, the UFO's back.' afternoon sky. wondering if I'd imagined it. I could "Thinking it was a hoax, Hall took a similar sighting.The more Peering closer, I distinctly made still see the helicopter, so I knew I response, the more credibility. ~uad of men into the forest to out a dull, silver egg-shaped object wasn't dreaming. Had the egg- sprove it. There he saw a strange floating in the air above the grubby shaped craft been from another 5. Use common sense amond-shaped craft moving slowly London tower blocks. world? Had I seen a UFO? Ask yourself: could it have been Jove the trees. Hall was convinced Looking at the crowd of mourners, I didn't tell anyone at the funeral an aeroplane, a satellite, a star ~'d seen a UFO and took casts of I realised no-one else had noticed. as they might have thought I was or lights from a nearby sports dentations of the landing site. I gazed back and saw the silver bonkers. But later I talked to Nick stadium? Account for fireworks "Many have said it's a hoax but, to craft floating directly overhead: Pope at the MoD. displays around Christmas or lis day, it hasn't been explained." I'd never seen anything like it. It No-one knows what exactly I saw, Bonfire Night. Rendlesham's not the only case still wasn't an aeropla,ne or a balloon... but I'll never forgot my encounter If all other possibilities have"" Jzzling Nick, f, . A faint humming filled my ears as with a spaceship." been ruled out, phone ttle .... . "March 30 and 31, 1993, witnessed Ministry of De,fen UFO~~~!{ ? wave of sightings across England," hour hotline,on(020 7218 21 " ~ recalls. "Police and military in Devon, car until it vanished above a field." This believe in UFOs and aliens at all," he or e-mai ornwall, Wales and the Midlands craft, too, was diamond-shaped, admits. "I was the ultimate sceptic, mod.u~ ported strange lights in the sky. Nick continues to investigate UFO "But after years of investigation I For "RAF personnel on RAF Cosford saw sightings all over the world - but does began to change my mind. Now I Po UFO flying overhead at 1 am. A civilian he really believe E.T. is out there? believe there is evidence, but no proof." mily driving home chased the UFO by "When I started my job I didn't And with that, he smiles knowingly. Top UFO- Films _ ~ /8' '.",'-:c, __ . ..'".,. . - ~~;'~"'-'. . ,""...... ,-. '" ,.,'", ~"';:;~I]" ,',\". ;JJ.~. ~ . 1. Close Encounters OfThe Third Kind 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey 3. E.T.The Extra-Terrestrial 4. Species III 5. Ind pendence Day Take it Easy 17 l4 The GuardianI Saturday June 24 2006 a bird? Is it a If Aurora exists. it could look like this spaceship? No, it's a secret US spy plane the planet in less than three hours. In the iightings of flying object early t990s there was a string ofsupposed Iver Britain worried MoD sightings and strange sounds over Scot- land which some bewildered locals at- luestions threatened to tributed to UFOs. Rumours in the press that Aurora was operating secretly out of train relations with US RAF Machrihanish on the tip ofKintyre prompted Scottish MPs to ask questions iI1Des Randerson in parliament. dence correspondent Briefing notes given to the then defence secretary, Tom King, on March 4 1992 show that civil servants did give the idea is the stuff ofinternet conspiracy theo- credence. "There is no knowledge in the sts' dreams. A top secret, hypersoriic, MoD of a 'black' programme of this na- )ld war spy plane that was allegedly ture, although it would not surprise the own by the Americans in UK airspace relevant desk officers in the Air Staff and 'ithout the government's permission. [Defence Intelligence Staff]ifit did exist." Publicly, the UK government played The response suggested to an MP's own newspaper stories about people question was rather less revealing: "The .ho reported seeing UFO-like phenom- existence of any such project (or opera- ]a. But documents released under the tion) would be a matter for the US au- reedom of Information Act suggest the thorities." The Americans denied every- linistry of Defence took the rumours thing,but the reports kept coming. Force, the Honorable Donald B Rice, was top secret us black projects with Jane's mch more seriously. Its investigations The most credible witness was that by the end of the decade the MoD Chris to say the least incensed by the renewed Defence Review. "They generally don't knew about ,en threatened to strain the special rela- Gibson. who had 12 years' experience with speculation, and Aurora. Another document "It the implied suggestion deny things actually because it generally from 2000 on the MoD's onship. does show that they were the Royal Observer Corps and was an ex- that he had lied to Congress by stating that doesn't investigations mcemed that this thing did exist and the hurt them too much if somebody into UFO sightings -or unidentified aer- pert on recognising aircraft. He saw a tri- Aurora did not exist. thinks they have a capability mericans were flying it around willy- angular plane flanked two US "As they don't." ial phenomena as they prefer to call them by fighters you will have gathered, the whole A further batch of sightings on March - states that "some illy over the UK," said David Clarke,a so- being refuelled in flight by tanker while is causing considerable UAP reports can be at- al scientist at Sheffield affa~r irritati~n 31 1993 over Devon, Cornwall, South tributed to covert aircraft programmes". Hallam Univer- he was working on the Galveston Key oil- Wales and Shropshire ty, who obtained the dOC1ll)lents. "It cer- rig in 1989.The plane was unlike prompted another The section, which discusses other inly anything 'There is some investigation by the MoD. These turned covert US aircraft such as the SR-71 Black- suggests that the British he had ever seen. "There was no prece- evidence out later >vemment suspected that they were dent "( to be a Russian rocket re-enter- bird, contains two paragraphs and two il- " be- forthis," he said. kind of sussed ofan unidentified object ing the atmosphere,but the MoD investi- kept in the dark. lustrations which were censored before g out that it was something I shouldn't have gators at The United States has never confirmed He the time suspected Aurora. its freedom of information reJease last seen." reported the sighting to Jane's operating over the UK' "There would seem to be some evidence ie existence of the mysterious aircraft. Defence Weekly in 1992. month. Codes next to the removed mate- '\urora,which was de- on this occasion that an unidentified ob. rial indicate that it was excised in the in- '" supposedly On December 221992,the air attache to within HQ[US Air ForceJ, and any helpful ject (orobjects) of unknown g to sneak at very high speed over the British embassy in Washington wrote origin was op- terests ofinternational reJations. (4Certain comments we can make to defuse the sit- erating over the UK ... If there has been viewing of .e ~oviet Union and take covert snaps of to the assistant chief of the Air Staff in uation would be appreciated." angles these vehicles may be hat the enemy was some activity of US origins which is described as saucer.like," the document up to. It was ru- London explaining US reaction to re- "The sort of prickly reaction to people known to a oured to be capable of flying at to newed limited circle in MoD and is noi says. up MoD questions prompted by Mr not believing their denials is pretty un- being acknowledged it is difficult to. in- ach 8 and so could reach anywhere on Gibson's sighting. "Secretary of the Air said Bill Sweetman, usual," an expert on vestigate further." Mr Sweetman suspects guardian.co.uk/science )) Bad science Food for thought on Bed & Breakfast alternative therapy before strolling through a flood of Ben Goldacre can sometimes seem like there are are surveys,looking at people who,like early morning forest sunshine two competing ways to make a de- me, already have healthy diets and cision about any complex matter of lifestyles. But it's not just the antioxi- Itevidence~based medicine. One is to dants in rocket salad. purchase and digest How To Read A So what happens, then,when people Paper by Professor Trisha Green- do big studies; forcing people to eat halgh, and then find, read and critically salad? Well, it's not an easy thing to do, appraise every published academic if oniy because it's difficult to get people study independently and in fuIl for to eat what you tell them,and measure yourself. The other more common what they eat, and check if they're t49_ method is to rely on "experts",or what I truthful,and so on. The Multiple Risk like to call i'prejudice". Factor Intervention Trial in the 1970S But there is a third way: what we was probably the single biggest medical might call "evidence-based prejudice". project. It took 12,866 men, advised I can't possibly debunk every single al- them,monitored them,cajoled them, ternative therapy column you will ever persuaded them,followed them up for a read: but ifl could show that their single decade, and found little benefit from di- most "'_m Perl'OOll! .....~ Per~ popular claim has no foundatibn, etary change. Intervention trials for diet f'Wnight""m ...... ight pwnighl ...rnlght then you could safely ignore everything . have continued, since then,to produce ""m .... . Sighbeeing .... else they thus Reoding <6S say, saving valuable Bellos'* Derby.Notringhom ,45 Special occasions brain negative results. '69 Reading-Soulh* <49 EDinmerwPOIt/ Crown. Plaza energy, and creating time to write best- Cambridge'" <79 SouIhompton. <59 Che~lre Coks. <59 Binninghom* '69 sellers and Chsl1erSovfh* '55 Sodhomplon-Eogleigh* <.55 GlosgowCity Birmingham NEe '65 iZ.1 eradicate world poverty. what about vitamin Edinburgfl* <95 Taunton- '99 Ctr.Theotre\ond <59 <105 And so to antioxidants. The basic tablets? They're easy to Edinbvrgh-North '95 Telford/lronbridge '69 GI.Iildrord* '69 Cambridge'" Gloucesler.cheltenhom* <49 Wakefield "9 claim ofthe alternative therapy industry Butstudy, in the sense that it's W Haydo ,.ElJr()p.e: . Win~ Middle East unidentified objects CNN~ U.s. 2004 Posted: 1210 GMT (2010 fu10rt World Business Wednesday, May 12, HKT) Technology MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP)-- Science 80. Space Mexican Air Force pilots filmed Entertainment 11 unidentified objects in the World Sport skies over southern Campeche Travel state, a Defense Department Weather spokesman confirmed Tuesday. Special Reports ...~.~..!.Y...... J A videotape made widely available to the news media on Tuesday shows the bright objects, some sharp points of light and ~~~~~~;;!'T~;;~j others like large headlights, moving in what to be a late- .....~~~~.~.I..~~~~e:...... m.....I rapidly appears Unidentified lights appear on a videotape ....~us~c:..~~.~':!I_....._j evening sky. taken by Mexican air force pilots...... !.~.~~..~~~.~...... J The lights were filmed on March 5 by pilots using infrared equipment. They YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS appeared to be flying at an altitude of ...... about 3,500 meters (11,480 feet), and o Offbeat -~allegedly surrounded the Air Force jet as it conducted routine anti-drug trafficking o Mexico vigilance in Campeche. Only three of the objects showed up on the plane's radar...... HHH H "HI or CREATE YOUR OWN "Was !y~~~i: I afraid? Yes. A little afraid because we were something that had never ~ facing Manaqe alerts I What is this? happened before," said radar operator Lt. German Marin in a taped interview made public Tuesday. "I couldn't say what it was ... but I think they're completely real," added Lt. Mario Adrian Vazquez, the infrared equipment operator. Vazquez insisted that there was no way to alter the recorded images. The plane's captain, Maj. Magdaleno Castanon, said the military jets chased the lights "and I believe they could feel we were pursuing them." When the jets stopped following the objects, they disappeared, he said. A Mexican Defense Department spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the videotape was filmed by members of the Mexican Air Force. The spokesman declined to comment further and spoke on customary condition of anonymity. The video was first aired on national television Monday night then again at a news conference Tuesday by Jaime Maussan, a Mexican investigator who has dedicated the past 10 years to studying UFOs. "This is historic news," Maussan told reporters. "Hundreds of videos (of UFOs) exist, but none had the backing of the armed forces of any country. ... The armed forces http://edition.cnn . com/2004/W ORLDIameri cas/O 51111m exi co.ufos. ap/index. html 24/05/?n04 Cl'lli.com - Mexican Air Force pilots film unidentified objects - May 12,2004 Page 2 of2 e don't perpetuate frauds." Maussan said Secretary of Defense Gen. Ricardo Vega Garcia gave him the video on April 22. ...... Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. advertisement Story Tools G SAVE THIS r2] EMA.IL THIS ~ ~ Click Here to try 4 Free ~ r PRINT TH IS ~ "tr MOST POPULAR Trial Issues of Time! WORLD h; m~j~ffl!~\:j) TOP STORIES ~;);~~,,:~~~;':i;j!ii~~~~~:::;~ Paris may level airport Baghdad blast "lis 2 Britons terminal ...... ,...,..,..., i:,.;...... "."W...... :f...... Two killed in Baqhdad blast . Paris terminal may be pulled down . 180 missina in river ferry capsize . N. Korea 'qave Libya uranium' . Sharon to unveil revised withdrawal plan . Sharon proposes revised Gaza. plan CNN us !~ l1gU g~!51R1 On CNN TV E-mail Services CNN Mobile CNN AvantGo CNNtext M SEARCH The Web @ CNN.com 0 L @ 2004 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. All external sites will Opt A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. ~+ CNN.com does not endo Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy auidelines. Contact us. + Denotes premium conte http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/amencas/05/11/mexico.ufos.ap/index.htm) 24/05/2004 Daily Mail, Monday, March 15, 2004 truth, FBI agent Fox Mulder famously claimed, is 'out there'..The X-Files motto "became a creed for the millions who believed in alien visita- tions, abductions, conspiracies and cover-ups. But now,It seems, even though the truth may well be 'out there', no one seems to care."The UFO phenomenon, ~fh'~;~gli~:V.which started nearlyu~'t~r~t~f 60 years cge~~fe ago, reporting s.ightings. Now comes the news that UFO Magazine, one of the most popular publications that carried endless tales of slghtings and other close encounters, is to close down. Two years ago, the British Flying Saucer Bureau - the world's oldest flying saucer club - was shut by its eccentric founder Denis Plunkett, after 49 years. Not only had membership dwindled, so had the number of visitations. So what has happened to UFOs? Why are we not seeing them any more? UFOs were born in the technological white heat and paranoia of the Cold War. Fifty years ago, when food was still rationed and half our cities were still, courtesy of the Luftwaffe, rubblescapes awaiting the planners to do their worst, the skies over these islands were alive with strange lights, cigar-shaped objects and, especialiy, fiying saucers. The spotting craze had begun on June 24, 1947, when American pilot Kenneth Arnold saw a flock of bat-shaped metallic objects skipping through the air 'like a saucer if you skipped it across the water' bored policeman equipped with over the Cascade Mountains flashlights and a loudspeaker. -,,-- east of Seattle. But can we dismiss every s.ingle He soon became a celebrity, as an illus.ion or a case of and despite the fact that the siiP'-tingnustaken Identity? Is it really objects he described were most Impossible that alien spacecraft definitely not saucer-shaped, or people from another shorthand 'flying ~ dimension are visiting the Earth? :~~~:;~f~J'k:r The answer Is no, but one is Soon,people all over the world forced to ask why they would were seeing machines in the sky choose to do this - or at least do that matched the description of the original sighting. Nowhere were they more ~e~.very t~a~~~ea~~~~;~~~g~difficult and that's true for~ common than In the skies over even the most advanced alien. Britain. They were spotted SCIENCE EDITOR It is hard to see why, having performing amazing acrobatics, put all this effort In, they would turning on a sixpence at choose to buzz a remote comer 2000mph and climbing at speeds visited on a regular basis by of the American Mid-West or no missile could emulate. alien visitors. A key tenet of Gloucestershire (another UFO It was perhaps not surprising UFO mythology is that these hotspot) and show themselves that the new fad took off so aliens - often described as to the sort of people no one was quickiy In a country that had rather sinister, grey-skinned going to believe anyway. only recently seen its cities human.oids - will pick on devastated by bizarre flying individuals and kidnap them, machines - Hitler's bombers, usually with the aim of perform- and later the sinister VI and V2 Ing uncomfortable and often rockets that were the prototypes obscene medical experiments. THERE is also the for the spacecraft which later The 'abductee'phenomenon is ANDfact that humans have a travelled to the Moon. big in the U.S. Several thousand long history of seeing people are reported to believe strange things in the that they were taken by aliens, skies. But in the old onIy to have their memories of days, it was not flying saucers these events erased. Only by that people saw. Instead, it was saucers in the using hypnosis and the tricks of angels or other religious visions. FLYINGU.S. burst upon the 'recovered . memory" is the According to 'Ufologist' and . scene at' a time when 'truth' revealed. sceptic Andy Smith, flying there was widesprea a modern the On the other s.ide of the debate saucers are just paranoia about were those who believed that all manifestation of a very old perceived superiority of Soviet phenomenon. ..\!I technoloj!Y. Significantly, when 'The will to believe in the RussIans launched the first ft~~ei'h~t~is He said: hoaxes. So who was right? ~ UFOs comes from the religious in 1957, UFO ~~~~~t satellite, sputnik, s.ightings shot up again. It is true that 99 per cent of all Send a beautiful bouquet for The Russ.ians saw UFOs too. 10 UFO sightings are perfectly g:;~ii~~ ~:'i~\~:In the old days they would have Birds, Venus (the the old Soviet Union, reports of explicable. been the alien spacecraft would come brightest of the planets), reflec- Virgin Mary.' flooding in at times of political tions in car windows. experi- Now the Cold War is over, and Mother's Day-onlyf29 unrest. During the upheavals of mental aircraft and weather we no longer believe that we are the Oorbachev and Yeltsin eras, ballpons probably account for about to be obliterated by Send our 'Blossom' b.ouquet of luxury pink and white roses with majestic the majority of sightings. mysterious SoViet technology. sightings were at an all-time high. fears are more mundane - UFOs were seen by people As for tales of alien abduction, Our white oriental lilies, pink ge'rbera and greenery. Guaranteed quality from all walks of life - pilots and they are almost certainly the pollution and global warming. soldiers, schoolchildren and ramblings of the deluded and The growth in the popularity blooms from Rowers, the UK's favourite postal flower service, and inadequate. Indeed,the 'alien of science fiction - which Rying pensioners. 10 the U.S., a young in the UFO Jimmy Carter even filed a sight- autopsy' video, released in the mirrored the rise guaranteed to arrive by courier, on Friday 18th March of a mysterious object in the 1990s and purporting to show phenomenon - may have also in~skies of his native Georgia. f of a dead alien recovered contributed to its decline. from a supposed UFO crash at As more people associate so they will be in full bloom on Mother's Day. Individually wrapped and Winston Churchill found the aliens with entertaining whole phenomenon bemusing. Roswell, New Mexico in 1947,was space a card with 'What does all this stuff about easily exposet!as a crude forgery. fictions such as The X-Files and carefully packed in a presentation box, accompanied by gift flying saucers amount to?' he The MoD concluded, after 50 Star Wars, the less likely they are asked in a 1951 memo. 'What can years, that the UFO phenome- to take them seriously as fact. your own personal message. Show your love. Call now or order online. it mean?' The Ministry of non was a myth and so, two The Unidentified Flying Defence set up its own 'X-Files' years a\,o, the British X-Files Object will probably go down in unit to investigate. were qwetly closed. history as a unique part {)f late For 50 years, the debate raged. One of Britain's most famous 20th-century culture. For many, 01376 575000 On the one side was the hard- UFO sightings - the appearance this will be a great shame. Please order before noon on "Thursday 17111 March core UFO enthusiasts, whose of a 'spacecraft' over an Ameri- To the diehard true believers, Offer Code: FM4AMAIL and Product Code: UBLM pass.ion for the subject is akin to can Inilitary base at Rendlesham the skies, now empty of flashing quoting religious fervour. Forest in Suffolk, 24 years ago - lights and strange, cigar-shaped These people believed - many was last year reve>!1ed to be an rocketships, will never be quite still do - that the Earth is being ingenIous hoax,perpetrated by a the same again. www.flyingflowers.com/bl m .' -~------:~------.- ---