UAPs: government investigations and independent examinations

[C C]

But he's not critical in the pro-paranormal way that UAP buffs might like.
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Mick West skeptical of the DoD’s recent investigations into aerial mysteries
https://thedebrief.org/this-well-kn...vestigations-into-aerial-mysteries-heres-why/

EXCERPTS: According to its report, AARO’s team labeled the case “Resolved” after the official government office tasked with the investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena—objects traditionally known as UFOs—concluded that the craft in the images had likely been some kind of lighter-than-air object. In other words, it was most probable that the object was a balloon.

[...] Yet from the outset, there were problems with AARO’s analysis .... The problems with AARO’s analysis weren’t overlooked by Mick West...

[...] Continuing the dialogue in a thread on the Metabunk forum, West noted on April 24, 2023, that some of AARO’s analysis still “seems a bit of a stretch.”

[...] The Debrief reached out to West regarding his views on AARO’s analysis of the Eglin UAP case, as well as other issues... For West, the lighting balloon theory falls short of offering a definitive resolution for the case, as do several of AARO’s other recent assertions....

[...] Asked if he felt that it would be helpful for independent analysts to review at least some of the additional data that was available to AARO investigators, West said that this might not only make AARO’s job easier, but it could potentially improve their analysis in significant ways...

[...] One primary issue is that AARO, by virtue of its job within the government, often has to work with classified information related to various technologies and military operations. This limits its ability to properly communicate its findings and how much it can reveal about the experts and kinds of analysis from these three teams being employed in AARO’s investigations.

[...] West shares some of those concerns about the mistakes in AARO’s recent publications, which he feels point to why independent analysis by civilian researchers is important.

“AARO should have had the report fact-checked and edited,” West told The Debrief. “They messed up.”

“They have multiple teams of highly paid people working with them, and they have done some good work. But putting out a report with lots of minor errors makes them look bad and casts doubt on their broader conclusions, such as the circular conversations leading up to the Kona Blue proposal and stories about crash retrievals.” (MORE - missing details)
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[C C]

We may know a whole lot more about UFOs soon

We May Know a Whole Lot More About UFOs Soon

A new law could force the government to share what it knows about those strange lights in the sky.

gizmodo.com

EXCERPTS: Due to a stipulation inside the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the federal government is now required to share any and all internal reports on the subject of unidentified flying objects with the National Archives, which will then (eventually) share those reports with the public.

The law in question would create an ‘‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection” that would ostensibly include any and all historical records that exist about the UFO subject...

[...] Does this mean that the truth that was out there will soon be on display in the halls of our nation’s historical preservation agency? ... Actually, it seems almost certain that whatever is about to come out will be slightly disappointing to the UFO community’s most fervent true believers.... (MORE - details)
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[C C]

The unidentified flying circus comes to town

UFOs: The unidentified flying circus comes to town - The Skeptic

The public face of ufology is more akin to a circus than any scientific endeavour, argues Australian author, Ben Harris.

www.skeptic.org.uk

EXCERPTS: Every now and then, the circus comes to town. The clowns and the strongmen; the sideshows and illusions. The same is true with the field of ufology; every now and then the circus comes to town...

[...] Intense periods of interest in UFOs (called ‘flaps’), occur every 10 to 15 years – each and every time proposing ... the claim of a government cover up. ... and, as recently seen, can even force a response from the Pentagon. It’s not the first time the US Government has reacted and responded...

[...] This time around, the circus has offered what they considered irrefutable evidence: ‘real’ video footage ... All genuine military footage. Added in are recycled claims from former UFO personalities ... They’ve also collected an impressive list of whistleblowers who claim inside knowledge of the supposedly secret US Government ‘alien retrieval programs’...

[...] these new faces of the industry seem more concerned with sensationalism and looking good on camera. Thus, I think the term, ‘UFO Entrepreneur’ is a more accurate definition.

[...] It is no wonder that the UFO front-liners have objected so vehemently to the latest report (February, 2024), from the body they insisted be established (AARO) to objectively examine the ‘evidence’ they hold so precious... [Historical record report]

[...] The alternate theory I offer, that the UFO industry is show business – and miles from a scientific endeavor – is falsifiable. You can prove me wrong. All it will take is one article of proof that we can all agree is of alien manufacture or biology. Just one shred of evidence and you’ll blow my theory to smithereens. That’s all we skeptics having been asking over the past 75 years...

[...] The ring-leaders of this intergalactic circus ... claim to be aware of a downed alien spacecraft ... “Big. It’s big. So big they built a building over it”, says Ross Coulthart, during a Project Unity podcast. “It’s in a country outside the United States of America… I know this sounds preposterous… Let’s see this investigated… Let’s test these allegations before Congress.”

No, Ross, why don’t you simply reveal the location? You and your fellow tale-spinners will have the biggest story of all time. You will prove the ET hypothesis, and will no longer have to needlessly wrestle with Congress or AARO. It would be easy, just show your hand... (MORE - missing details)
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[DaveC426913]

... Actually, it seems almost certain that whatever is about to come out will be slightly disappointing to the UFO community’s most fervent true believers....

Will it? Or will they double down with "the cover up runs even deeper than we thought!"

 

[Yazata]

Mick West skeptical of the DoD’s recent investigations into aerial mysteries
https://thedebrief.org/this-well-kn...vestigations-into-aerial-mysteries-heres-why/

EXCERPTS: According to its report, AARO’s team labeled the case “Resolved” after the official government office tasked with the investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena—objects traditionally known as UFOs—concluded that the craft in the images had likely been some kind of lighter-than-air object. In other words, it was most probable that the object was a balloon.

[...] Yet from the outset, there were problems with AARO’s analysis .... The problems with AARO’s analysis weren’t overlooked by Mick West...

[...] Continuing the dialogue in a thread on the Metabunk forum, West noted on April 24, 2023, that some of AARO’s analysis still “seems a bit of a stretch.”

[...] The Debrief reached out to West regarding his views on AARO’s analysis of the Eglin UAP case, as well as other issues... For West, the lighting balloon theory falls short of offering a definitive resolution for the case, as do several of AARO’s other recent assertions....

[...] Asked if he felt that it would be helpful for independent analysts to review at least some of the additional data that was available to AARO investigators, West said that this might not only make AARO’s job easier, but it could potentially improve their analysis in significant ways...

I agree with Mick West!!!!!! (This just in! Hell feezing over!!) Don't worry, Mick. I'm only agreeing this one time.

 

[Yazata]

We may know a whole lot more about UFOs soon

We May Know a Whole Lot More About UFOs Soon

A new law could force the government to share what it knows about those strange lights in the sky.

gizmodo.com

EXCERPTS: Due to a stipulation inside the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the federal government is now required to share any and all internal reports on the subject of unidentified flying objects with the National Archives, which will then (eventually) share those reports with the public.

The UAP provisions can be found on pp. 564-571 of this 973 page document. (The blue text below is quoted from the bill, the rest is my paraphrase and commentary.)

https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr2670/BILLS-118hr2670enr.pdf

While the federal government is (theoretically) required to share all of its UAP reports with the National Archives, the National Archives is not required to then share them with the public:

"(2) Security of Records - The National Security Program Office at the National Archives, in consultation with the National Archives Information Security Oversight Office, shall establish a program to ensure the security of the postponed unidentified anomalous phenomena records in the protected, and yet to be disclosed or classified portion of the Collection." (565-6)

So they might end up being just as resistant to revealing their cases as the government is now, except that the resistance will be centralized in the spookier sections of the National Archives. (Remember that giant warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark?)

But the legislation does seemingly give oversight over these records to selected House and Senate committees. (566) (The Armed Services and Intelligence committees of both houses, along with the House Oversight committee and the Senate Homeland Security committee.)

Government agencies are forbidden from withholding, deleting or destroying UAP records prior to their transmission to the Archive. No reports originating outside the US government may be withheld, redacted or "postponed", except for redacting names and contact information consisent with the privacy acts. (566)

I don't really believe that one. I'm sure that if foreign militaries share their sightings with us, the Americans wouldn't just reveal the technical details of our allies' radars etc. (Especially when we might be using essentially the same equipment.) That probably falls under the national security and foreign relations exceptions to disclosure, which might prove to be very elastic.

The National Archive is to give precedence to reviewing and releasing UAP reports not previously made public, ...

all records that most unambiguously and definitively pertain to unidentified anomalous phenomena, technologies of unknown origin, and non-human intelligence;

and reports subject to current FOIA actions. (567)

But any reports suggesting unknown technologies or nonhuman intelligence would almost certainly fall into the classified and "postponed" category, and hence wouldn't be made public, I think that the intent in the legislation is to give Congress access to this material through classified briefings in the SCIF.

And the following

(B) Unclassified Written Description of Reason - All postponed unidentified anomalous phenomena records determined to require continued postponement shall require an unclassified written description of the reason for such continued postponement relevant to these specific records. Such description shall be provided to the Archivist and published in the Federal Register upon determination...

(D) Deadline for Full Disclosure - Each unidentified anomalous phenomena record shall be publicly disclosed in full, and available in the Collection, not later than the date that is 25 years after the date of the first creation of the record by the originating body, unless the President certifies that ---
(i) continued postponement is made necessary by an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement or conduct of foreign relations, and
(ii) the identifiable harm is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure. (569)

I expect all (B) will generate will be a long list of report numbers, followed by a boilerplate 'release would endanger national security'. (D) provides a giant Presidential exception to the 25 year public disclosure requirement, though it would require the President being given access to secrets judged too sensitive (by whom?) for even the President to know.

Does this mean that the truth that was out there will soon be on display in the halls of our nation’s historical preservation agency? ... Actually, it seems almost certain that whatever is about to come out will be slightly disappointing to the UFO community’s most fervent true believers....

I think that the writer CC is quoting revealed his own personal bias there.

But he might be right. If the Archives keep the best cases highly classified, it might be a big nothing. If all UAP video remain top secret as it is now, if radar and other instrumental confirmation details go in the classified bin, then the best corroborated cases will be excluded by default. There's the 25 year thing, but radars and other instruments in 1999 used many technologies still in use today, so there will probably be pressure to maintain the classifications of these older reports as well.

We might get a bunch of interesting 1950's reports. Or maybe not, if it's believed they reveal too much about a phenomenon that's continuing today and that might have national security implications.

 

[Magical Realist]

France is apparently way ahead of everybody else when it comes to government research into uaps.
We need to play catch up. All the governments of our planet need to sit down together and compare their data with each other. The uap phenomenon is global in its extent and universal in its implications and shows no signs of going away any time soon.