UFO Nyt - No 3 2008

Magazine Overview

Title: ufo nyt
Issue: Nr. 3
Volume: 50. årg.
Date: 2008
Publisher: Skandinavisk UFO Information (SUFOI)
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish
ISSN: 0049-4976

Content Summary

This issue of ufo nyt focuses on the controversial Bennewitz case and the broader theme of UFO cover-ups and disinformation, framed by the idea of a "crazy, crazy world" where reality and conspiracy theories blur.

"Ført bag lyset" (Led Astray)

The cover story details the experiences of Paul Bennewitz, an electronics expert living in New Mexico. In the winter of 1979, he began observing strange, multicolored lights near the Manzano Weapons Storage Complex. Over time, he collected hundreds of photographs and 8mm films of these objects, which sometimes disappeared and reappeared with incredible speed. Bennewitz believed these were not terrestrial phenomena and intended to present his findings to authorities. The article highlights the Manzano Mountains' significance as a heavily guarded, underground nuclear weapons storage facility, riddled with tunnels and bunkers.

"En skør, skør verden" (A Crazy, Crazy World) - Editorial

In the editorial, editor Kim Møller Hansen reflects on Mette Lisby's column about conspiracy theories, prompted by the declassification of British UFO reports. Hansen notes that while these reports lacked sensationalism, they fueled conspiracy theories about government cover-ups. He argues that conspiracy theories stem from a deep-seated need to explain why bad things happen, offering a sense of order and control. However, he emphasizes that while these theories can be signs of imaginative thinking, they often lack grounding in reality. The editorial introduces the Bennewitz case as an example where alleged government actions seemed to validate conspiracy theories, suggesting that intelligence agencies might have used UFO phenomena to conceal secret military equipment testing.

The Bennewitz Case: A Deeper Dive

The article "Ført bag lyset" elaborates on Paul Bennewitz's story. His observations intensified, and he began receiving coded radio messages suggesting that alien beings were establishing underground bases and had made a deal with the US government: they could abduct humans in exchange for advanced technology. Bennewitz, a physicist, founded Thunder Scientific Corporation, which supplied high-tech equipment to NASA and the US Air Force. His belief in alien involvement grew, fueled by stories of abductions and implants. He became convinced that intelligence agencies, including AFOSI, CIA, and NSA, were orchestrating these events to drive him mad, discredit UFO researchers, and distract from the testing of secret military equipment.

Bennewitz's theories became increasingly elaborate, involving multiple alien races, their plans to take over Earth, and failed agreements with the US government. He documented his findings in a report called "Project Beta." His paranoia escalated, leading him to believe his family was in danger. He installed security measures at his home and eventually suffered a mental breakdown, requiring hospitalization in August 1988. He passed away in 2003, with his final years reportedly being peaceful.

The Role of Intelligence Agencies and Disinformation

The magazine details how intelligence agents, particularly Richard Doty from AFOSI, allegedly manipulated Bennewitz. Doty and others visited Bennewitz, examined his evidence, and invited him to Kirtland Air Force Base, even providing him with $75,000 for research. This support, despite the government's official denial of UFO existence, is presented as a tactic to control Bennewitz and his research.

Doty's career trajectory is outlined, showing his eventual transfer from AFOSI due to suspicions of fabricating reports. He later became a key figure in spreading disinformation within the UFO community. The article highlights the "Aquarius Document," allegedly given to Bennewitz by Doty, which first mentioned "MJ-12," a supposed secret committee dealing with UFOs. This document is presented as a fabrication designed to mislead.

Bill Moore, co-author of "The Roswell Incident," is portrayed as a collaborator with Doty. Their alleged agreement involved Moore spreading disinformation in exchange for access to government UFO secrets. Moore later confessed to his role in the Bennewitz case, expressing regret and hoping to prevent others from being similarly manipulated.

The "MJ-12" Documents and the Roswell Incident

The issue touches upon the MJ-12 documents, which Moore, along with Jaime Shandera and Stanton Friedman, publicly released in 1987. These documents, characterized by typographical errors, are presented as part of the disinformation campaign.

Alternative Explanations

Greg Bishop, author of "Project Beta - The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth," is cited. Bishop suggests that Bennewitz might have photographed early prototypes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which were highly classified military projects. The intelligence agencies, upon realizing Bennewitz's interest and ability to decode communications related to these experiments, allegedly decided to mislead him, directing his attention to Dulce and discrediting him and other UFO enthusiasts with outlandish alien stories.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently questions the official narratives surrounding UFO phenomena, suggesting a pattern of government secrecy and manipulation. It highlights how intelligence agencies may have used the public's fascination with UFOs and conspiracy theories to conceal advanced military technology and operations. The editorial stance is critical of unsubstantiated claims but aims to present available facts, encouraging readers to critically assess information and understand the complex interplay between genuine sightings, disinformation, and the creation of UFO myths. The issue underscores the difficulty in ascertaining the absolute truth when government agencies are involved in managing information.

This issue of UFO-NYT, dated 3/2008, focuses on the opening of UFO archives and the controversial Disclosure Project. The cover headline, "Flere arkiver åbnes" (More Archives Open), highlights the release of British UFO files, while another prominent article discusses Steven Greer's "Disclosure Project."

British UFO Archives Released

The article "UFO-arkiver" details the public release of parts of the British Ministry of Defence's UFO archives in May 2008. Over a four-year period, the ministry is set to declassify all UFO reports from 1978 to the present. The initial release includes eight files, covering the period from 1978 to 1987, which are available on The National Archives' website. David Clarke, a consultant for The National Archives and a PhD in folklore, provides an introduction to these files. While many expect sensational revelations, the article suggests that the material, though of historical interest, may not contain major surprises. The files are noted for being presented in negative format (white text on black background), making them difficult to read and print. The article also mentions that these files can be downloaded for a fee after the initial free period.

Dr. David Clarke discusses the contents and background of these new files via a podcast on The National Archives' website, which also features a video with Nick Pope showcasing some of the archive material.

From the Bizarre to the Serious

Despite the potential for serious investigation, the media in Denmark and abroad focused on the more bizarre aspects of the reports, such as accounts of alien encounters. One notable report details a British woman's six-year relationship with an ET named Algur, which ended when Algur was killed. Other citizens have provided lengthy descriptions of alien beings and spacecraft. Another account from 1983 describes aliens encountered by a 78-year-old woman on a fishing trip. The archives also contain reports of unusual aerial objects, such as one observed by pub patrons in Tunbridge Wells in 1982 with green and red flashing lights.

Much of the declassified material consists of correspondence from the public to government officials, including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. David Clarke points out that while many reports are not particularly exciting, some are of interest, though he notes that even the more interesting ones do not appear to have been thoroughly investigated.

Crop Circles in the Archives

Surprisingly, the released files also include reports on English crop circles. One report from August 1985 details a crop circle in Hampshire, photographed from the air and ground. The Army Air Corps noted the unusual pattern and the lack of footprints. The military's interest in crop circles fueled speculation about a government cover-up. A D155 employee in December 1985 noted an unusual event related to crop circles but concluded it was not a security concern, suggesting mini-tornadoes as a possible explanation.

Years later, Doug and Dave publicly admitted to creating many of the crop circles using primitive methods.

The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction

This section focuses on the Betty and Barney Hill abduction case, with a conference held in September 2000 near the site of the alleged event in New Hampshire. The conference, organized by Karl Pflock and Peter Brookesmith, featured discussions by various researchers, including Robert Sheaffer, Dennis Stacey, Eddie Bullard, Hilary Evans, Greg Sandow, Marcello Truzzi, Joe Firmage, and Betty Hill's niece, Kathleen Marden.

The article highlights new research and interpretations of the Hill's account. Dennis Stacey's analysis suggests a more plausible version of the story, pointing out overlooked details like Barney Hill grabbing a .22 pistol. Marcello Truzzi questions the validity of the evidence presented in the Hill case, asking if it would hold up in a criminal trial.

Psychological and Societal Interpretations

Several contributors offer psychological and psychosocial interpretations of the abduction. Hilary Evans uses various accounts to illustrate how people can have different perceptions of events. Peter Brookesmith and Martin Kottmeyer explore the mythical significance and cultural sources of the reports. Greg Sandow's contribution is noted as omitted from the published book.

Robert Sheaffer's skeptical arguments are analyzed, with some suggesting they have weaknesses. The article questions the human-like characteristics of the aliens described by the Hills, such as having books and maps, and their technology being outdated. It is argued that if the aliens possessed advanced translation and memory-wiping technology, they would understand human psychology better, making the abduction scenario less logical.

The article posits that the Hill's story may be a product of their imagination, reflecting their everyday lives, hopes, and fears. It also delves into the societal context of the time, noting that Betty and Barney Hill were an interracial couple, which was unusual in 1960s New Hampshire and likely brought them significant social pressure. Betty's strong personality and higher social status compared to Barney are also discussed as potential factors.

Barney's experiences are interpreted as stemming from intense stress, possibly related to his divorce and the social pressures of his interracial marriage. The article suggests that his later struggles with alcoholism might be linked to the events of that night.

The presence of the pistol is discussed, with the author speculating it might indicate Barney felt threatened. The article also explores the possibility that the "examination" described by the Hills could be a misinterpretation of a more mundane event, such as Barney urinating and defecating in his pants out of panic.

The article contrasts Barney's fear of being enslaved with Betty's more assertive vision of the aliens. It suggests that the "alien" theme might reflect societal anxieties related to the history of Anglo-American slavery, where humans were reduced to sub-human status. The "medical examination" and "fertility tests" are interpreted as symbolic of the auction block during slave trade.

Betty and Barney Hill's Own Account

The article recounts the night of September 19-20, 1961, when Betty and Barney Hill were driving home and observed a bright light that followed their car. They stopped to investigate and saw a "disc-shaped object." Barney exited the car, and the object descended. He described seeing figures in black uniforms behind windows. Betty panicked, and they drove away at high speed. Upon arriving home, they realized two hours had passed unaccountably.

Following the incident, Barney suffered from insomnia and anxiety, while Betty experienced nightmares. They sought help from Dr. Benjamin Simon, a Boston psychiatrist specializing in hypnosis, who conducted therapy over six months. Under hypnosis, the "missing time" was explained: the couple heard beeping sounds, drove to a clearing, and were taken aboard the craft where they were examined. This examination included taking samples of hair, fingernails, and skin scrapings from Betty, and a semen sample from Barney. They were then returned to their car, and the beeping sounds resumed.

Post-Abduction Life and Interpretations

Kathleen Marden, Betty Hill's niece, published a book in 2007 titled "Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience." The book is noted for its aggressive defense of the Hills' account, while also confirming that Barney was a man under great stress. A weakness of the book is identified as mixing Betty's original account with details that emerged years later under hypnosis. The book also suggests Betty had difficulty distinguishing between a landed spaceship and a streetlamp, and that she lost her sense of reality after Barney's death in 1969.

However, the article presents a letter from Betty dated April 4, 1966, describing an encounter with "friends" (aliens) near Cannon Mountain, which is strikingly similar to their first encounter in 1961. This observation is presented as evidence that Betty's experiences continued.

The article notes that the abduction experience described by the Hills became a template for subsequent UFO abduction reports. The alien described by Barney under hypnosis, with its eyes and demeanor, matched an alien featured in the TV series "The Outer Limits" episode "The Bellero Shield," which aired 12 days after the Hills' report.

Steven Greer and the Disclosure Project

Steven Greer, a former emergency physician, is the driving force behind the "Disclosure Project," which aims to expose a supposed cover-up of UFO phenomena by the US government and military. In 2001, Greer organized a conference in Washington, D.C., where numerous individuals shared their UFO experiences to pressure politicians and the military into investigating the mystery.

Greer founded the "Disclosure Project" in 1993, asserting that non-terrestrials are real and have peaceful intentions. He also established "Project Starlight" to research scientific evidence for UFOs. Greer, born in 1955, lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and four daughters. He recounts his first UFO sighting in the early 1960s as an eight or nine-year-old boy, seeing a disk-shaped, windowless object hovering silently.

Contact and Communication

In 1991, Greer founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI), which goes beyond SETI by aiming to communicate with non-terrestrials, believing they are already present on Earth. Greer uses the term "Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind" (CE-5) to describe initiating mutual communication with these beings.

New Energies and Courses

In July 2007, Greer launched the Advanced Energy Research Organization (AERO) to develop new energy sources as alternatives to environmentally harmful ones. CSETI also offers courses for individuals to become "Ambassadors in the Universe," attempting to make contact with non-terrestrials. These week-long courses, costing $995, are held in North Carolina, Colorado, and California, with some already fully booked.

The application for these courses requires participants to declare they are psychologically sound and willing to engage with non-terrestrials, even if it means extended absences from family and work. Participants are also expected to have read Greer's books, though they are cautioned not to expect definitive proof of alien existence.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics accuse Greer's initiatives of being akin to new-age courses, designed to retain his supporters. His 2001 conference was described as more like an "X-Files" episode than a serious debate, fueling conspiracy theories. Greer claims that the electromagnetic propulsion of UFOs was discovered in the 1940s and 1950s but has been suppressed by high-ranking officials.

One of Greer's more controversial claims, from June 1997, involved a supposed mental communication with non-terrestrials who reported being subjected to a gas attack by US military forces near Mount Blanca, Colorado. This information, initially posted on CSETI's website, was later removed. Following this claim, Greer reportedly changed his approach and received help from ufologist Steve Moreno, who downplayed the gas attack incident.

Greer is known for not being meticulous in verifying his sources. He gained fame through TV series like "Sightings," where he and his followers would go on excursions to the desert to telepathically contact non-terrestrials.

Apollo astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who initially collaborated with Greer, eventually distanced himself, citing Greer's tendency to overinterpret information. Despite Mitchell's request to be disassociated, his information remains on Greer's websites.

On May 9, 2001, about twenty military personnel and former government officials came forward with information about UFO sightings. Greer organized this press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which was broadcast online to an estimated 250,000 users. Speakers included George A. Filer III, Clifford Stone, and Daniel Sheehan.

"Secret Government"

Followers of the Disclosure Project express deep mistrust of authorities. Daniel Sheehan, for instance, was shown peculiar photos of a non-terrestrial craft examined by the US military in 1977. He became known as a left-wing activist in the late 1960s and early 1970s and supported Greer's call to dismantle the arms industry. He joined the Christic Institute in 1980, which made controversial claims, including that the CIA formed a "secret government" responsible for assassinations and that the CIA was behind the murder of John F. Kennedy.

Greer and his supporters believe there is substantial evidence for the existence of non-terrestrials, but this information is allegedly suppressed by a "military-industrial complex" involved in developing advanced weapons systems, possibly as a defense against non-terrestrial threats. Greer estimates that 200-300 individuals in the administration are aware of these secrets.

"Free Energy" Promises

For years, Greer has promised "free energy," derived from a perpetual motion machine that extracts energy from the vacuum of space. In a February 2003 radio interview, he claimed to have seen such a device, calling it the "most important discovery in history." However, by April 15, the development of this apparatus was reportedly halted, and Greer invited others to propose devices for free energy and anti-gravity.

As of the publication date, searches for "free energy" online reveal that Greer's promise remains unfulfilled.

SUFOI's Opinion on the Disclosure Project

SUFOI (Scandinavian UFO Information) is frequently asked about its stance on the Disclosure Project. The organization states that it does not make a big deal of the project because it has not produced any results. Furthermore, SUFOI considers Steven Greer to be untrustworthy, as indicated by the article written by Andreas Ohlsson.

At the Disclosure Project's press conference in 2001, about twenty witnesses presented their accounts. Clifford Stone, one of Greer's key witnesses, claimed that Earth is currently visited by 57 different races of ufonaunts. However, even in the US, where conspiracy theories are prevalent, the project has not garnered widespread support. One American ufologist commented that Greer and his group had not properly investigated their claims, potentially making the UFO community appear unreliable.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores themes of government secrecy, alleged cover-ups of UFO phenomena, and the search for truth. It presents various perspectives, from skeptical analyses to accounts of alleged alien encounters and abductions. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, presenting information from different sources while also highlighting criticisms and controversies surrounding prominent figures and projects in the UFO field, such as Steven Greer and the Betty and Barney Hill case.

This issue of UFO-NYT, dated 3/2008, is titled 'MJ-12 sagen' and features a cover story titled 'Hæren som forsvandt i historiens tåge' (The Army That Disappeared into the Mists of History). The magazine is published by UFO-NYT and is in Danish.

The Gallipoli Disappearance: The 1/4 Norfolks Mystery

The main article investigates one of the most peculiar disappearances in history, allegedly occurring at Gallipoli, Turkey, in 1915 during World War I. This event, which took place on a third front where British and French forces attempted to relieve pressure on the Western and Eastern fronts, has been the subject of numerous books and articles.

During a prolonged battle where the Turkish army had dug in and the British were attacking repeatedly, an incident reportedly occurred that was witnessed by some soldiers from New Zealand. While some accounts mention 22 soldiers, it is more likely that only three were directly involved in witnessing the event. The core of the story is that hundreds of soldiers from the '1/4 Norfolks regiment' were seen disappearing into a strange fog on the battlefield during the fighting at Suvla Bay.

The story of what happened was first publicly shared during a 50-year anniversary meeting in 1965, attended by New Zealand veterans of World War I. At this meeting, ufologist Gordon Tuckey was present and took notes. He also asked three involved engineer soldiers to write down their experiences.

One of these soldiers, Frederick Reichart, recounted that on the morning of August 28, 1915, from a hill called Rhododendrum Spur, he observed six to eight clouds shaped like discs, all grey, hovering over an area known as Hill 60. Hill 60 had been captured by Turkish forces and was repeatedly attacked by the Allies. What Reichart found peculiar was that despite the wind, the clouds did not move. One cloud was particularly close to the ground, and Reichart estimated it to be 250 meters long, 60 meters high, and equally wide. From their vantage point, over two kilometers away from this unusual cloud, the soldiers watched as an entire British regiment began a march towards Hill 60.

Reichart described the scene: "We had a perfect view of this cloud and the others hovering slightly above the ground. It was light grey like the other clouds." He then described what happened 50 years later: "When they reached the cloud, they marched right into it without the slightest hesitation. But none of them came out the other side to continue towards Hill 60. About an hour later, when the rear soldiers had disappeared into the cloud, the cloud rose into the air and joined the other clouds. When we looked at them again, all the clouds looked the same, like berries. The group of clouds had hovered in the same place during the entire observation, but as soon as the single cloud – the one that came from the ground – reached their level, they all began to move north. After 45 minutes, all had disappeared from sight."

In the Empty Air

Reichart identified the regiment that had disappeared as the 1/4 Norfolks. His description was corroborated by two other soldiers, R. Newnes and J. L. Newman. According to Reichart, one of the first demands the British made to Turkey after the 1918 armistice was to hand over the captured soldiers. However, the Turkish response was that they had no such prisoners, implying the soldiers had vanished into thin air.

Reichart's account was first published in a small New Zealand UFO magazine called "Spaceview" and later appeared in author Brad Steiger's book "Strangers from the Skies" in 1966. By then, the number of witnesses had allegedly increased from three to 22, and the number of missing soldiers had grown to between 800 and 4,000. In reality, the 1/4 Norfolks consisted of 266 officers and soldiers, suggesting it could not have taken an hour for them to march into the 'cloud' as Reichart claimed.

Steiger revisited the incident in his 1967 book "Flying Saucers are Hostile," where he estimated the missing men to be 250, which is still not a full regiment.

The first time this incident was reported in a Swedish magazine was in "Hemmets Journal" in May 1975, in a series titled "What Should One Believe?" under the headline "An Entire Regiment Disappeared Without a Trace." This article was based on ufologist Jacques Vallée's book "Passport to Magonia," which reproduced Reichart's signed testimony.

Professor and ufologist David Clarke from England has taken a keen interest in the Gallipoli incident. By examining war diaries from 1915, he suggests that Reichart likely confused the 1/4 Norfolks with the 1/5 Norfolks. Both battalions arrived in the war zone on August 10, just a few weeks before the incident. Just two days later, most of the soldiers in the 1/5 Norfolks were reportedly killed when their officer, Horace Proctor-Beauchamp, led 16 officers and 250 men against the Turks in broad daylight. This resulted in a massacre, with eyewitnesses reporting that the battalion entered the woods, but "none of them ever returned." After the war, a British graves commission found traces of some men from the 1/5 Norfolk, and shortly thereafter, a mass grave was discovered containing the remains of Horace Proctor-Beauchamp and 180 others.

The 1/4 Norfolks, on the other hand, passed through the Gallipoli campaign unharmed. Their war diaries indicate that they survived the battles at Gallipoli and continued in active service until the end of the war. They did not disappear into a mysterious cloud.

War diaries also reveal other witnesses to an incident on August 12, including Brigadier Major Villiers Stuart. Through binoculars, he observed the Norfolks attacking. Stuart described how the battalion attacked the Turks without support, and how the Turks counter-attacked. "When it became too dark for me to follow the combat, I feared they had been wiped out," he wrote shortly after the incident.

Witnesses to the Attack

The question arises as to why the New Zealand soldiers, 50 years later, would confuse the two battalions. One answer is the passage of time. Historian Nigel McCrery, who has researched the incident, believes the battle the soldiers remember took place on August 21, 1915, when British troops advanced through a "pearl-colored fog" against a superior enemy. Another soldier who survived Gallipoli, Gerald Wilde, recounted in 1966 his experience of the attack on Hill 60 on August 12, but without seeing any mysterious cloud. However, he did recall a rumor that a group of soldiers from the Sherwood Rangers had "disappeared without a trace in a cloud of smoke."

The definitive answer regarding the fate of the 1/5 Norfolks is found in a report submitted by the commission for the investigation of the Gallipoli case in 1916, which remained secret until 1965. This report described a "strange fog" on August 21 that hindered the advantage the British had hoped to gain by utilizing the blinding evening sun to dazzle the Turks. "During the attack, we could hardly see the enemy," the report stated.

David Clarke suggests that the rumor might have become mixed with a real event, as the wording and expressions indicate. "The troops they saw marching into the strange fog were likely the Sherwood Rangers, but in the fog of war, their identity became confused with the 1/5 Norfolks, who participated in an attack a week earlier," he writes.

Considering that there were 34,000 British and Allied soldiers in Gallipoli, and many never received a named grave, the disappearance of a few hundred soldiers might not be particularly noteworthy.

Discovery in a Mass Grave

Historian Nigel McCrery also writes in his book "The Vanishing Battalion" that the fate of the 1/5 Norfolks has been deliberately obscured by the British since 1919. This was partly to hide the military-strategic blunder that cost men their lives, and partly to avoid revealing a war crime committed by the Turks. Many of the men found in the mass grave had indeed been executed, shot in the head. One of the few survivors of the massacre recounted, shortly before his death in 1969, how he had witnessed the executions.

There are several reasons to make the fate of the 1/5 Norfolks more mysterious than it likely was. Several of them were friends with King George V, and the military would certainly have preferred the King to believe they had died an honorable death in battle – rather than being cold-bloodedly executed by the enemy.

The False MJ-12 Documents

It is not surprising that this intriguing story has attracted the attention of ufologists worldwide. Of particular interest in this context is a document, allegedly written by the secret MJ-12 group, which surfaced in 1998 (in the "1st Annual Report") and contained a reference to the disappearance of the 1/4 Norfolks. The MJ-12 document was dated 1952.

This very detail reveals that the alleged MJ-12 document is itself a forgery. It states that "on August 12, 1915, members of the New Zealand Army's First Field Company signed affidavits stating that they saw the 1/4 Norfolks regiment disappear..." In reality, this document did not exist until 1965, which is 13 years after it was supposedly written according to the MJ-12 document.

In this way, the Gallipoli story has become yet another nail in the coffin of the forged MJ-12 documents.

New Books

"Flying Saucers and Science" by Stanton T. Friedman

The magazine reviews "Flying Saucers and Science" by Stanton T. Friedman, a book that claims to provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific facts about flying saucers and present data from large-scale scientific UFO studies. The reviewer, Kim Møller Hansen, is highly critical of Friedman's work, stating that it offers no scientific evidence and relies on unsubstantiated claims and personal attacks against critics. Friedman, an atomic physicist, is accused of presenting himself as an authority while acting unscientifically.

The review notes that Friedman's arguments often stem from his belief that UFO sightings are objective evidence of extraterrestrial visitation, ignoring psychological and sociological factors that can influence perception. For example, Friedman interprets any sighting of a strong light in the sky as an alien spacecraft, dismissing alternative explanations like rocket stages burning up. Similarly, Betty Hill's account of a star map seen during an alleged abduction is taken as proof of alien visitors from the Zeta Reticuli system.

The reviewer concludes that the book fails to change one's perspective on UFOs and criticizes the simplistic 'evidence' presented, questioning if such logic would convince someone that the Earth is flat or that smoking is healthy.

"Stora boken om NATURFENOMEN" by Clas Svahn

Another book reviewed is "Stora boken om NATURFENOMEN" (The Big Book of Natural Phenomena) by Clas Svahn, chairman of UFO-Sverige. This book, written in Swedish, details various natural phenomena such as circular, rotating ice floes, ball lightning, sun dogs, and will-o'-the-wisps. The reviewer, Ole Henningsen, expresses initial enthusiasm, which is sustained throughout his review.

Svahn, a journalist and author, has interviewed many people who have experienced or witnessed unusual natural events. The book covers phenomena related to ice and snow, including the peculiar rotating ice floes, which have been sensationalized in UFO and crop circle circles. It also explains how gas emissions from lakebeds in winter can create the impression of something falling from the sky and making holes in the ice, noting that no meteorites or other celestial debris have ever been found in connection with these holes.

The book is praised for its detailed notes and documentation, with references to sources, including personal interviews with observers and researchers. It also covers phenomena like lightning, ball lightning, moving stones in deserts, floating islands, and unusual cloud formations. The reviewer notes that not all phenomena are explained, which adds to the book's credibility. The book contains numerous illustrations and photographs.

While the book is primarily focused on Swedish phenomena, the reviewer suggests that its unusual content could merit translation into other languages, including Danish.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of UFO-NYT appears to focus on debunking sensational UFO claims and historical mysteries by grounding them in factual research and critical analysis. The main article on the Gallipoli disappearance exemplifies this by presenting a plausible, non-extraterrestrial explanation for the event, highlighting the confusion of similar incidents and the role of time in distorting memories. The review of Stanton T. Friedman's book further reinforces this stance by strongly criticizing his unscientific approach and lack of evidence. The inclusion of a review for a book on natural phenomena suggests an interest in unexplained events, but with a preference for scientific or naturalistic explanations over speculative ones. The editorial stance seems to be one of skepticism towards unsubstantiated UFO claims and a commitment to rigorous historical and scientific investigation.