AFU Newsletter - No 23 - 1982

Magazine Overview

This issue of the AFU Newsletter, number 23, published in January-April 1982, focuses on critical analysis of UFO reports and the challenges of UFO research, particularly in relation to freedom of information and state control.

Editorial: Too Much Freedom and Too Little

Anders Liljegren, the editor, discusses the contrasting approaches to UFO research publication in the West (American 'capitalist' model) versus the Soviet Union ('communist' way). He argues for the former, allowing even potentially false data to be published, as it allows for open discussion and correction, unlike the Soviet system which suppresses amateur interest. He expresses concern that moralists might become future controllers of data, deciding what cases are admitted for study. The editorial highlights the difficulties faced by individuals like Juri Lina in the Soviet Union.

The Scandinavian Saucer Scare That Never Existed...

This extensive article by Y.S. Jonsson is critically examined by Anders Liljegren, who labels it an "elaborate hoax on ufology." The article in question, published in the American magazine 'UFO Report,' allegedly details a "supersonic saucer chase" involving Swedish Air Force jets. Liljegren systematically debunks the claims made in the 'UFO Report' article, pointing out fabricated details, non-existent sources, and misrepresentations of Swedish UFO history and experts.

Key points of contention include:

• The Draken Jet Chase: The 'UFO Report' claims a chase on December 11, 1978, involving two Draken fighters and a torpedo-shaped UFO. Liljegren states that while reports of Swedish jet fighters chasing UFOs exist, this specific account is fabricated. He notes the 'UFO Report' article's description of a panicked conversation between pilots and the alleged involvement of a staff officer from "Försvarets Expeditions" (a non-existent entity).
• The Stockholm Interview: The article claims an "exclusive" story obtained through numerous calls and favors, with the interviewee's identity disguised. Liljegren states that the alleged newspaper "Aftondagbladet" (which supposedly published a watered-down version) does not exist, and extensive searches of AFU's archives reveal no mention of such an event on the claimed date.
• Misrepresentation of Experts: "Y.S. Jonsson" allegedly misquotes K. Gösta Rehn, a respected Swedish ufologist, attributing statements to him that he never made. Rehn, who was elderly and nearly blind at the time, had largely ceased active UFO investigation.
• Non-existent Ufologists: The article mentions "Göran Lindqvist" and "Börje Nilsson" as ufologists and authors. Liljegren states that Lindqvist is absent from AFU's comprehensive bibliography of Swedish UFO literature, and Börje Nilsson's involvement was limited to translating comic books, not serious research.
• The Domsten Abduction Attempt: While the date and location are correct for a known case, Liljegren claims "Jonsson" misrepresented the details, particularly regarding alien creatures "throwing goo."
• The Hellberg Case: The article describes a UFO encounter by a "criminal inspector Lennart Hellberg" near Västerås. Liljegren points out a geographical impossibility, as the described route from Stockholm to Norrtälje would not pass near Västerås.
• UFO Wave Claims: The assertion of a significant UFO wave in Sweden between 1976-80 is dismissed by Liljegren, who states that while genuine cases existed, they were not as widespread or sensational as portrayed.

Liljegren concludes that "Jonsson" likely fabricated the story by mixing names and places from existing UFO literature, possibly to deceive readers or test the critical standards of publications. He urges 'UFO Report' to be more discerning with its sources.

Interview: Juri Lina - Ufologist - Dissident

This interview with Juri Lina, a 32-year-old Estonian journalist and ufologist, conducted in December 1981, sheds light on the suppression of nonconformists in totalitarian states.

• Early Interest: Lina's interest in UFOs began in 1969-70 after witnessing a cigar-shaped object with shining spheres. He was intrigued by Soviet articles on UFOs published in the 1970s.
• Samisdat Publishing: He started an underground publishing house in Estonia to print Samisdat literature on UFOs, parapsychology, and philosophy, using the pseudonym "Tuulo Ellis" to avoid discovery.
• KGB Interference: His activities were discovered by the KGB, who warned him against discussing UFOs and threatened his livelihood. They were particularly suspicious of his group's non-drinking habits and philosophical ideas.
• Journalistic Career End: After being blacklisted by the KGB, his journalism career ended. He was threatened with a mental hospital and eventually took a job transporting cattle to Central Asia.
• Escape to Sweden: In 1978, with the help of friends from Finland, he married a Finnish woman to facilitate his escape. He arrived in Helsinki in April 1979 and moved to Sweden in July 1979, where he began writing about human rights.
• UFO Research in Sweden: He continues his UFO research in Sweden, though he has only given a few speeches and is still getting to know Swedish ufologists. He believes UFOs are interplanetary or inter-dimensional.
• KGB Contact in Sweden: Lina recounts an incident in February 1981 where a KGB agent threatened him in Stockholm after he listened to a speech by a Russian dissident.
• Feeling Protected: He describes a UFO experience in 1974 where he and two friends felt an inner sense of protection after witnessing a strange light and a green ball of light.
• Close Encounters in the USSR: He mentions two cases from Estonia and a report from Nikita Schnee about a Russian officer who met humanoids who warned about interference if humanity threatened the planet.
• UFO Situation in the USSR: Lina notes an increase in UFO reports and official concern in Moscow, with a chief censor named Migulin reviewing UFO articles.
• Personal Investigations: He has personally investigated about thirty UFO cases and estimates there are around 200 documented cases from Estonia.
• Books: He has written twenty-three books, with only one published in Finland about UFO research in the USSR. He has also written on parapsychology and mysteries.

Other Incidents

The newsletter briefly mentions other incidents, including face-to-face meetings with humanoid creatures, and reports that these have been thoroughly documented in books by Rehn and ufologist Goran Lindqvist.

Bibliography: UFO Research in the Soviet Union

This section provides an extensive bibliography of over 50 works on Soviet ufology and UFO cases published in the West. It includes articles, books, and reports from various sources, with a focus on recent publications and basic works. The bibliography is compiled by AFU and welcomes supplementary notes from readers.

New Books

This section reviews recent international publications related to UFOs and related phenomena, including:

• "Note technique no. 8" by GEPAN on a French landing and trace case.
• "1982 UFO literature reference guide & catalog" from Arcturus Book Service.
• "An Indepth review of Australasian UFO related entity reports" by Keith Basterfield.
• "The great airship mystery" by Daniel Cohen.
• "Solens kraefter" by Werner B. Isen on ancient electrical technology.
• "The Shaver Mystery" and "UFOs: past, present and future" by Harvey Larsen.
• "The search for Morag" by Elizabeth Montgomery Campbell & David Solomon.
• "The Roswell incident, update and conclusions" by William M. Moore & Stanton Friedman.
• "The UFO-anthropoid catalogue" by Mark Moravec.
• "Information storage and retrieval for ufologists" by John Prytz.
• "Nostradamus - fremtidens profet" by Peter Juhl Svendsen.
• "Note technique no. 9" by GEPAN on magnetohydrodynamics.
• "Flying saucers in the Bible" by Virginia F. Brasington.
• "Tesla: man out of time" by Margaret Cheney.
• "Lexikon der Prä-astronautlk" by Ulrich Dopatka.
• "Night observation exercise manual" by Federation UFO Research (FUFOR).
• "Preuves scientifiques OVNI l'isocelie" by Jean-Charles Fumoux.
• "The Allende dossier" by Robert Goerman.
• "Cattle mutllations & cosmic copters" by Robert Goerman.
• "Irrwege der Geschichte" by Walter Hain.
• "Vanishings" by Michael Harrison.
• "No witness" by Gerald A. Hausman.
• "Strange harvest" by Linda Moulton Howe.
• "Plandor - Planet des Friedens" by Hans P. Klotzbach.
• "Are we children of the universe?" by Paul Koslouski.
• "La psycho-mutatlon et l'expérience extra-terrestre" by Roger-Luc Mary.
• "The UFO/anthropoid catalogue" by Mark Moravec.
• "Night siege: The Northern Ohio UFO-creature invasion" (AFU 22).
• "UFOs and outer space mysteries" by James Oberg.
• "Les soleils de Simon Goulart" by I.L. Olivyer & J.F. Bodec.
• "1'Annonclateur" by Victorino del Pozo.
• "Allen contact" by Jenny Randles & Paul Whetnall.
• "Extraterrestrische Intelligenzen" by Dieter von Reeken.
• "UFO/IFO: A process of ellmination" by SCUFORI/Probe.
• "Note technique no. 9" by GEPAN on magnetohydrodynamics.

Exchanges

Amendments to the AFU's exchange mailing list are provided, including new addresses for Argus and The Crystal Ball, and updates on CUFOS Associate Newsletter and International UFO Reporter. Several publications are ceasing or being replaced.

Reports

• Farmer "Sunburned" by Mysterious Dazzling Light, in 1948: A report from Ervalla, Sweden, details a farmer's encounter with a dazzling light cone in 1948, which left him with a "sun tan." The report is presented with a note of scientific skepticism.

Tack / Thanks

AFU expresses gratitude for donations from GEPAN, Harvey Larsen, and various Scandinavian contributors for office supplies, books, and financial support for the book fund.

Nyförvärv (New Acquisitions)

This section lists new acquisitions for the AFU library, including GEPAN's technical notes on UFO phenomena and perception, Harvey Larsen's works on the Shaver Mystery and UFOs, and various other books and reports on UFOs, cryptids, and related topics.

Klipparkivarie (Clipping Archivist)

AFU is seeking a press-interested ufologist to help organize its extensive clipping archive, which involves sorting, filing, and potentially managing older Swedish collections.

Ny Adress Och Ny Telefon (New Address and Phone Number)

AFU announces a change of address and phone number for the organization.

Forskning (Research)

• Kinesiska Stentallrikar (Chinese Stone Discs): This section discusses the alleged discovery of 716 mysterious granite discs with hieroglyphic script in China/Tibet in 1938, as reported by Soviet writer Vyacheslav Zaitsev and later popularized by Erich von Däniken. Investigations by FSR's Gordon Creighton and others have failed to find confirmation from Chinese institutions, with denials from the Chinese archaeological academy and other sources. The only potential evidence found is a photograph of a round stone tablet with a hole in the center in a 1957 Peking publication.
• URD - USA:s Rapport- O. Datasetsystem?: Bertil Kuhlemann from Project URD in Stockholm attended a CUFOS conference in Chicago, where he presented the Swedish data project. URD shared information with leading American UFO organizations like MUFON.
• Danska Projekt UFODATA: Per Andersen of the Danish SUFOI has developed a UFO data processing system that has stored 272 UFO and 1071 IFO reports. The system is simpler than URD's and aims to be a search system and statistical analysis tool. Andersen is seeking ideas for analyzing the Danish material.

Verksamhetsberättelse 1981 (Activity Report 1981)

The AFU's activity report for 1981 highlights:

• Membership: The foundation is supported by 72 individuals, with a goal to increase subscribers and patrons.
• Library Operations: The library lent out 163 items, with an increase in research requests and copying. Sven-Olov Svensson's efforts facilitated weekly dispatch of materials.
• New Acquisitions: 62 new book titles were added to the library.
• Cataloging: Efforts are underway to create a comprehensive catalog of the book collection and potentially transfer data to a microcomputer for better information retrieval.
• Premises: The Norrköping office has doubled its shelf capacity, but a significant rent increase is a concern.
• Financials: The report includes a detailed economic summary for 1981, showing income from membership fees, sales, donations, and expenditures on the newsletter, postage, book purchases, and office rent.
• Clipping Service: Collaboration with UFO-Sverige on clipping subscriptions continued, though the volume of press material has decreased since 1978.
• Periodicals: The magazine collection averages 3-4 new issues per day, totaling 120-130 different titles. The AFU Newsletter aims to maintain a high quality for exchange purposes.

Locket På... (Lockdown...)

• NSA UFO Documents: The US federal appeals court in Washington rejected a request from Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) to compel the NSA to release 130 classified documents related to UFOs, citing national security reasons.

Notiser (Notices)

• Swedish Air Force's Own UFO: A German magazine, UFO-Nachrichten, mistakenly identified a Swedish Viggen aircraft as a "mysterious flying object" hovering over the grounded Soviet submarine U-137.
• Medical Studies in New Project: Dr. Rickard C. Niemtzow has initiated a two-year project to collect data on the medical effects of UFO experiences, requiring detailed medical examinations of observers.

EN RADIOSTORNING AV VAD? (A Radio Interference - Of What?)

An account of a strong, high-frequency radio interference experienced during a broadcast of a UFO documentary, which was recorded on both a Rotel stereo system and a Phillips radio, suggesting a significant interference source.

PARASOLL ELLER UFO? (Parasol or UFO?)

This section discusses an article by Carl-Anton Mattsson in UFO-Information about a painting in a Sri Lankan temple depicting Buddha descending on a ladder, with a disc-shaped object above him. While Mattsson's original intent was to highlight the descent, the article interpreted the object as a UFO. Robert Rickard and Mattsson agree that the object is likely a parasol, with a servant holding it over Buddha, and the interpretation as a UFO is debatable.

Forskning (Research)

• Kinesiska Stentallrikar (Chinese Stone Discs): (See detailed summary above)
• URD - USA:s Rapport- O. Datasetsystem?: (See detailed summary above)
• Danska Projekt UFODATA: (See detailed summary above)

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critical examination of UFO reports, the importance of source verification, and the challenges posed by government secrecy and censorship in UFO research. The editorial stance, particularly from Anders Liljegren, strongly advocates for freedom of information and open discussion in the field, contrasting the democratic approach with the repressive measures seen in the Soviet Union. There is a clear emphasis on debunking hoaxes and promoting rigorous, evidence-based research.