BUFORA Newsfile - No.17 - Dec 1993

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO NEWSFILE
Issue: 17
Date: December 1993
Publisher: BUFORA

This issue of UFO NEWSFILE delves into the world of UFO sightings and alleged extraterrestrial encounters, featuring a mix of news reports, personal accounts, and expert opinions.

Spielberg to Expose UFO Cover-Ups

The lead story on the cover announces that Hollywood director Steven Spielberg is reportedly working on a £50 million movie, codenamed 'Project X'. The film is said to expose a government cover-up of an alien spaceship crash in New Mexico in 1947, a story that gave rise to the term 'flying saucer'. Insiders suggest Spielberg has obtained unseen film footage of the incident and that the movie will focus on the crash and the political intrigue that followed, aiming for a 1997 release, the 50th anniversary of the alleged landing.

UFO Lights Up Warren Skies

A report from Lebanon, Ohio, details motorists' sightings of a silent object with rotating colored lights near Lebanon and Warren correctional institutions. The Ohio Highway Patrol received multiple calls, but was unable to dispatch a patrol car due to an accident. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirmed no planes were in the area. Prison officials noted that while no official reports were filed, some staff members claimed to have seen the object.

Figures Spotted Moving Under 'UFOS'

This article by Alan Thomson highlights a series of eerie UFO sightings in the Ivybridge area of the UK. Councillor Hermann Welch described seeing shadowy figures beneath a glowing unidentified flying object. Other sightings include a cigar-shaped object with multi-colored lights seen by John Kingwell and his family, and a moving object with colored lights witnessed by four schoolchildren. The Ministry of Defence figures indicate a significant number of sightings in Devon and Cornwall.

Honest, I Was Nabbed by UFO

This section reviews the film 'Fire in the Sky', based on the alleged abduction of Arizona lumberjack Travis Walton. The film recounts Walton's disappearance for five days and his subsequent story of alien abduction, including physical examinations and 'shrink-wrapping'. The review notes the film's claim to be a true story.

UFO Spotting on Ilkley Moor

This piece focuses on Yorkshire as a 'hot spot' for flying saucers, with David Barclay's book 'UFO The Final Answer' detailing local sightings. Stan Ledgard, who runs a center for alternative theories, suggests flying saucers follow the earth's magnetic lines. The article also mentions a psychologist discussing hallucinations as a possible explanation and Paul White's account of a silent, orange, pulsating sphere crossing the English Channel.

'There is Definitely Something Out There'

Gloria Dixon, a North-East researcher for the Independent UFO Network, emphasizes that while most UFO sightings have logical explanations, five percent remain unexplained. She expresses concern about the lack of scientific interest in the subject. The article mentions the release of 'Fire in the Sky' as a catalyst for renewed interest and recounts several striking cases, including a couple in Redcar who experienced a loss of time and entities, and a policeman in Yorkshire who saw a hovering object and experienced a time lapse. It also touches upon cattle mutilations and the possibility of alien life.

Earthling Looks for a Shot in the Dark

This article features an interview with Les Stacey, president of the Essex UFO Group. Stacey, a former policeman, describes himself as a 'nuts and bolts man' who deals with facts. He acknowledges the 'wacko' image of ufology but shares his own experiences of seeing UFOs, including a 'pear-shaped thing' that swooped down. The piece also touches on the conspiracy theory of a government cover-up and the idea that extraterrestrials may have visited Earth.

MEPs Get to Grips with Close Encounters of the Third Kind

A report presented to MEPs suggests that aliens may have established a base in the asteroid belt. The European Parliament is taking seriously a report on unidentified flying objects prepared by Italian socialist MEP Tullio Regge, who advocates for a European UFO Observation Centre. The report acknowledges that a significant percentage of cases investigated by the Service for Assessment of Atmospheric Reentry Phenomena in Toulouse cannot be scientifically explained.

Was it a UFO?

This report from Lancaster describes strange lights seen over the Marsh estate, with amateur astronomer Harry Hinde noting unusual light movements. Dr Andy Adamson of the University of Central Lancashire suggests a powerful searchlight from Blackpool as a possible explanation.

Visitors from Mars?

Sightings of UFOs in the Reading area have reportedly increased. Colin Murray Brown described seeing an illuminated cylindrical object, while Valerie Barrett reported an oval-shaped object. The article suggests an airship used for advertising may be responsible for some sightings.

Are European and US Lions Real or Just Copycats?

This piece explores reports of lions being sighted in France and Pennsylvania, USA. While some believe these sightings are genuine, the article suggests the possibility of hoaxes or misidentifications, noting the lack of evidence and the potential for copycat incidents.

Woman Sees 'Second UFO'

An Ashbourne woman claims to have seen a second UFO, described as a 'carbon copy' of a previous sighting, in the same location. She jokes about little green men possibly taking her away because she knows too much.

Outrage at Euro Bid to Hunt UFOs

A Euro plan to spend millions on a Flying Saucer Observatory has sparked criticism in Britain, with Tory rebel Sir Teddy Taylor calling it a 'madcap and barmy' idea.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the unexplained phenomena of UFO sightings and alien encounters. It presents a range of perspectives, from eyewitness accounts and ufologist investigations to scientific explanations and media reviews of related films. The overall stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, acknowledging the unexplained while also considering rational explanations and potential hoaxes. There's a recurring theme of government secrecy and the public's fascination with the unknown.

Title: BUFORA NEWSFILE
Issue: 10
Date: December 27th, 1993
Publisher: BUFORA
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of BUFORA NEWSFILE, dated December 27th, 1993, focuses on unusual police tactics involving UFO reports and details several sightings and investigations.

Operation Marconi: UFOs and Criminals

The lead story, "Little blue men's alien space probe detects criminal life on Earth," reveals a controversial tactic employed by South Yorkshire Police. Under the guise of 'Operation Marconi,' police used information about UFO sightings to lure criminals who were eavesdropping on police radio frequencies. The criminals were reportedly attempting to profit from information about police movements, such as high street robberies and closing time battles.

The police's method involved creating a spoof broadcast about UFOs being spotted, which attracted the attention of the miscreants. This was similar to a previous scheme where a fake broadcast about money discovered in woods led to the apprehension of individuals with scanners.

Several people were arrested and charged for acting illegally based on information obtained from police broadcasts. The civil rights organisation 'Liberty' criticized the police's actions, suggesting it was a form of entrapment and overzealous policing. However, a South Yorkshire officer defended the operation, stating it was a necessary step to address a country-wide problem.

UFO Sighting in Crawley

The magazine also features a report from the Crawley News dated May 7th, 1993, titled "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, but it could have been a UFO according to one Crawley mum." Diane Munro, a mother-of-two from Ifield, Crawley, reported seeing a peculiar glow and a strange object with a red glow and white light in the night sky above her home. Initially mistaking it for a star or a plane, she observed the object shoot up into the air and fly off at high speed. While not entirely certain it was a UFO, she expressed excitement at the possibility of something being out there. Norman Hatt from the Redhill and Reigate Research Phenomena Group commented on the difficulty of identifying objects in the area due to its proximity to the airport, but noted that often there is a reason behind sightings.

Police Investigate Hovering Object in Rugeley

Another report, from the Staffordshire Newsletter dated April 2nd, 1993, details an investigation by Rugeley police into sightings of a shining oval object hovering in the night sky over Brereton. Worried residents reported seeing the brightly-coloured unidentified flying object shortly before 2 am. A police spokesman stated that they did not know what the object was and that nothing unusual was reported by air traffic controllers. Similar sightings had been received from elsewhere in the county, and the air traffic investigation department was looking into the claims.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of BUFORA NEWSFILE highlights the intersection of UFO phenomena with law enforcement and public perception. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting and investigating UFO reports, while also critically examining police methods and public reactions. The magazine provides a platform for both eyewitness accounts and official responses, suggesting a continued interest in unexplained aerial phenomena and their societal implications. The use of UFO reports as a police tactic, as seen in 'Operation Marconi,' raises questions about the manipulation of public interest in UFOs for other purposes. The inclusion of the civil liberties group's perspective adds a layer of critical analysis to the police's actions.