CENAP Infoline - no 007

Magazine Overview

Title: cenap-infoline
Issue: nr. 7
Date: September 26, 1994
Publisher: CENAP
Language: German

This issue of cenap-infoline delves into the controversial Roswell incident of 1947, presenting the U.S. Air Force's official explanation while also capturing the skepticism of UFO enthusiasts. It also touches upon a crop circle phenomenon in Romania and mentions various media reports and programs related to UFOs.

Roswell Incident: Air Force Explanation vs. Ufologist Belief

The central theme of this issue is the U.S. Air Force's September 8, 1994, report that explained the mysterious 1947 crash in the New Mexico desert. According to the report, the wreckage was not an alien spaceship but part of "Project Mogul." This was a top-secret, post-war project developed by leading geophysicists and institutions like Columbia University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Its objective was to use high-altitude balloons to detect weak reverberations from nuclear-test blasts occurring globally, a measure taken in a Cold War climate where America feared losing its atomic monopoly.

The debris found near Roswell, New Mexico, was identified as smashed parts of balloons, sensors, and crucially, radar reflectors made of thin metal foil. The Air Force admitted that their initial explanation of the incident as a "weather balloon" was a deliberate untruth.

However, the Air Force's report, which aimed to definitively debunk the conspiracy theories that had grown around the Roswell incident over decades, was met with strong resistance from ardent flying-saucer fans. These enthusiasts, who had spun the scant evidence into elaborate narratives involving alien bodies and otherworldly technology, accused the government of continuing its cover-up. They pointed to the proliferation of UFO museums and literature in places like New Mexico as evidence of a persistent "flying saucerism industry."

Colonel Albert C. Trakowski, who had run Project Mogul, expressed his resignation, stating, "People believe what they want to believe." Walter G. Haut, president of the International U.F.O. Museum and Research Center in Roswell, dismissed the report as "a bunch of pap," arguing that the explanation had merely shifted from "weather" to "Mogul" without fundamentally changing anything.

Colonel Richard Weaver, an Air Force researcher, concluded in the report that there was no information to suggest the "Roswell Incident" was a UFO event, identifying Project Mogul balloon trains as the most likely source of the wreckage.

Flying Saucer in Arad, Romania

Beyond the Roswell saga, the magazine reports on a separate incident in Arad, Romania. On June 22, 1994, workers at the "Romcereal" silo discovered two concentric circles in a wheat field, one 6 meters and the other 42 meters in diameter. The wheat stalks were bent but not broken, lying counter-clockwise. Three days later, the silo director and workers visited the site. The report notes that the wheat stalks were not harvested and no residents reported seeing anything unusual. However, some people claimed to have seen a bright object land in the same area at night three days after the initial discovery.

Colonel I. Nemetea, commander of the Arad Garrison, stated that an investigation into radioactivity at the site yielded no findings and that they had no explanation for the circular markings. The report is attributed to A. Topor, a CENAP employee in Romania.

The article notes that this incident signifies the spread of the "crop circle fever" to Eastern Europe, contrasting it with a perceived waning interest in Western Europe, where such phenomena are sometimes dismissed as pointless destruction of food.

Media Mentions and Related Events

The issue also includes a section detailing recent media coverage and related events concerning UFOs and unusual phenomena:

• September 7, 1994: A talk show on Kabelkanal (14:35h) titled "Misch dich ein: Ufos" featured R. Holbe and H. Köhler from CENAP.
• September 8, 1994: A repeat broadcast of the aforementioned talk show on Kabelkanal (9:10h).
• September 23, 1994: The ZDF "heute-journal" (21:45h) reported on unusual meteorites near Le Havre, France, noting that large stone meteorites had damaged vehicles and that meteorite warning signs were erected, causing confusion.
• September 27, 1994: A talk show on Nord-3, DAS! "Das AbendStudio" featured R. Holbe, Johannes Fiebag, and W. Walter from CENAP.

CENAP Information and Services

The final page provides information about CENAP and its publications. It states that "cenap-infoline" is a current information service for the "CENAP-Report," published every three weeks, though potentially more frequently. The responsible editor is Hansjürgen Köhler. Subscriptions are available for DM 30,-, with payment to be made to Mannheimer Sparkassen, account number 7810906, BLZ 67050101. The issue also advertises "Roswell-The Movie" (2 hours, PAL-System) available from CENAP for DM 40,-.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the enduring mystery and controversy surrounding the Roswell incident, the skepticism of official explanations by UFO researchers, and the global spread of UFO phenomena, exemplified by the Arad crop circle report. The editorial stance appears to be one of presenting both the official narrative and the counter-narratives from the UFO community, while also highlighting media interest and related events. There's a subtle critique of the "crop circle tourism" and a suggestion that the phenomenon is becoming less novel in Western Europe.