Just Cause - 1985 12 - No 06 - New Series

Magazine Overview

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue: 6
Volume: NEW SERIES
Date: December 1985
Publisher: Lawrence Fawcett
Editor: Barry Greenwood
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of JUST CAUSE, a publication focused on UFOs and related phenomena, critically examines the U.S. government's handling of UFO information and explores the controversial 'MJ12' document.

Editorial: Government Secrecy and UFOs

The editorial, penned by Lawrence Fawcett, criticizes the government's use of exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to withhold information about UFOs. Fawcett argues that the FOIA guarantees public access to federal records, and no exemptions listed in the act apply to UFO data. He points to government responses such as claiming information is exempt due to national security, or that records are destroyed or classified, as suspicious. The editorial highlights the Air Force's 1969 statement terminating Project Blue Book, which concluded that UFOs posed no national security threat and did not represent advanced technology or extraterrestrial vehicles. However, Fawcett contrasts this with the views of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who advised Blue Book for 20 years and described it as a public relations effort rather than a scientific study. The editor asserts that the government has not been transparent about UFOs and that the public has a right to know what the government knows.

MJ12: Myth or Reality?

The main article, "MJ12: Myth or Reality?", investigates the existence of a secret government panel allegedly formed to study crashed UFO cases and set UFO debunking policies. The article traces the origins of this rumor, mentioning Frank Scully's 1950 book "Behind the Flying Saucers" and the persistent rumors surrounding the Roswell, New Mexico incident of 1947. The author discusses a document that circulated within the UFO community, allegedly from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), which mentioned a "Project Aquarius" and "MJ12". AFOSI reportedly dismissed this document as a fabrication.

However, the article notes that in the summer of 1985, UFO researcher Lee Graham was investigating MJ12 based on information from an unknown government source. According to this information, MJ12 was a panel tasked with investigating UFOs and reporting to the President of the United States, with a particular focus on the Roswell incident of July 2, 1947. The article lists the supposed members of this panel:

• Detlev W. Bronk
• Lloyd V. Berkner
• Vannevar Bush
• James V. Forrestal
• Gordon Gray
• Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter
• Jerome C. Hunsaker
• Donald H. Menzel
• Sidney W. Souers
• Nathan F. Twining
• Hoyt S. Vandenberg
• Robert M. Montague

The report submitted by this panel, titled "MJ12", was allegedly classified "Top Secret-Eyes Only", nine pages long, dated September 18, 1947, and signed by President Harry Truman.

The article raises questions about the authenticity of the document, noting that President Truman's signature was reportedly authenticated. It also points out the significance of the date September 18, 1947, which is the CIA's official first day of existence, suggesting it could be a coincidence or a clue to the document's origin.

The connection to the Roswell incident is explored, with the article suggesting that the handling of metallic debris from the crash would have been a matter of high government concern. The article then provides brief biographical sketches of several of the alleged MJ12 members, highlighting their scientific, military, and governmental roles during the late 1940s.

Biographies and Connections to UFOs

Several individuals listed as MJ12 members are noted for their later involvement or connections to the UFO phenomenon:

• Hoyt Vandenberg: Allegedly ordered the downgrading and destruction of Project Sign's "Estimate of the Situation" report.
• Roscoe Hillenkoetter: A former board member of NICAP and proponent of UFO reality.
• Vannevar Bush: Mentioned in the Canadian "Smith memo" as heading a "concentrated effort" to study UFOs.
• Nathan Twining: Authored a September 1947 Air Force memo endorsing the serious nature of UFOs.
• Donald Menzel: Author of three books debunking the UFO phenomenon.
• Lloyd Berkner: A member of the CIA's "Robertson Panel" in 1953.

The article notes that many panel members had connections to the National Security Council or the Research and Development Board (R&DB). It questions how Menzel's and Vandenberg's later debunking activities align with their supposed involvement in MJ12 if the panel concluded UFOs were real.

Further connections are explored, including Wilbert Smith's account of a secret UFO committee and the description of a "Special Group" in the book "The Invisible Government" by David Wise and Thomas Ross, which may have been an early incarnation of the "54/12 Group". The article also references a UFO lecture by Dr. Edward Condon and a comment by physicist Dr. George Gamow about a secret UFO committee formed in 1952 with General Curtis LeMay.

The article concludes by presenting both sides of the rumor, suggesting it could be either a hoax or a significant revelation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue strongly advocates for government transparency regarding UFO information. The editorial stance is critical of secrecy and supportive of the public's right to know. Recurring themes include the alleged government cover-up of UFO evidence, the role of intelligence agencies, and the potential significance of historical UFO incidents like Roswell. The magazine appears to lean towards the belief that significant UFO-related information is being deliberately withheld from the public.