JUST CAUSE

Magazine Overview

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue: Number 7, New Series
Date: March 1986
Publisher: Lawrence Fawcett
Editor: Barry Greenwood
Address: P.O. Box 218, Coventry, Conn. 06238
Subscription: 4 issues - $10 ($15 foreign)

This issue of JUST CAUSE, a publication focused on UFO phenomena, details the significant achievement of obtaining 139 pages of UFO files from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The magazine highlights this release as a major success, providing additional insight into foreign UFO activity from past years.

CAUS Gains DIA File Release

The lead article, "CAUS GAINS DIA FILE RELEASE," explains the process and implications of receiving these DIA documents. The DIA, described as the military's equivalent of the CIA, collects and analyzes foreign intelligence. Previously, it was understood that the DIA had minimal UFO data, with what little existed already released, including the 1976 Teheran, Iran UFO/jet chase incident. However, CAUS suspected more information was withheld.

Their breakthrough came in early 1985 when they obtained an unclassified copy of the DIA's "Defense Intelligence Thesaurus" (DIT), which listed "Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO)" with a specific reference number. This led to an FOIA request filed on March 25, 1985. After a lengthy wait, in late December 1985, CAUS received 37 documents from DIA headquarters in Washington, D.C. A letter from DIA's Vice Executive Director, Captain James Law, acknowledged that 53 documents were responsive, but 15 were withheld under FOIA exemptions, citing national security.

The released documents are legal-sized and date from the late 1950s to 1980, with a majority from the 1960s. They originate from around the globe, with a particular emphasis on Communist nations. A notable curiosity within the files is a thick section on the UFO theories of Captain Bruce Cathie, a New Zealander and former airline pilot. Cathie proposed that outer space intelligences had established a worldwide navigational grid system and theorized that atom bomb tests could only be conducted at specific geometric positions on Earth. The DIA had shown interest in Cathie's ideas, though they were ultimately rejected for lack of proof. The files describe Cathie as "Not a typical 'UFO NUT'," suggesting that government agencies sometimes listen to UFO proponents.

The article laments the poor condition of many DIA documents, deeming them virtually unreadable and raising concerns about the loss of historical information due to inadequate file keeping.

Selected Extracts from DIA Files

Report # 1 817 0057 65: Sighting over Arica, Chile on 9/6/65

A LAN pilot, Marcele Cisternas, and five crew members reported a strange object following their plane for 13 to 14 minutes. They contacted Flight Control in Arica and Iquique, who confirmed no other flights were scheduled. The pilot described the object as a mechanical apparatus, not an optical illusion. The plane was flying at 8,500 feet at 500 Kms. The object emitted an intense light, changed to radiant white, and was suspended about 3 Kms. away. It then withdrew at incredible speed without leaving a track.

Report # 2141262: Sinking, China sighting in Spring 1959

Around 11 o'clock one clear starry night, an unusual object was seen flying from the west towards the east at great speed and high altitude. North of Kuldja, the object abruptly changed course from horizontal to vertical, rotated like a bullet, shot upwards, and disappeared. It remained visible for five to more minutes, appearing as a brilliant yellow light like a star. Its course left a light trail that changed from bright yellow to bright orange, then to a duller orange before fading.

Report # 2099621: Finnish/USSR sightings, 1958

On November 17, 1958, a party of six persons sighted a remarkable light phenomenon in the southern sky above Kajauni. An orange-red sphere fell from a great altitude, with a gap or notch on its left margin. The sphere descended to treetop height, glowed for a couple of minutes, and then plunged into the forest. It appeared larger than the moon and faded away to the southeast. The report notes that a Russian Radiosonde device was found in the area, but it's unclear if it was before or after the sighting. No natural explanation was given.

Report # 6 873 0004 75: Light phenomenon in Pakistan, 12/18/74

A circular light appeared above a V-shaped mountain overlooking the approach to Patan. The circle expanded, and the light emanating from it became less intense. The observer initially thought it was a moon reflection, but the moon was in a different position. The light expanded for about 15-25 minutes. Eight days later, the area experienced an earthquake. The editor notes this is similar to phenomena reported in the north Pacific and Kuwait.

Report on Agadir, Morocco sighting (1/18/67)

A report dated January 18, 1967, refers to two articles in "Petit Marocain" about a UFO sighting, though their contents are not detailed. A cryptic comment suggests the coverage indicated high local interest and presaged future reporting valuable for "Project MOON DUST." The magazine asks readers for information about Project MOON DUST.

Early Crashed Disc Data Uncovered

This section, contributed by UFO investigator C. Wesley Fitch, presents historical information on early UFO events. Fitch, who knew many UFO pioneers, shares details about the examination of fragments from a UFO shot down in 1952.

Letters written 25 years prior (from 1961) reveal that former Navy Rear Admiral Herbert B. Knowles was involved in examining fragments of a UFO that was shot at over Washington, D.C., in 1952. This information came from inquiries by Ohio UFOlogist C.W. Fitch in 1961, who had been told by Reverend Albert Baller, a former NICAP board member. Admiral Knowles, also a NICAP board member, had not previously mentioned this event.

Fitch contacted Admiral Knowles, who was retired at the time. In a letter dated August 27, 1961, Knowles confirmed he had handled a piece of a small disc. He stated that in 1952, Mr. Wilbert Smith, who headed the Canadian government's "Flying Saucer" research and cooperated with U.S. authorities, showed him the piece. Smith had obtained it after the object was shot down by a plane and fell in a farmer's yard in Virginia. Several pieces were found, one given to Smith for research.

Knowles described the piece as a chunk of amorphous metal-like structure, brownish where broken, with a curved edge suggesting a whole diameter of not over 2 feet. It was about a quarter inch thick, rounded in cross-section, and swelled at the center. The surface was smooth, and broken sections showed iron particles and rust. Its weight was lighter than solid iron but not "extremely light." A chemical test found iron but little else.

Admiral Knowles expressed his belief in UFOs and thought the 1952 object might have been a "remotely-controlled observation disc" seen near defense installations. A subsequent letter from Knowles on October 11, 1961, included a sketch of the piece, showing a side view and a top view.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently advocates for transparency and the release of government information regarding UFO phenomena, as evidenced by its focus on the DIA file release achieved through FOIA. The publication appears to be a platform for presenting detailed accounts of UFO sightings, investigations, and historical cases, encouraging reader participation and information sharing (e.g., regarding Project MOON DUST). The editorial stance is one of serious inquiry into UFOs, treating the subject matter with a degree of scientific rigor while acknowledging the unusual nature of the phenomena and the potential for government cover-ups or withheld information. The inclusion of historical data and personal accounts from credible individuals like Admiral Knowles reinforces the magazine's commitment to documenting and analyzing UFO evidence.