Just Cause - 1996 12 - No 49 - New Series

Magazine Overview

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue: Number 49
Date: December 1996
Publisher: Citizens Against UFO Secrecy
Editor: Barry Greenwood

This issue of JUST CAUSE, published by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, reflects on the year 1996 as a significant period for UFO phenomena research. The editorial highlights the expected increase in information due to new researchers and declassification of documents, anticipating greater knowledge of historical UFO waves. Despite personal reservations about the public image of UFOs, the editor expresses pleasure in the progress made.

Editorial

The editorial section emphasizes that 1996 was a year of extraordinary progress in understanding UFO phenomena. Thousands of pages of new information have been added to the data base, with expectations of more discoveries in the coming year due to an increasing number of researchers and the declassification of millions of pages of documents. This is expected to shed more light on the 1947 UFO wave and others in 1950, 1952, and 1954. The editor notes a backlog of material that will keep research busy into the next century and plans to reexamine classic UFO photo cases with government connections, along with new stories and research articles. The editor also offers old "UFOs Are Real Ask the Government" bumper stickers for sale to fund research.

UFO Cover-Ups and the Martian Meteorite

This section discusses the significant events of 1996 concerning extraterrestrial life. It begins with the scientific evidence for planets around other stars and the "Independence Day" movie's impact. The main focus is NASA's announcement regarding the Martian meteorite ALH 84001, found in Antarctica. This meteorite, deposited 13,000 years ago and blasted from Mars 16 million years ago, was identified as Martian about two years prior to the announcement. NASA's announcement, made on August 7th, claimed that small, fossilized life forms and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) had been found inside the rock. While the press sensationalized the findings as "Signs of Life Found on Mars," the lead scientist, Dr. David McKay, stated the results were "not conclusive," and NASA's Administrator Daniel Goldin clarified they were presenting "highly suggestive" circumstantial evidence, not ultimate proof. The article questions the rationale behind holding a press conference if the evidence was not decisive, suggesting it might have been a promotion for fund-raising, especially given NASA's chronic funding cuts. The announcement generated immense public interest, comparable to the moon landings, and was seen by some as a strategic move to secure funding, even if the claims were later diluted or disproven. The haste of the announcement was criticized by many scientists and biologists for not allowing adequate peer review.

Is Anyone Out There?

This article, a letter to the editor of the New York Post dated January 18, 1996, discusses the discovery of two new planets that may support life, located 35 light-years from Earth. These giant planets, discovered by Geoffrey Marcy and Paul Butler of San Francisco State University, are believed to have conditions suitable for water formation. One planet is estimated to have a surface temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit, potentially allowing for rain or oceans. The letter also critiques the NASA meteorite announcement, drawing parallels to the "Piltdown hoax" and questioning the scientific rigor. It suggests that if NASA has proof of UFOs, they should have used that to announce life in space rather than inconclusive evidence from a meteorite, which would have secured massive funding and ushered in a new era of exploration.

Life on Mars? Let's Not Jump the Gun

This letter to the editor of The New York Times National (August 12, 1996) addresses the NASA announcement about the Martian meteorite. The writer, Julian Kane, a micropaleontologist and professor of geology, expresses skepticism about the "unequivocal" evidence of life. He points out that PAHs and organic compounds were detected decades ago in other meteorites and formed nonbiologically. He argues that proof of Martian life would require more specific discoveries than those from ALH 84001. The letter also questions why NASA didn't use the opportunity of announcing life in space decades ago, during the height of UFO interest, suggesting that the current announcement might be driven by a need for funding. The writer draws a parallel to the Roswell incident, questioning why such a significant event would be kept secret if it could provide evidence of extraterrestrial life and secure funding.

Projects Sign and Grudge Records Released

This section reports on the release of early Project Sign and Project Grudge records, which were the Air Force's initial organized UFO investigations from 1947 to the early 1950s. Nearly one thousand pages of documents were made available from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. These records were consulted by the General Accounting Office for their Roswell inquiry. The release was cleared by the National Air Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on November 20, 1996. About two-thirds of the records pertain to Project Sign activities in 1948, and the rest to 1949, containing a mixture of case material and administrative handling of investigations. The article notes that missing cases from Project Sign years are surfacing, repairing damage to the historical record. It highlights a June 23, 1948 document from the Acting Chief of Intelligence, Col. R.D. Wentworth, which suggested that many reported objects might have been experimental, low aspect ratio aircraft, possibly caused by sightings of military experimental vehicles. This indicates that in mid-1948, high-level thinking leaned towards UFOs being experimental aircraft, not alien ships, even with the Roswell incident having occurred about a year prior. The article also mentions the Chiles-Whitted incident of July 24, 1948, as a significant sighting that influenced Project Sign personnel to conclude UFOs were interplanetary. The author questions why crashed discs and Roswell didn't have a more profound influence earlier.

Carl Sagan, 1934-1996

This section is a tribute to the late Carl Sagan, acknowledging his public persona and his ability to simplify complex ideas about the universe. The author expresses personal inspiration from Sagan's discussions on extraterrestrial life and his role in making such concepts plausible. Sagan's contributions through his books and TV series "Cosmos" are mentioned. The article notes that Sagan was not a beloved figure in the UFO community due to his largely negative views on UFOs and his insistence on hard evidence. While he believed in abundant intelligent life in space, he was skeptical of aliens visiting Earth. Despite this, Sagan was involved in proposing the UFO topic for the 1969 American Association for the Advancement of Science symposium, where he was quoted as saying that UFOs carrying alien visitors were "not out of the question." The author suggests that Sagan's charitability towards UFOs might have waned as UFOlogy shifted towards more speculative areas like contacts and abductions, leading scientists to distance themselves from such research. The article concludes by stating that Sagan served a valuable role in popularizing real science and critical thinking, and his passing leaves a void.

Interesting State Department Release

This section discusses a follow-up release of documents obtained by researcher Rick Giordano from the National Security Agency. A curious eight-page paper titled "Southern Xinjiang Lights" detailed the travels of U.S. government officials in China's Southern Xinjiang province in February 1991. The document mentions that Professor Olsen visited the Hetian Archeology Museum and discovered it housed the local headquarters for the China UFO Research Society. It notes that UFO sightings in Xinjiang are so numerous that the province established a UFO sighting society. The chief UFO-watcher in Hetian, Mr. Li Yinbing, asked Professor Olsen for names of similar organizations in the U.S. The document also alludes to scheduled activities at a local hotel, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions. The author suggests that a new chapter on such contingencies should be added to UFO field investigator manuals.

Plan to Index UFO Documents

This section addresses the challenge of indexing the vast amount of ephemeral material in UFO research, including correspondence, clippings, and government documents. While letters and clippings are manageable, government documents present difficulties due to their jargon, acronyms, and legibility. The author mentions an index developed by Edward Stewart as a potential model for systematizing government papers.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the progress and challenges in UFO research, the debate surrounding the NASA Martian meteorite announcement, and the historical context of government UFO investigations. The magazine appears to maintain a critical stance towards official announcements, questioning motives and the quality of evidence presented. There is a strong emphasis on historical documentation and the need for rigorous investigation. The passing of Carl Sagan is discussed with respect for his scientific contributions but also a critical look at his views on UFOs. The editorial stance seems to favor a cautious, evidence-based approach to UFO research, while acknowledging the ongoing government interest and the release of historical documents.