Just Cause - Vol 1 Issue 04 - Old Series

Magazine Overview

This document comprises materials from Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), including correspondence and newsletters, primarily focusing on the organization's efforts to uncover government involvement and secrecy surrounding UFO phenomena. The materials span from May 1978 to June 1978 and include the official newsletter 'JUST CAUSE'.

CAUS and JUST CAUSE

The organization CAUS (Citizens Against UFO Secrecy) was founded to combat government secrecy concerning UFOs and to unify the civilian UFO community. Their primary focus is on UFO incidents with any aspect of government involvement. Subscribers to their newsletter, 'JUST CAUSE', receive updates on the anti-secrecy lobby and reports on UFO incidents involving government personnel. Subscription rates are $10 for 12 monthly issues. Contributions to CAUS are used to finance FOIA lawsuits against government agencies.

Ground Saucer Watch v. Central Intelligence Agency

This section details a conference and status call on July 7th in Washington D.C. concerning a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) against the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Attendees included representatives from GSW (Peter A. Gersten, Todd Zechel), the U.S. Attorney's Office (Mr. Bill Briggs), and the CIA (Mr. Long). The CIA expressed reluctance to respond to a discovery motion, arguing it was outside the scope of the original request. GSW countered that the CIA's improper handling of FOIA requests, including excessive fees and misleading statements, necessitated the motion. The CIA attorney claimed the agency's interest in UFOs was limited to the Robertson Panel. GSW aimed to establish that the CIA could not lawfully withhold UFO-related information and that their involvement was ongoing. An agreement was reached to allow GSW to amend its complaint to include requests for all UFO-related CIA documents. The court later granted GSW 20 days to amend the complaint.

Commentary on this event suggests it may be a pivotal moment for ufology and a victory against UFO secrecy, indicating the CIA is aware of GSW's serious investigative approach.

1975 Flap Over SAC Bases and Missile Sites

CAUS member Barry Greenwood provided nine documents obtained via FOIA concerning the 1975 UFO flap over Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases and missile sites, particularly overflights of Loring AFB, Maine, on October 27, 29, and 31, 1975. These documents, from the Joint Chiefs of Staff/National Military Command Center, indicate that the CIA was notified of 'penetrations' and unidentified objects hovering near weapons storage areas. Despite these notifications, the CIA's response to Todd Zechel's FOIA request was that it could only locate one short log notation for the incident. CAUS appealed the withholding of 15 additional documents by the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (OJCS), arguing that the exemption cited (b)(5) should not be used to prevent embarrassment. The withheld documents likely pertain to UFO incidents over other SAC bases. The 1975 flap is part of the GSW lawsuit, and further information is expected.

Condon/NPIC Meeting Documents

Responding to a request by Todd Zechel, the CIA released two documents from February 1967 concerning the CIA's interaction with the Condon Committee. These documents reveal that on February 20, 1967, Dr. Condon and his team from the University of Colorado UFO project received a briefing at the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC), a CIA component. The briefing aimed to familiarize Condon's team with NPIC's photogrammetric and photographic analysis capabilities. Brig. Gen. Ed Giller of the USAF had requested the briefing. Arthur Lundahl, Director of NPIC, facilitated the meeting, noting that the USAF might receive technical advice and services for alleged UFO photo analysis. Lundahl sought approval for the visit, stating he could not influence the conclusions but could offer technical assistance and maintain a 'CIA window' on the project. A memorandum from Steven Johnson, Chief of Photogrammetry at NPIC, detailed the meeting, emphasizing that NPIC's assistance would not be identified as CIA work and that Dr. Condon was advised not to reference the CIA. Briefings were given on UFO photography analysis and the use of measuring instruments for UFOs.

Commentary suggests these documents, while not definitive proof, indicate NPIC's involvement in UFO photo analysis before and after the Condon Committee's formation. It also suggests the Air Force had low confidence in its own analysis capabilities and sought to monitor NPIC's UFO-related activities.

NASA (Update)

CAUS has been investigating NASA's interactions with the CIA regarding UFOs since March 1978. NASA, under pressure from the White House, was considering becoming a 'focal point for UFOs'. CAUS sought to determine NASA's willingness to investigate physical UFO evidence. NASA's position, as defined by Arnold Frutkin, was that they would meet with reputable individuals with direct knowledge of physical UFO evidence, but these individuals would need to travel to Washington at their own expense, and NASA might or might not agree to meet or investigate. NASA also queried the CIA to ascertain if there were classified data sources pertinent to recommendations regarding UFOs. This occurred despite the CIA's claim of limited involvement with UFOs. The issue also notes a letter from USAF Col. Charles Senn to a retired USAF General, expressing hope that NASA would prevent a reopening of UFO investigations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of CAUS are government secrecy surrounding UFOs, the use of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and lawsuits to obtain information, and the perceived suppression of evidence by intelligence agencies like the CIA and military branches. The editorial stance is clearly anti-secrecy and pro-disclosure, advocating for UFO information to be in the hands of responsible civilians rather than government entities. CAUS positions itself as a serious investigative body dedicated to uncovering the truth and applying pressure on government agencies through lobbying and legal means.

This document appears to be an editorial from a publication by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), focusing on the work of Brad Sparks and detailing two significant UFO/UAP incidents. The editorial, signed by W. Todd Zechel, praises Brad Sparks for his instrumental role in obtaining the release of numerous CIA documents concerning UFOs over the past three years. Sparks is credited with moving the understanding of CIA involvement with UFOs from speculation to proven fact and piecing together the behind-the-scenes events of UFO secrecy. Zechel acknowledges that some accomplishments may have been mistakenly attributed to him, when in fact Sparks was responsible for assembling much of the information used in requests to the CIA and forcing the release of 60 CIA documents.

Sparks is described as one of the world's leading experts on intelligence agency activities and structures, and CAUS expresses deep gratitude for his work.

The Tunisian Incident This section details a confidential report provided to CAUS concerning significant UFO incidents in Tunisia during August 1976. The report, originally from a concerned Chief of Military Security, General, to DATT (Defense Attache) and Alusna (an American official), lists several sightings and radar confirmations.

• Key events include:
• August 3-4, 1976: A Tunis Air pilot reported a flying object, and five flying objects with red and green lights were sighted over Monastir and confirmed by radar. Additionally, five separate radar returns were tracked and visually confirmed between 0024 and 0400 hrs.
• August 4-5, 1976: An Air France pilot en route to Monastir reported being followed by an aircraft.
• August 5-6, 1976: Police at Soukra reported seeing four lighted helicopters, with one remaining visible for an extended period.
• August 7-8, 1976: The control tower at Jerba sighted unknown traffic, confirmed by a Tunis Air pilot. Another Tunis Air pilot reported a flying object that seemed to touch down near Jerba airport before ascending and disappearing.
• August 8-9, 1976: Radar tracked unknown traffic over SIDI Ahmed Airport at Bilerte, which then turned and disappeared.

The report indicates that the Tunisian government was puzzled by these sightings and sought information from the US government (Sixthfit/Sixthfleet). Radar plots showed tracks generally from the northeast over the Gulf of Tunis, proceeding south of the city before disappearing from radar screens. The report notes no further sightings were reported on the nights of August 9-10.

The document also includes a "COMMENT" section stating that this message was originally transmitted to the State Department and then retransmitted to various government agencies (CIA, NSA, DIA, White House) that declared they were not interested in UFO reports.

Cuban Jets Incident This is an exclusive report by Brad Sparks, CAUS Director of Research, detailing the Cuban Jets case. Information was obtained and pieced together by CAUS, including a security specialist's statement.

The incident occurred in March 1967 when Spanish-speaking intercept operators of Detachment A of the US Air Force Security Service (AFSS), based at Key West Naval Air Station, monitored Cuban air defense radar controllers reporting an unidentified bogey approaching Cuba from the northeast.

• Key details of the incident:
• UFO Entry: The UFO entered Cuban airspace at an altitude of approximately 10,000 meters (about 33,000 feet) and a speed of nearly Mach 1 (approximately 660 mph).
• Interception: Two MiG-21 jet fighters were scrambled to meet the UFO.
• UFO Description: The flight leader reported the object was a bright metallic sphere with no visible markings or appendages.
• Engagement: After a failed attempt at radio contact, Cuban Air Defense Headquarters ordered the flight leader to arm his weapons and destroy the object. The leader reported his radar was locked on and missiles were armed.
• Outcome: Seconds later, the wingman reported that his leader's jet had exploded. He then radioed that there was no smoke or flame, but his leader's MiG-21 had disintegrated. Cuban radar then reported the UFO quickly accelerated and climbed above 30,000 meters (98,000 feet), heading south-southeast towards South America.
• Cover-up: An Intelligence Spot Report was sent to NSA headquarters, standard practice for aircraft losses by hostile nations. However, Detachment A did not receive an acknowledgment, prompting a followup report. Within hours, Detachment A received orders to ship all data to NSA and to list the Cuban aircraft loss as "equipment malfunction." At least 15-20 people in the detachment were informed.

The report speculates that the data sent to NSA might have been used to triangulate the UFO's location and altitude, and that the UFO might have been tracked by its reflection of Cuban radars.

Organization Information Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) is identified as a New York-based group dedicated to reforming US Government information policies on UFOs and demanding greater accountability for truthful disclosure of UFO data. The copyright for the material is held by JUST CAUSE, with a notice against unauthorized reproduction.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance The recurring themes in this document are government secrecy surrounding UFO phenomena, the importance of investigative research and document release, and the need for greater transparency and accountability from intelligence agencies. The editorial stance is clearly supportive of UFO research and critical of government obfuscation, as evidenced by the praise for Brad Sparks and the detailed reporting of incidents that highlight unexplained phenomena and potential cover-ups. The publication aims to bring attention to these issues and advocate for public access to information.