Just Cause - Vol 1 Issue 05 - Old Series

Magazine Overview

This issue of JUST CAUSE, the official newsletter of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), dated August 1978 (with late news up to September 18), is Volume 1, Number 5. It is published by CAUS, with W. Todd Zechel as Editor, Steve Stoikes as Associate Editor, and Brad C. Sparks as Assistant Editor. The legal advisor is Peter A. Gersten. The office is located at 191 East 161st Street, Bronx, New York 10451, U.S.A., with telephones for Gersten (212-992-9600) and Editorial (608-643-3810). The copyright is 1978 by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy.

CIA Finds 1,000 Pages of UFO Documents: FOIA Suit Pays Off

The lead story reports that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) disclosed on August 10 approximately 1,000 pages of additional UFO-related materials. This disclosure was prompted by an amended complaint in the Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) suit, authorized by a federal judge on July 7, 1978. The CIA's disclosure was made in a letter to CAUS Director Todd Zechel, who is also GSW's research director. Zechel's FOIA request of July 13 had sought documents related to the reported recovery of an extraterrestrial spacecraft or landing craft by the U.S. Government.

CIA Information & Privacy Coordinator Gene F. Wilson asked Zechel to suspend his request until after reviewing the 1,000 pages, a move CAUS suspects is a stall tactic, as the documents may have little connection to Zechel's specific request. GSW's initial complaint, filed in September 1977, related to the Ralph Mayher incident and the Durant Report of the CIA Robertson Panel. However, an agreement was reached on July 7, 1978, to allow GSW to amend its complaint to include requests for virtually all CIA UFO-related records. CAUS Counsel Peter A. Gersten submitted an amended complaint in early August, requesting records dating back to 1973, to which the CIA had failed to respond satisfactorily.

On August 17, Assistant U.S. Attorney William H. Briggs contacted Gersten to request a stipulation that would broaden the scope even further, asking the CIA to search for all its UFO records. Gersten, based on a draft by CAUS Director of Research Brad Sparks, prepared a stipulation requesting a "reasonable search" of numerous CIA components, including the Strategic Warning Staff, Operations Center, Office of Legislative Counsel, National Foreign Intelligence Board, and various directorates like Science & Technology and Operations.

Remarkably, the CIA agreed to the stipulation, and a U.S. District Court Judge John Pratt made it an official court order on September 7, giving the CIA 90 days (until mid-December 1978) to complete the search. Discussions between Gersten, Briggs, Zechel, and Charles E. Savige (Wilson's deputy) revealed that the 1,000 pages are mostly Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) files from the 1950s, initially requested by Brad Sparks for APRO in 1975. These files likely contain Air Force and Navy reports of UFO sightings and some records of unauthorized CIA domestic UFO investigations from 1951-1952. CAUS urges UFO researchers to refrain from submitting FOIA requests to avoid slowing down the process. The forthcoming documents may be fragmentary and lack historical context, potentially leading to confusion.

FBI Interrogates UFO Researcher: Government May Confiscate Documents

This section details an incident where two FBI agents visited UFO researcher Robert Todd on July 28, 1978. Todd, 24, was interrogated for over an hour at his parents' home in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, about his letters to the National Security Agency (NSA) concerning UFOs. Todd specializes in filing FOIA requests.

An Air Force major, Gordon B. Finley, Jr., advised Todd by telephone on August 4 to seal in an envelope all copies of a statement about a Cuban Air Force Jet allegedly destroyed while trying to shoot down a UFO in 1967. Finley suggested "someone may be around" to retrieve the envelope, but Todd refused. Finley stated that the document contained classified information, which Todd confirmed the FBI had also described as "SECRET or above."

Al Hendry of CUFOS interviewed Finley, who confirmed his conversation with Todd. However, Finley could not specify whether the classified information was the NSA data or the UFO incident itself. Finley is identified as Chief, Torts and Freedom of Information Branch, Air Force Judge Advocate General's Office.

The FBI questioned Todd about the sources for his requests to NSA concerning the Cuban jet mishap and records of a former NSA employee active in UFO research. Todd eventually revealed that the reporter was Robert V. Pratt of the National Enquirer, and he refused to name the "West Coast researcher," identified as physicist Stanton T. Friedman.

FBI spokesmen declined to comment, but Special Agent Roger Midkiff obliquely confirmed the interview by suggesting to CAUS research director Brad Sparks that he might be interviewed. The FBI agents also asked Todd if he knew W. Todd Zechel, and confirmed they had received a letter from NSA regarding Zechel's employment status, which Todd had enclosed with his query. Zechel had mentioned Sparks in an article, suggesting a connection.

Todd said the FBI agents read him his rights and attempted to intimidate him by citing espionage laws and penalties. Todd sent numerous FOIA requests about the Cuban incident to the Air Force, CIA, NSA, and Navy from February to July 1978 without success. The CIA suggested checking with the Cuban Government. Todd notified NSA and the Air Force on July 14 that he would contact the Cuban Government, asking them to advise what information should not be transmitted due to potential classification. Two FBI agents then visited him.

CAUS reports that Todd, who has submitted about 1,000 FOIA requests at his own expense, may be quitting the UFO field. CAUS praises his accomplishments and recommends letters of encouragement be sent to him.

FBI Destroys UFO Documents

According to reliable information obtained by CAUS, FBI field offices nationwide destroyed their UFO files earlier in 1978. An FBI agent told a CAUS informant that Dr. Bruce Maccabee's request for UFO files was too late, as the documents had already been destroyed on April 1-2, 1978, as part of a general file destruction program. The agent boasted that Maccabee would have had to pay $1,000 for copies from that one field office alone.

The National Archives and Records Service (NARS) had authorized the FBI field office file destruction program on March 26, 1976. The NARS Office of Federal Records Centers/Records Disposition Division permitted the destruction of closed-files containing investigative reports and communications. FBI Headquarters issued orders in October 1977 to obliterate these records, with UFO files being one of the categories slated for destruction.

The FBI is awaiting permission from NARS to destroy Headquarters' files, a request submitted in May 1977. This request has drawn interest from Senator James Abourezk's Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure, as Congress might have an investigative interest due to inquiries about Watergate and the CIA.

FBI Headquarters spokesman Tom Coll stated on July 31, 1978, that the FBI had not yet received authorization from NARS for HQ-file destruction. CAUS urges its members to protest this destruction to Dr. James B. Rhoads, Archivist of the U.S., and demand that UFO records be exempted from future destruction, believing that public interest can lead to preservation.

Bolivian Documents Released by State Department: Mystery Continues

This section follows up on a previously reported incident in Bolivia around May 6, 1978, where a UFO reportedly crashed near the village of Padcaya. UPI reported that NASA was investigating and had sent personnel. CAUS queried NASA, which denied involvement beyond receiving messages from the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, stating the messages contained mostly news reports.

NASA referred CAUS to Colonel Robert P. Eddington in the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES/APT/SA). Eddington stated his office tracked "launches" and that fallen space objects were within his purview. He indicated his office had not determined if the news stories were factual but had received unsubstantiated information that an egg-shaped, four-meter diameter object had been recovered, possibly a fallen propellant tank.

CAUS sent an FOIA request to the State Department on June 21, 1978. Mary Spruell of State's FOI Staff initially stated that search fees of $11 per hour would apply unless the information was of broad public interest. CAUS vigorously protested, citing recent public opinion and the success of films like "Close Encounters" and "Project UFO" as evidence of broad public interest. Following a pointed letter from CAUS Director Todd Zechel, the State Department agreed to waive fees. On September 1, 1978, Spruell wrote that 6 documents were relevant, and 5 were released without objection. One document remained under review.

Of the five released documents, three were unclassified, one confidential, and one secret. The earliest message, dated May 15, was from the U.S. Embassy in La Paz to the Secretary of State, with copies to various agencies, marked IMMEDIATE due to national security implications. It reported a Bolivian newspaper article about an unidentified object that fell from the sky near Bermejo, described as egg-shaped, metal, and about four meters in diameter. The Bolivian Air Force planned an investigation, and the State Department was asked to check with appropriate agencies for information.

State replied to Ambassador Boeker on May 18 via an IMMEDIATE message, classified SECRET, drafted by Col. Eddington. This message referenced preliminary information from FBIS cables concerning the fallen space object, noting checks with Panama and Paraguay.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of JUST CAUSE revolve around government transparency and secrecy concerning UFO phenomena. The publication actively engages in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and litigation to uncover official documents, as exemplified by the successful suit against the CIA. There is a strong emphasis on the perceived obstruction and destruction of records by government agencies like the FBI and CIA, highlighting a distrust of official narratives. The magazine also covers specific UFO incidents, such as the Bolivian crash, and the challenges faced by researchers in obtaining information. The editorial stance is clearly pro-disclosure and critical of government secrecy, advocating for public access to UFO-related information and supporting researchers who pursue these goals.

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue Date: August 1978
Publisher: CAUS
Country of Publication: USA
Original Language: English

This issue of JUST CAUSE delves into several complex and potentially sensitive topics related to UFO phenomena, intelligence operations, and government transparency.

Bolivian Incident: Suspected Soviet Satellite Crash

The magazine details an incident in Bolivia in May 1978, initially investigated by the U.S. Defense Attache Office (USDAO) in La Paz. The investigation was prompted by reports of a space object that may have reentered Earth's atmosphere around May 6. Project MOONDUST, a foreign-space-debris analysis program, became involved. A CONFIDENTIAL NOFORN cable from the USDAO to the Air Force Systems Command's Foreign Technology Division (FTD/SDM) and other agencies, dated May 24, 1978, sought information regarding the event.

Initial searches by the Bolivian Air Force and Army failed to locate any object. However, subsequent investigations by CAUS, based on information from an American source, revealed more detailed findings. An expedition of Bolivian Army soldiers and scientists returned on May 21, but reportedly could not reach the suspected crash site, Cerro Bravo (Bravo Mountain), due to steep slopes. A young Bolivian astronomer, who had been part of this expedition, later observed a rockslide on Cerro Bravo from a plane and became convinced something had struck the mountain.

A second expedition, consisting of Bolivian Air Force officers, reached the rockslide on May 25. They reported that something had crashed into the mountain, creating a rockslide with huge, monolith-like boulders (three meters tall, two meters in diameter). They also found a 100-meter trench running parallel to the slide, three to four meters wide. Some large rocks appeared burned, with a whitish appearance, suggesting extreme heat. The grass around the slide area was brown and withered for about 100 meters, contrasting with the green grass further away.

CAUS research director Brad Sparks proposed a theory that the incident involved the reentry of a failed Soviet satellite. He suggested that heavy (20-ton) maneuverable Soviet satellites, equipped with rocket stages, could have survived reentry. The fuel and oxidizer tanks, made of dense steel, might have leaked during descent, causing fiery propellant leaks and aerial blasts, accounting for the scorched rocks and withered grass. The "egg-shaped" metal object reported in an Argentinian newspaper, about 4 meters in diameter, is consistent with the upper stages of Soviet satellite launchers.

Problems with this theory include the difficulty of a tumbling rocket's burning propellant pointing in a specific direction for a course change, and the shape of Soviet tanks, which are typically sectioned cylinders rather than egg-shaped. The 100-meter trench also poses a question. The issue notes that public records of orbiting objects make it difficult for the U.S. to conceal a reentry of a large object.

NICAP Targeted by KGB Operations

The magazine reports on alleged KGB operations targeting the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). CAUS has information that a KGB officer, Gennadiy I. Fedosov, First Secretary for Public Cultural Exchanges at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C., attempted to recruit NICAP President John L. "Jack" Acuff in May 1977.

One theory suggests the Soviets were interested in NICAP's confidential sources who provided classified UFO reports. Another theory posits that NICAP was targeted due to covert CIA employees holding positions within the organization. A third theory links the attempted recruitment to earlier KGB operations against the Society of Photographic Scientists and Engineers (SPSE), where Acuff was Executive Director from 1967 to 1970. During that period, the FBI intercepted Soviet checks ordered through SPSE and monitored Acuff's relationship with Soviet personnel under FBI guidance.

In May 1977, Fedosov contacted Acuff, expressing personal interest in UFOs and arranging a meeting. During lunch, Fedosov did not discuss UFOs but made an intriguing offer to Acuff: "You will have a lot more money soon. You'll have a lot more space. You're going to have to learn a foreign language because you'll be traveling abroad." Acuff reported this to the FBI, who were interested in the "strings" attached to the offer. Fedosov did not contact Acuff again. Another KGB officer or agent attempted to recontact Acuff in July or August 1978 at NICAP headquarters, but Acuff was out.

The article notes that Colonel Joseph Bryan, 3rd, founder of the CIA's Psychological and Political Warfare Staff and a member of the NICAP Board of Governors, may be connected to the KGB's interest. Some observers suspect the CIA's interest stemmed from concerns about Soviet psychological exploitation of NICAP's claims of government coverup.

Subpenas for Crashed Saucer Witnesses: CAUS Plans FOIA Suit

CAUS, through its director Todd Zechel, is planning a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Air Force and other entities concerning alleged crashed saucer incidents. Zechel has investigated numerous cases and found only one with apparent substance.

This case involves a vehicle crash near the Texas-Mexico border in the late 1940s, which was reportedly recovered by U.S. armed forces. Zechel has identified five witnesses with knowledge of the incident, including former NSA colleagues and retired Air Force officers. These witnesses are described as reluctant.

Zechel submitted FOIA requests to the CIA and Air Force in July 1978. The CIA did not deny having information but suggested contacting the Air Force. The Air Force, through Col. Jack Morris of AFIN, denied having any records related to such an incident. Zechel filed an FOIA appeal on September 7, threatening a lawsuit if the records are not produced.

CAUS is seeking to raise a retainer fee of $5,000 to pursue the FOIA action, as legal fees have already amounted to nearly $8,000. The lawsuit aims to subpena military officers and government officials who may know of the recovery of an extraterrestrial vehicle. The goal is to compel testimony to either prove or disprove the occurrence of such an event. The success of the suit depends on support from the UFOlogical community and the general public, with donations requested to fund the legal action.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of JUST CAUSE consistently focuses on the pursuit of information regarding UFO phenomena, often encountering resistance or obfuscation from government agencies. The magazine highlights the efforts of organizations like CAUS and NICAP to uncover the truth, employing investigative journalism, FOIA requests, and legal action. There is a recurring theme of potential government coverups and intelligence agency involvement, both domestic and foreign (Soviet KGB). The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards official denials and a strong advocacy for transparency and public access to information concerning UFOs and related events. The publication encourages reader involvement, particularly in supporting legal efforts to obtain evidence.