MUFON Minnesota Journal - No 064

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Minnesota MUFON Newsletter, dated March/April 1997, focuses on international UFO investigations and the challenges of government secrecy surrounding the phenomenon. It also includes information on upcoming MUFON meetings and a discussion on the threat of asteroids.

From the State Director: A Reference Guide to Foreign UFO Documents

The lead article summarizes a paper by Antonio Huneeus, International Coordinator for MUFON, presented at the 1996 MUFON Symposium. Huneeus's paper, "A Reference Guide to Foreign UFO Documents," outlines general guidelines for investigating UFOs as conducted by foreign governments. While acknowledging the existence of UFO files in several countries, Huneeus disputes the idea of a global conspiracy, suggesting it implies a misleading level of information sharing and disinformation. He notes that UFOs present a significant bureaucratic challenge globally.

The article highlights that only a few governments have conducted formal UFO studies, including the US (Project Blue Book, Condon Commission), Canada (Projects Magnet, Second Storey), France (GEPAN, SEPRA), and the former USSR. Reporting UFOs typically falls under the purview of air forces, navies, or police in countries like the UK, Spain, Italy, and Brazil. Procedures for military personnel to report sightings exist but are often limited by personnel and defense priorities, especially during the Cold War. Official involvement in investigations, such as during the Belgian UFO wave, often decreased with declining public and media interest.

Huneeus admits that obtaining official documents is difficult due to government secrecy and the limited availability of Freedom of Information Act-like laws in many countries.

International UFO Investigations

The newsletter details UFO investigation efforts in various countries:

• Less-developed Countries: Generally lack official UFO investigation resources, with exceptions occurring only after spectacular incidents.
• US Government UFO Files: Contain many detailed foreign cases, dating back to the mid-1940s 'foo fighters' and the 1946 Scandinavian ghost rocket scare. A 1979 FOIA request for CIA UFO files revealed that over a third of them dealt with foreign cases, influenced by Cold War hysteria.
• France: Possesses the richest and longest official UFO archive. Many books and articles have been published on French Air Force dossiers.
• Argentina: Despite a UFO flap in mid-July 1947, official studies began in 1962. Prior to that, the National Review of Aeronautics was a focus. A 1955 photo near Buenos Aires was deemed not faked. Major events in the 1980s, like the Falklands War and human rights trials, reduced UFO priority. A 1995 incident involved a pilot reporting a UFO coinciding with a power blackout, but authorities remained uninterested.
• Royal Australian Air Force: Began UFO investigations in the 1950s but ceased collecting 'unusual aerial sightings' in January 1994.
• Brazil: Has an extensive history of official inquiries, starting in 1952 with an open approach to the media. Colonel Joao Adil Oliveira stated in 1954 that flying saucers could not be denied, calling them a fact confirmed by material evidence. The country experienced a wave of landing and humanoid cases in 1968-1969, and a 1977 wave in Para was characterized by hostility. Recently, the Brazilian military reportedly captured aliens near Varginha.
• Chile: No government documents have been released, except for articles in "Informacion Aeronautica" listing radar cases and pilot sightings. A 1988 report described a near collision between a UFO and an airliner in southern Chile.
• Italy: Some Air Force UFO files have been released, involving encounters with their own aircraft. One radar-photo case involved a Fiat reconnaissance plane filming a cylindrical UFO, later identified as a cylindrical balloon made of black garbage bags, though it was still listed as 'unidentified' in a later report.
• Spain: Has one of the richest military UFO dossiers. The Ministry of Defense began a systematic review in 1972. A 1979 incident involved a passenger jet pilot changing course due to a UFO sighting, leading to a Spanish Air Force jet scramble. A 140-page document declassified in 1994 detailed this and two other scramble incidents, including one over Motril where a pilot reported seeing three strong lights forming a triangle and heard children's voices through UHF Channel 11.

Huneeus concluded by suggesting the United Nations establish an agency to coordinate UFO research among member nations.

Minnesota MUFON Meetings

Meetings were scheduled for Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, April 13, from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM at the Science Museum of MN Computer Education Center, Firstar Center, 5th & Minnesota Sts, 19th Floor. Attendees were advised to arrive between 1:00 and 1:30 PM for elevator access. The meetings were designated non-smoking, with free coffee and soft drinks provided.

The 1997 MUFON Symposium was announced for July 11-13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Richard Morris: A Smoking Gun?

This section by William I. McNeff discusses a TV interview with Richard Morris, former political advisor to President Clinton, regarding a statement about seven people knowing about life on Mars. McNeff questions the statement, distinguishing it from awareness of evidence for microbial life on Mars. He references the CIA-funded remote viewing studies at Stanford University by Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, which showed statistically significant results.

McNeff also mentions Pat Price's remote viewing of a Soviet beam weapon facility and claims by Major Ed Dames and Dr. Courtney Brown that remote viewing has revealed intelligent beings on Mars. He suggests that if Morris's statement is true, it implies that a few elite leaders, including the President, are aware of intelligent humanoids on Mars, and that the 'cat is about 60% out of the bag' regarding this information.

The Hard Way: UFO Investigation

Craig R. Lang's article emphasizes that UFO research is "hard work" and that easy answers or 'smoking guns' are unlikely. He argues that the community often falls for convenient explanations and promises of easy answers. Lang stresses the need for rigorous investigation, involving interviewing witnesses, surveying locations, collecting evidence, and digging through archives. He notes that evidence can be lost, compromised, or lead to dead ends, and that witnesses may disagree or lie. Lang concludes that a compelling picture of the UFO phenomenon is emerging from unexplained sightings by credible people, but it requires slow, tedious, case-by-case research to yield solid evidence for ET visitation.

What do we need to prove the existence of ET?

This section posits two ways to acquire definitive evidence: a sudden 'smoking gun' (unlikely due to hoaxes) or slow, painstaking investigation. The evidence must be definitive, analyzed by multiple organizations, subject to peer scrutiny, promptly shared, cautiously approached, and unambiguous. Physical evidence is considered the most convincing.

THE NEMESIS Asteroid: Is Doomsday Just Around the Corner?

Erich A. Aggen, Jr. discusses NASA's lack of effort in implementing the "Spaceguard Survey" to detect dangerous Near Earth Objects (NEOs). He explains that Earth-crossing asteroids pose a threat, with estimates of 1000-4000 objects larger than one kilometer. The article cites historical impacts, including the one that caused dinosaur extinction and the 1908 Tunguska event. NASA proposed a survey in 1992 but has been unwilling to actively promote it, with some scientists deeming it a waste of money. The article notes that a large asteroid missed Earth by 1.9 million miles on May 25, 1997, discovered only 18 million miles away, leaving insufficient time for deflection. The "Spacewatch" project, led by Tom Gehrels, is mentioned as a private effort to detect such asteroids.

A table summarizes "Earth-Crossing Asteroids and Comets" by diameter, number, and impact rate, detailing the potential damage from various sizes.

Field Investigator Update

Craig R. Lang reports on the activities of the Minnesota MUFON field investigators. A core group of ten investigators is active. A quarterly meeting discussed business, sighting investigations, and MUFON policy. Eighteen cases are being investigated, some involving old sightings with new information, and others are recent. The group is also investigating close-encounter experiencers and seeking to develop relationships with medical/psychological professionals for cases involving trauma. The next field investigator class is scheduled for March 19 and 26, focusing on conducting investigations, interviewing witnesses, and filing reports. Information is available via phone or email.

Unique Film Offerings

Two films, "Phenomenon 1995" (directed by Jon Turteltaub) and "Powder" (directed by Victor Salva), are reviewed by Peter Morris. "Phenomenon" is about a mechanic who gains extraordinary powers after being zapped by a light, alerting a government agency. "Powder" tells the story of a sequestered young man with unusual abilities.

Books in Review

• The Day After Roswell by Colonel Philip J. Corso and William Burns is reviewed by William Burns. The book is described as revealing US government cover-ups and secrets about alien artifacts from the Roswell crash, with a publication date of July 1997.
• The Demon Haunted World by Dr. Carl Sagan is reviewed by Craig Lang. Lang found the book to be a well-thought-out defense of rational inquiry and mainstream science, emphasizing skepticism and rational thinking. He notes Sagan's conflict with UFO believers and his criticism of New Age thought. Lang agrees with Sagan on the importance of skepticism but disagrees with his handling of UFOs and the abduction phenomenon, finding it cursory and unbalanced. He praises Sagan's emphasis on physical evidence and verifiable observations.

Extraterrestrial Telepathic Intelligence Phenomenon Prodigies

This section reviews Robin Andrews Quail's book, which describes individuals with unusual characteristics who believe they are descendants of alien visitors. Quail, a hypnotherapist, describes her work with 'ETIP Prodigies' and 'abductees.' The reviewer, Craig Lang, expresses skepticism about Quail's methodology, which involves briefing clients on expected findings and encouraging shared fantasies and channeling. Lang points out factual errors and dubious claims in the book, questioning Quail's research methods and general education level. He concludes that such work gives UFO research a bad name.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently emphasizes the importance of rigorous, evidence-based UFO research, often contrasting it with sensationalism, hoaxes, or unsubstantiated claims. There is a clear editorial stance favoring skepticism and critical thinking, while acknowledging the genuine unexplained aspects of the UFO phenomenon. The publication also highlights the challenges posed by government secrecy and the need for systematic investigation. The recurring theme is that UFO research is "hard work" requiring dedication and objectivity, rather than easy answers or 'smoking guns'.

This document is a newsletter from MINNESOTA MUFON, a chapter of the Mutual UFO Network. It provides information on local meetings, contact persons, and upcoming events, primarily focusing on UFO-related activities and research. The newsletter is printed six times a year with an annual subscription rate of $12.00.

Meeting Notes

The newsletter details the meeting schedules and contact information for several organizations:

• Theosophical Society: Meets the second Saturday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Theosophical Society building in Minneapolis, MN. Contacts listed are Peter Morris and Rolf Canton.
• International Tesla Society: Meets the third Saturday of each month from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at The Pavek Wireless Museum in St. Louis Park, MN. Contacts listed are Jeff Rafferty and Bob Bartholomew.
• MINNESOTA MUFON: Holds its regular meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 1:30 PM at the Firstar Center in St. Paul, MN.

MUFON 1997 UFO SYMPOSIUM

The main event announced is MUFON's 28th International UFO Symposium, scheduled for July 11, 12, and 13, 1997, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The theme for this year's symposium is "The Fiftieth Anniversary of Ufology," commemorating the significant events of 1947 that marked the beginning of modern ufology.

• A notable list of speakers is confirmed, including:
• Cynthia Hind (Zimbabwe)
• Dan Wright
• Jan Alrich
• Stanton T. Friedman
• Vincent-Juan Ballester Olmos (Spain)
• Bruce S. Maccabee, Ph.D.
• John S. Carpenter
• Warren Aston (Australia)
• Anna Jamerson
• Beth Collings
• Budd Hopkins
• David M. Jacobs, Ph. D.
• J. Antonio Huneeus

Information regarding registration fees is provided: pre-registration tickets are $65 for all five sessions if purchased before the June 21 cutoff date, with a $75 fee thereafter. Individual sessions can be attended for $20 each. A Friday evening reception is also available for $15 per person, including a cash bar.

Payments for the symposium should be made via check or money order payable to "MUFON 1997 Symposium" and sent to the provided address in Lansing, MI.

Accommodation details for the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel are also included, with special guest room rates for single and multiple occupancy, and reservation contact numbers (toll-free and direct) and a FAX number.

Contact Information and Resources

• The newsletter provides contact details for key personnel within MINNESOTA MUFON:
• Richard Moss: State Director
• William McNeff: Asst. State Director
• Lynn Bell: Treasurer & Editor (also provides address and contact information for submitting news or editorial contributions)
• Craig Lang: Field Investigator Coordinator

It also lists contributors: Bill McNeff, Craig Lang, Erich A. Aggen, Peter Morris, and Candy Peterson.

• Additional resources mentioned include:
• National MUFON Hotline: For reporting UFO news, sightings, etc., at 1-800-836-2166.
• MUFONET: A radio communication network operating on 7.237 MHz at 7:00 AM CST on Saturdays, with Bob Schutz as Net Control.
• MN MUFON WEB PAGE: Accessible at http://www.wavefront.com/~jhenry/index.html, managed by Joel Henry.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this newsletter are the promotion of local MUFON chapter meetings, the dissemination of information about significant UFO-related events like the annual symposium, and the encouragement of member participation through contributions and the use of provided contact channels. The editorial stance appears to be informative and community-focused, aiming to keep members updated on organizational activities and national UFO events. The emphasis on the "Fiftieth Anniversary of Ufology" highlights a focus on historical significance within the field.