Orbiter - No 18 - 1989

Magazine Overview

Title: ORBITER
Issue: #18
Date: May/June 1989
Publisher: The New England Aerial Phenomena Report
Editor: Jim Melesciuc

This issue of Orbiter Magazine focuses on the ongoing controversies surrounding the MJ-12 documents and the Gulf Breeze UFO sightings. It features a collection of articles, comments, and responses that delve into the authenticity of claims, the credibility of witnesses and researchers, and the nature of UFO phenomena.

Editor's Comments

Editor Jim Melesciuc opens the issue with his 'Editor's Comments,' addressing the 'Squire and the Knave' piece. He initially questioned its necessity but ultimately decided to publish it, suggesting it exposes the true colors of those involved in the MJ-12 controversy. Melesciuc notes the anonymous author's likely identity and criticizes the article for attacking critics of MJ-12 authenticity and those identifying 'Falcon' as Bill Moore's source, Richard Doty. He references Jamie Shandera's 1988 MUFON Symposium statement about 'everything coming to light' within months, contrasting it with the continued lack of MJ-12 revelations by Moore and company, with 'Squire and the Knave' being the only output. Melesciuc also comments on Donald Ware's position statement regarding the Gulf Breeze sightings, suggesting Ware's investigation lacked objectivity and was driven by 'extreme belief,' attributing the couple's numerous photo sessions to financial motives, referencing a book deal worth $200,000.

Critique of 'THE SCALE REMAINS UNBALANCED'

Dr. Willy Smith of the UNICAT Project provides a critique of Dr. Bruce Maccabee's paper, 'The Scale Remains Unbalanced,' which appeared in the MUFON UFO Journal #252 (April 1989). Smith outlines significant points, stating that while Dick Hall is not criticized, he himself is. He characterizes Maccabee's paper as disinformation, containing subtle points that escape those without detailed knowledge of the Gulf Breeze case. Smith alleges specific lies and errors of fact, noting that Maccabee relies heavily on 'Ed's statements' while disregarding the need to investigate Ed's credibility. He dismisses much of the paper's arguments as unscientific and incomprehensible, particularly the computer analysis, questioning why these results were not made public. Smith points out anomalies in photos discussed by Maccabee, such as Photo #1 and Photo #5, and highlights that a new computer analysis by the UNICAT Project, using better copies, suggests lines are clear and not mechanical.

Smith further details 'specious arguments' and 'lies' presented in Maccabee's paper, critiquing points about Ed's ability to produce hoaxes, his knowledge of double exposures, and his claims about the NIMSLO photos. He disputes Maccabee's portrayal of Ed as a citizen of good character, citing community concerns and Ed's past legal issues. Smith also challenges claims about the timing and conditions of photos, the range of flashes, and the testimony of witnesses, accusing Maccabee of presenting disinformation and ignoring contradictory documentation. He notes that Maccabee's paper includes 'ad hominem attacks' against individuals like Bob Boyd, Willy Smith, and Nick Mock, while curiously not attacking Dick Hall.

Response to 'Squire and the Knave'

Barry Greenwood provides a response to the 'Squire and the Knave' piece, stating it is beautifully typewritten but lacks substance as a response to the MJ-12 controversy. He laments the author's anonymity and criticizes the piece for ridiculing MJ-12 critics with name-calling and toilet humor, rather than addressing serious questions about MJ-12, Falcon, Condor, and Doty. Greenwood suggests the author might be better suited for writing screenplays.

Position Statement on the 1987-88 UFO Sightings of Gulf Breeze, FL

Donald M. Ware, Florida State Director for MUFON, presents his position statement on the Gulf Breeze UFO investigation. He states that he has coordinated the activities of seven local and three international investigators, resulting in at least 68 unidentified reports. Ware is convinced these sightings are proof of alien visitations, citing the advanced technology demonstrated and the variety of potential alien habitats. He addresses the question of why a couple was allowed 18 photographic sessions, suggesting the aliens wanted the photographs to be seen, hoping this would encourage more people to consider the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

'Squire and the Knave' (Satirical Dialogue)

The issue includes the full satirical dialogue titled 'Squire and the Knave (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love "La Bamba")'. The dialogue features two characters, Squire and Knave, discussing the 'revelations of Sir Robert Hastings' regarding the identities of 'Falcon' and 'Condor.' Knave claims Hastings has overwhelming proof and documentation. Squire expresses skepticism, particularly about claims made by 'Lady Linda of Moulton & Howe,' who allegedly met 'Falcon' (identified as Richard C. Doty) in 1983 and later recognized him on television. Squire questions the validity of such recognition, especially given the difficulty experts had in identifying the person from digitized video and altered voice recordings. The dialogue also touches upon 'Sir Peter' and his alleged recognition of Doty, and Linda Howe's notarized affidavit, which Squire notes does not contain the claim that Doty called himself 'Falcon.' The piece concludes with Squire emphasizing the need for facts over hearsay and innuendo.

Article Log

The 'Article Log' section lists several other publications and their featured articles, providing a broader context of UFO and paranormal research at the time:

• True Psychic Inquirer (Summer 1989): 'Secret of the Space Beings/Have You Been Abducted by Alien Beings?'
• Omega- UFO Update (May 1989): General UFO update.
• Wild Fire (April/June 1989): 'UFO Contactees/The Meir Case and the Spiritually.' Also reviews Jacques Vallee's 'Dimensions.'
• Magical Blend (July 1989): 'Bigfoot the Interdimensional Concept.'
• Challenge (Spring 1989): 'Sedona Skylights Are Angels In Spaceships.'
• California Magazine (August 1988): 'ET Phone California' (SETI article).
• New Realities (May/June): 'Something Strange' (Interview with Dr. Sturrock).

Interesting Article Mentioned

A brief note highlights an interesting article from *Scientific American* dated August 18, 1860, describing a solar obscuration in Brazil around noon, accompanied by the visibility of Venus. This phenomenon, also witnessed in 1547 and 1706, is attributed to asteroid clusters passing across the sun's disk.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the authenticity of UFO evidence, particularly photographic and documentary evidence like the MJ-12 papers. There is a strong undercurrent of skepticism towards claims presented without rigorous proof, as exemplified by the 'Squire and the Knave' dialogue and Dr. Willy Smith's critique. The issue also highlights the contentious nature of UFO research, with accusations of disinformation, hoaxes, and ad hominem attacks being prevalent. The editorial stance, as indicated by Melesciuc's comments and the inclusion of critical analyses, appears to favor a more critical and evidence-based approach to the study of UFO phenomena, while still acknowledging the possibility of genuine unexplained events, as seen in the Gulf Breeze case analysis by Donald Ware.

Title: The UFO Investigator
Issue: Vol. 11, No. 3
Date: March 1987
Publisher: The UFO Investigator
Country: USA
Price: $2.50

This issue of The UFO Investigator features a critical examination of UFO research, government involvement, and the authenticity of documents. The cover prominently asks, 'IS THIS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO!!' accompanied by a Gary Larson 'The Far Side' cartoon.

Dialogue: Squire and Knave

The magazine opens with a dialogue between 'Squire' and 'Knave,' where Squire dismisses a story from 'Lady Linda' as a 'ploy to present herself as being more significant.' He questions the value of an affidavit, suggesting it can be easily obtained. When Knave brings up 'Hasty Bob' and his allegations, Squire dismisses them, comparing claims to 'a fart against the sea breeze.'

Squire further scrutinizes 'Hasty Bob,' who claims two producers of the 'Cover Up' show know the identity of 'FALCON' and 'CONDOR.' Squire asserts this is a lie, stating that producers would not need to know such identities and that 'Hasty Pudding' (another name for Hasty Bob) does not understand professional ethics. Squire characterizes 'Hasty Bob' as someone who takes material from others without proper research, drawing inaccurate conclusions, a tactic he attributes to 'Sir Philip "the UFO Groupie".'

Knave then asks about 'Sir Philip,' referencing a rumor about a rejected rectal transplant and calling him a 'royal butt-head.' Squire declines to comment on that specific rumor but continues to critique 'Hasty's' sources as third-hand and speculative, comparing the thinking to that of 'Sir Larry "the Drip".' He lists other figures like 'Sir Jerome "Late of Fate",' 'Sir John of "Jet Lag",' 'Sir Cooper "the Pooper Scooper",' and 'Lady Linda "the Paranoia Wench",' grouping 'Hasty Bob' with them.

Squire then discusses a study of three papers analyzed by 'Hasty Bob,' who concluded they were likely typed by the same person using the same typewriter. Squire argues that such a conclusion cannot be made from photocopies alone, as typeface can be interchangeable, and a photocopy lacks the fine detail needed for critical judgment. He states that 'Hasty Bob' builds a 'house of cards on a bed of sand' and questions why he doesn't contact principals of a story, suggesting he fears real facts would confuse his conclusions.

Book and Media Reviews

Squire lists 'probable' new releases from 'The pointy Head Society':

• BOOKS:
• "Howe Now Brown Cow" by Lady Linda.
• "How We Identified Every UFO There Was, How We Got Every Document There Ever Was And How We Became More Famous Than Anyone Else" by Sir Larry "the Drip" and Sir Barry "the Unripe," slated for a major production from LBS (The Larry and Barry Show), represented by Sir Peter of Flag'em, Tag'em, & Bag'em).
• A TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE:
• "How An Alien Bit-off My Testicles And I Lived To Tell About It (Albeit In Falsetto)"! by Sir John of "Jet Lag", "the Learing One."
• PUNK ROCK REVIEW:
• "A Critical Look At The Circle Jerks" by "Hasting Pudding" aka, knave Bob "the Hasty."

These materials are described as 'sanctioned, stamped, certified, and checked for profound profundities, lack of moral value, character assassination and general crassness' by Sir Walter "the Androgynous One."

The Nippon T.V. Interview (Part Two)

The second part of an interview with Charles Lee (Interviewer-Nippon T.V.), Barry Greenwood, and Larry Fawcett discusses government policy on UFO evidence, the FBI's role, and the NSA trial.

Government Policy and UFO Evidence:
Barry Greenwood states that a major policy change would be needed for the government to release evidence like bodies or crashed disc fragments. He notes that the U.S. government, as of 1969 Project Bluebook, concluded there was no national security threat and no evidence of extraterrestrials, and this stance has not been updated.

The FBI Memorandum:
Greenwood discusses a declassified FBI memorandum related to UFOs. He believes the information within it was correctly reported, noting it was likely a middle-classification document, unlike highly classified material from the CIA or NSA. The intriguing aspect is why a report on crashed discs would appear in an FBI file with less stringent security. This led to the court case, attempting to exploit a potential mistake.

Larry Fawcett confirms the memorandum is likely authentic and that the information was obtained from the Air Force. He believes all evidence points to it being a real document.

Authenticity and Informants:
Charles Lee questions if the memorandum is authentic and if the information is true. Greenwood emphasizes the need to establish if the information reported to the FBI is correct, but they have been unable to do so because the names of the individuals involved are being kept quiet. Lee points out that if the FBI, a trusted federal organization, declassifies such a memorandum, it should be believed, especially since it was directed to J. Edgar Hoover.

FBI's Role in UFO Investigations:
Fawcett explains that the FBI was asked to assist the U.S. Air Force in obtaining information in the early years. The FBI's purpose was to receive tips for investigations. Officially, the FBI was only involved with UFOs for about two months in 1947 before the Air Force took over. The FBI then assisted other agencies by conducting field investigations, using their personnel to go to places others couldn't and reporting findings. Greenwood stresses that the FBI is not a high-security agency but more of a criminal investigative one, making it more likely to find UFO material there than with the CIA or NSA. He describes the information as raw and intriguing, useful for pursuing stories, but not top-secret.

The NSA Trial:
Greenwood describes the court case against the NSA, which began in 1980. They gathered information through other agency document requests over two years, obtaining about half a dozen documents. These were used to prepare their case against the NSA. During the legal process, NSA made admissions, and the number of documents they were withholding for national security purposes jumped from an initial amount to 279 reports.

Guy Hottel and the Memorandum:
Regarding Guy Hottel, identified as a special agent from the Washington Field Office in charge of routine UFO investigations, Fawcett confirms Hottel directed the memorandum to J. Edgar Hoover. Fawcett finds it curious that Hottel would prepare a memorandum without investigative authority, especially given the FBI's limited involvement in UFOs in the late forties, while the document is dated 1952.

UFO Phenomenon in 1950:
Greenwood notes that in 1950, the UFO phenomenon was new, and people didn't understand it well. All UFO information had to be treated with high security and interest, as government agencies were concerned about Soviet devices or secret aircraft. They collected whatever information they could, regardless of its foundation, to investigate.

Authenticity of Documents and Law Enforcement Perspective:
Fawcett, with twenty years of law enforcement experience, vouches that an agent like Guy Hottel would not send a bogus document to J. Edgar Hoover, suggesting there must have been something to the report. Greenwood agrees that they had to think the report had merit.

NSA Court Paper:
Greenwood confirms they have the court paper for the NSA case, describing it as a copy of the original affidavit, classified top-secret and meant only for NSA attorneys, the NSA, and the judge. Plaintiffs were not allowed to see it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently questions the credibility of UFO researchers and their methods, particularly 'Hasty Bob' and 'Sir Philip,' portraying them as lacking rigor and relying on speculation. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of authenticating documents and the potential for government agencies like the FBI and NSA to possess and withhold information related to UFOs. The editorial stance appears skeptical of sensational claims and advocates for critical evaluation of evidence and sources, while also highlighting the ongoing efforts to uncover government knowledge about UFOs through legal means. The inclusion of 'The Far Side' cartoon suggests a touch of humor and perhaps a commentary on the absurdity that can surround the UFO topic.