SUN 02 (Mar 1990)

Magazine Overview

Title: Skeptics UFO Newsletter
Issue: SUN #2
Volume/Date: March 1990
Publisher: Philip J. Klass
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, published by Philip J. Klass, focuses on internal conflicts and controversies within the UFO community, particularly concerning the UFO abduction movement and the investigation of prominent UFO cases.

The UFO Movement: In "philosophical disarray."

The lead article details a significant rift between Budd Hopkins, a prominent figure in the UFO abduction movement, and his associate, psychiatrist Dr. Rima Laibow. This split emerged after their joint appearance on the TV show "UFO Coverup?--Live." While Laibow acknowledges Hopkins and Dr. David Jacobs for raising awareness about abductions within the therapeutic community, she asserts that trained psychotherapists are better equipped to assist abductees. Hopkins, conversely, argues that abductees require a specialized, subtler form of therapeutic and hypnotic skill, which he and Jacobs claim to have developed. He criticizes conventional therapists and also points out that he and his associates do not charge for their services, unlike Laibow and other psychotherapists. This disagreement led to Hopkins and Jacobs not being invited to Laibow's second conference on UFO-abductions, held in Blacksburg, Virginia, which attracted approximately 70 attendees. Stanton T. Friedman was among the UFOlogists invited to speak, though he sent a video presentation. Notably, no skeptical UFOlogists were invited.

MUFON Controversies and New Organizations

The newsletter reports on internal turmoil within MUFON (Mutual UFO Network). Despite a doubling of its membership to around 2,500, significant objections to MUFON chief Walt Andrus's strong endorsement of the Gulf Breeze UFO-photo case have resulted in the resignation or expulsion of several State Directors and long-time members. In response, former Alabama State Director Bob Boyd is forming a new UFO organization called Aerial Anomalies International. Another former state director, Jim Melesciuc, is launching his own bi-monthly UFO newsletter, "Orbiter." Bill Pitts, formerly the state director for Arkansas, also resigned from MUFON due to the Gulf Breeze case endorsement.

Criticism of CUFOS and Whitley Strieber's "The Communion Letter"

The Hynek Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) faces sharp criticism in the Winter issue of Whitley Strieber's quarterly newsletter, "The Communion Letter." Ed Conroy, a journalist whose book "Report on Communion" analyzes Strieber's claims, voiced this criticism, citing CUFOS's "extreme insensitivity" to those reporting extraordinary experiences. Conroy provides examples, such as CUFOS's response to a report of a moose in a closet and a woman who felt "scanned" by a "blackish-gray ball." Strieber's organization, in contrast, is portrayed as more open-minded, featuring reports of oriental-looking beings, tiny creatures with flower-like heads, and a woman who now believes her haunted house is occupied by extraterrestrials. An editorial in "The Communion Letter" suggests that UFO researchers and organizations should focus on "hard" evidence and government reports, rather than dealing with the complex psychological changes witnesses undergo. The newsletter also highlights upcoming articles addressing sexual encounters with visitors, a topic Strieber plans to cover frankly.

The MJ-12 Documents Controversy

The newsletter delves into the ongoing debate surrounding the MJ-12 documents, which purport to detail a U.S. government recovery of a crashed saucer and alien bodies near Roswell, New Mexico. Jerome Clark, editor of CUFOS's "International UFO Reporter" (IUR), belatedly acknowledged that these documents may be counterfeit. Clark notes that the Truman signature on one of the MJ-12 papers is identical to one on an authentic Truman letter. Despite acknowledging the extensive research by figures like Stan Friedman, William Moore, and Jaime Shandera, Clark concludes that the issue remains unresolved and likely unresolvable. The article points out that Clark praised Friedman, who received $16,000 from the Fund for UFO Research (FUFOR) for his investigation, but omits that the disclosure of the Truman signature was first published in CSICOP's "Skeptical Inquirer." While Clark and CUFOS officially maintained a neutral stance, IUR published pro-MJ-12 articles, including one titled "The MJ-12 Debunking Fiasco." The author criticizes Clark for standing alone among experienced ufologists in considering the MJ-12 authenticity unresolved, with the notable exceptions of Friedman and Moore. Robert G. Todd, a researcher, discovered that the rubber-stamp used on the MJ-12 papers was a make-it-yourself kit type, similar to one used by William L. Moore for his return address, and the typeface matched.

The Roswell Incident Investigation

Even if the MJ-12 papers are counterfeit, Jerome Clark believes the MJ-12 "briefing paper's account of the Roswell (crashed saucer recovery) event IS ESSENTIALLY ACCURATE." This view is shared by other CUFOS officials, including Don Schmitt and Mark Rodeghier, who consider the Roswell UFO crash of 1947 a great unsolved mystery. A CUFOS team, led by Schmitt and Kevin Randle, visited the alleged crash site near Corona, New Mexico, to search for artifacts. They relied on the recollections of Mac Brazel's son to locate the site. Mac Brazel's description of the debris suggested it was a balloon-borne Rawin-target made of balsa wood and metal foil-coated paper. Despite using a metal detector and drilling test holes, the team found no artifacts but plans to return. Schmitt and Randle claim to have found new witnesses, possibly influenced by the TV program "Unexplained Mysteries," and are writing a book on the incident. The article questions why these witnesses did not come forward earlier, particularly concerning the Aztec, New Mexico, crash claims and the 1966 University of Colorado UFO study.

Soviet UFO Activity and Media Coverage

According to Yuli Platov, a senior research associate at the USSR's Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Radio Research and the Ionosphere, Soviet citizens were exposed to more UFO coverage in their print and electronic media in the past year than in the preceding decade, thanks to Glasnost. Platov stated that the "strongest incitement" for the Soviet Academy of Sciences to initiate a systematic study of UFO reports in the late 1970s was the "jellyfish-like" UFO sighting in Petrozavodsk in 1977. James Oberg, vice-chairman of CSICOP's UFO Subcommittee, identified this "jellyfish UFO" as the exhaust flame from a rocket launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, a facility whose existence was kept secret from the Soviet public. Oberg is noted as a leading expert on the Soviet space program. Platov admitted that cosmodrome names were kept secret until recently, but now it is possible to identify the source of UFO reports triggered by Soviet space launches. Platov paraphrased the late Dr. Edward U. Condon's sentiment about the "frenzy" with which people hold ungrounded UFO convictions and draw no distinction between possibility and fact.

UFO Potpourri and Book Reviews

The newsletter includes a "UFO Potpourri" section, mentioning an "Earth Contact" UFO conference in Peru and an advertisement for a "UFO Detector." It also references a book by Ed Walters and Frances Walters, "The Gulf Breeze Sightings: The Most Astounding Multiple Sightings of UFOs in U.S. History," with an introduction by Budd Hopkins. The author, Philip J. Klass, expresses skepticism about the Walters' tales, comparing them unfavorably to Whitley Strieber's claims and noting that the UFO photos were taken in darkness. Walt Andrus, MUFON's international director, offers a positive appraisal of the Gulf Breeze case, suggesting that "visitors" might have implanted a communication device in Ed Walters' head as part of a plan to introduce themselves. The article points out that Ed Walters had a prior conviction for forgery. It also notes that Travis Walton, who claimed abduction, also had prior convictions for burglary and forgery. The section concludes with a humorous suggestion that UFOs could have achieved their objectives more convincingly by hovering over a Superbowl game. The opinions expressed are those of Philip J. Klass and do not represent any organization.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Skeptics UFO Newsletter, under the editorship of Philip J. Klass, consistently adopts a critical and skeptical stance towards UFO phenomena and the organizations that investigate them. Key themes include: the internal divisions and philosophical disagreements within the UFO community (particularly regarding abduction experiences and therapeutic approaches); the controversies and internal politics of major UFO organizations like MUFON; the questioning of evidence and authenticity, especially concerning the MJ-12 documents and the Gulf Breeze photos; and the debunking of claims by identifying prosaic explanations for alleged UFO sightings (e.g., rocket exhaust for the Petrozavodsk "jellyfish" UFO). The newsletter emphasizes the importance of rigorous investigation, objective evidence, and critical analysis, often highlighting perceived gullibility or lack of scientific rigor among prominent UFO researchers and enthusiasts. The editorial stance is clearly one of skepticism, aiming to expose what Klass views as flawed reasoning, unsubstantiated claims, and internal inconsistencies within the UFO field.