SUN 71 (Spring 2002)

Magazine Overview

Title: SKEPTICS UFO NEWSLETTER
Issue: SUN # 71
Date: Spring 2002
Publisher: Philip J. Klass
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, published by Philip J. Klass, critically examines recent developments and claims within the UFO community, focusing on skepticism and investigative analysis.

Dr. Steven Greer Creates New Corporation

The lead article details the announcement by Dr. Steven Greer, known for Project Disclosure, of the creation of a new corporation called SPACE ENERGY ACCESS SYSTEMS (SEAS). The stated objective of SEAS is to "identify, test, secure, disclose, finance and produce systems to replace all energy sources currently in use." Greer claims that his organization has identified prospective scientists and inventors with "important new electromagnetic energy and propulsion technologies." He predicts that these technologies, which he links to UFO energy systems, will be released to the public within the current year. The newsletter notes that Project Disclosure held a press conference on May 9, 2001, which Greer claimed was attended by "over a billion people" and that thousands attended "Campaign for Disclosure events." The newsletter expresses skepticism about these numbers and Greer's claims, with a "SUN Comment" stating, "Don't hold your breath."

Greer also scheduled a three-day conference in San Mateo, California, for June 21-23, and planned a repeat press conference for the news media in Washington, D.C. in "late summer." He stated that since the May 9 conference, "we have identified literally dozens of new top secret witnesses to UFO, extraterrestrial and advanced energy programs."

Firmage Praises UFO-Coverup Views In Dolan's Recent Book

This section focuses on Joe Firmage's endorsement of Richard M. Dolan's book, "UFOs and the National Security State, An Unclassified History, Volume One: 1941 to 1973." Firmage, who previously promoted the "new Majestic Documents," predicts Dolan's book will be "ranked one day among the great works of investigative journalism." The newsletter notes that Dolan's book has received praise from only a "tiny handful of pro-UFOlogists." Firmage's e-mail message describes UFO phenomena as "one of the deepest mysteries to confront the discipline of science" and calls the book essential reading. The price of the soft-cover book is listed as $31.94.

Firmage also posed "Questions for Scientists Who Care About The Truth," one of which questioned whether scientists and journalists were aware that much of the Condon Committee's research staff resigned or were fired due to the director's alleged intention to report a pre-ordained conclusion. The newsletter clarifies that only two scientists were fired, and this was due to covertly leaking a memo by project coordinator Robert Low, who was perceived as a UFO skeptic.

The newsletter discusses the Condon Report's inclusion of UFO cases that seemed to defy prosaic explanations, specifically mentioning two UFO photos taken by Mr./Mrs. Paul Trent in 1952 near McMinnville, Oregon. Investigator William K. Hartmann concluded that these photos appeared consistent with an "extraordinary flying object, silvery, metallic, disk-shaped, tens of meters in diameter, and evidently artificial." However, Dolan's book reportedly fails to mention that Hartmann later revised his assessment after studying the Condon report and an investigation by Robert Sheaffer and the newsletter's editor. Sheaffer's work, according to the newsletter, removed the McMinnville case from consideration as evidence for disk-like artificial aircraft.

Dolan Rejects Prosaic Explanations

This section delves into Richard M. Dolan's approach to UFO cases, highlighting his tendency to reject prosaic explanations. The newsletter examines the case of former President Jimmy Carter's UFO sighting, which he recalled as occurring in late 1969. Robert Sheaffer's investigation determined the sighting likely occurred on January 6, and the object was the planet Venus, which would have appeared bright and at a specific elevation in the sky. Dolan's book reportedly offers a "very brief summary" of this incident and dismisses Sheaffer's findings, despite citing Jacques Vallee, who warned that Venus is often misinterpreted as a "flying saucer."

Author Dolan's Background

The newsletter provides background information on Richard M. Dolan, noting that his book is nearly 550 pages long but offers no author biography. Information from a weekly newspaper in his hometown of Rochester, NY, reveals that Dolan studied history at the University of Rochester, specializing in German and Soviet studies, and later ran a resume business. His views are described as seeing wealth concentration as leading to "de-facto manipulation of the institutions of society." Dolan views UFO cover-ups as "one cover-up among dozens, hundreds, that occur every day," and believes that science is not an independent search for truth but is funded by entities like the military, leading to "secret-scientific work." He describes America as an "empire and oligarchy" with a "national security state" structure characterized by secrecy, wealth, independence, power, and duplicity. The newsletter notes a similarity between Dolan's views on America and those of Osama bin Laden.

Dolan's book focuses on the concern that "military-intelligence organizations have toward UFOs, and their concealment of that fact from the public." He asserts that the United States is comprised of "conspiratorial" organizations and recounts an alleged charge that President Eisenhower was horrified to learn in 1960 that he could not control America's nuclear arsenal or get straight answers from the Pentagon, though the book provides no footnote to support this claim.

Some Reservations About Roswell Incident And MJ-12 Documents

Dolan's summary of the Roswell Incident is described as "somewhat factually flawed." He suggests that while the case offers hope for proving a UFO cover-up, it has "yet to deliver the goods," and that a fixation on Roswell is unwarranted. He notes that many UFO researchers do not believe a UFO crashed at Roswell, and others consider an ET explanation only one of several valid possibilities. The newsletter points out that Dolan cites the Project Mogul balloon train explanation but does not mention "SEVERAL valid possibilities."

Regarding the "Majestic 12" [MJ-12] documents, Dolan accurately characterizes them as "rancorous and disputed." While he discusses views challenging their authenticity, he concedes that "Most UFO researchers now believe that the MJ-12 documents are fake." The newsletter details the argument about Truman's signature, which Klass found matched a letter to Vannevar Bush, suggesting a forger may have combined a real signature with a fake letter. Dr. Robert Wood's explanation of Truman using an "Auto-Pen" is refuted by the newsletter, which previously demonstrated that Truman did not use such a device.

If the MJ-12 papers are a hoax, Dolan suspects members of the U.S. intelligence community, specifically individuals from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) at Kirtland AFB, were involved. He mentions William Moore's contact with AFOSI personnel, who allegedly wanted to assist him by leading him to key documents. The newsletter notes that Dolan does not mention that a high-ranking AFOSI officer, Col. Richard Weaver, was the first U.S. official to declare the MJ-12 papers counterfeit.

Dolan Believes Keyhoe Was Top UFO Researcher

Dolan considers Donald Keyhoe, author of five books and founder of NICAP, to be "the most important UFO researcher, ever." He credits Keyhoe's books with providing "an enormous amount of information, much of which was leaked or even declassified solely for his use." Dolan finds it remarkable that Keyhoe is "almost a forgotten entity" and that researchers rarely footnote his books. The newsletter adds a "SUN Comment" that Dolan often quotes from Keyhoe's writings, much of which was based on speculation and rumor.

New Randle Book Features 1952 Washington Radar-UFO Sightings

Kevin Randle, author of books on the Roswell Incident, is reviewed for his latest book, "INVASION WASHINGTON: UFOs Over The Capital." The book includes a transcript of a press conference held by the Pentagon/USAF following the second radar-UFO incident on July 26-27, 1952. The first incident occurred a week earlier, on July 19-20. Maj. Gen. John A. Samford, USAF's Director of Intelligence, was the principal speaker at the press conference.

The newsletter notes that Randle's book mentions a LIFE magazine article from April 4, 1952, titled "Have We Visitors From Space?" It also reports that UFO reports submitted to USAF's Project Blue Book office averaged about 15 per month prior to June 1952, but surged to 79 in May and 99 in April, with 148 in June and over 500 in July, an all-time peak. Randle attributes this surge to "some of the most important cases...that provided some of the best physical evidence that UFOs were not just illusions or delusions, but something solid enough to be filmed and recorded on radar."

The newsletter discusses a 16 mm film taken by Navy Warrant Officer Delbert C. Newhouse near Tremonton, Utah, showing nearly a dozen white "UFOs" flying erratically. While Navy photo-analysts could not offer a prosaic explanation, the University of Colorado's UFO-photo analyst, William K. Hartmann, concluded they were a flock of white seagulls. The newsletter's editor agrees with this assessment.

In a closing chapter, Randle discusses radar's vulnerability to spurious targets caused by temperature inversion. This explanation was suggested during the Samford press conference and occurs most frequently during hot, humid summer days. The newsletter points out that Randle's book concludes that the only explanation for the Washington National incidents is extraterrestrial, a conclusion the newsletter suggests Randle should reconsider by studying the CAA report.

The "Missing" Civil Aeronautics Administration Report

This section criticizes Randle for not mentioning an investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) into the July 20-21 incident. The CAA's 15-page report, published in 1953, stated that radar-UFOs "do not represent a new phenomenon nor are they peculiar to the Washington area." The CAA tabulated records of phenomena reported in the logs of the Washington ARTC Center and correlated them with meteorological data. It was discovered that a temperature inversion had been indicated in "almost every instance" when unidentified radar targets or visual objects were reported. CAA investigators observed the radar display and plotted movements of spurious targets, finding they moved slowly in the direction of the prevailing wind, further confirming the temperature-inversion explanation.

Randle's Conclusion

The newsletter states that Randle offers a more balanced presentation of the 1952 Washington radar-UFO incidents than some accounts. However, his book's concluding summary indicates he believes "believers" buy more UFO books than "skeptics." Randle concludes that "something was seen by radar and observed visually. There was a physical manifestation over Washington that engaged the interest of the President." He asserts, "The only explanation that fits all the facts is the extraterrestrial.... The Washington National [incidents] show that we have been visited. There is no other plausible explanation." The newsletter suggests Randle study the CAA report.

Astronomer Creates Pro-UFO Web-site For Scientists

Dr. Bernard Haisch, a researcher in Zero Point Energy (ZPE) and director of experimental studies for Joe Firmage's Motion Sciences Organization, has created a UFO web-site called "ufoskeptic.org." The newsletter notes that Haisch's list of recommended UFO books does not include any by skeptical UFO investigators but does include Richard Dolan's book. Haisch, who was editor of the quarterly journal published by the Society for Scientific Exploration, notes that a UFO survey of American Astronomical Society members in the early 1970s revealed that astronomers who studied UFO phenomena developed more interest in it. He also claims to have "three completely independent examples of individuals whom I trust, reporting to me that individuals whom they trust have admitted handling alien [i.e., ET] artifacts in our possession in the course of secret official duties." The newsletter adds a "SUN Comment" that if these individuals violated their security oaths, they are "NOT to be trusted."

UFO Lawyer Launches “Extraordinary News” E-mail

Peter A. Gersten announced he would discontinue his Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), P3N, FACET, and "Dorothy Network" web-sites, replacing them with his "PAG E-NEWS." This new service will cover stories not ordinarily covered by conventional media, including "reports of our interaction with non-human intelligence" and "commentary on the nature of our 3-D reality." Gersten's opinions are also reported, including his view that the U.S. move into Central Asia is to prevent the emergence of a force capable of checking the U.S. empire, and that the "war on terrorism is a contrivance to create public support for what is in fact imperial aggression."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter, under the editorship of Philip J. Klass, consistently adopts a skeptical and analytical stance towards UFO claims. The publication focuses on debunking sensationalist accounts, scrutinizing evidence, and presenting alternative, often mundane, explanations for reported phenomena. Recurring themes include the critique of prominent UFO proponents like Dr. Steven Greer and Richard Dolan, the re-examination of classic UFO cases such as the McMinnville photos and the Washington radar sightings, and the emphasis on scientific methodology and evidence-based reasoning. The editorial stance is clearly against the prevailing pro-UFO narrative, aiming to provide a counterpoint grounded in critical thinking and investigative journalism. The newsletter frequently uses "SUN Comments" to inject its own skeptical commentary directly into the reporting of others' claims.