SUN 73 (Fall 2002)

Magazine Overview

Title: SKEPTICS UFO NEWSLETTER
Issue: SUN #73
Volume: Fall 2002
Publisher: Philip J. Klass
Country: USA
Language: English

NIDS Concludes McGuire AFB "Dead-ET" Tale Is A Hoax

The lead article debunks the claim that an Extraterrestrial (ET) was shot to death at McGuire Air Force Base on January 17-18, 1978. The National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) investigated and concluded the incident was a HOAX. This finding challenges claims made by George A. Filer, a MUFON official and former USAF intelligence officer. The dead-ET tale was first publicized by Leonard Stringfield in 1985, based on information from James Morse, a former military security officer at McGuire. Morse claimed he and others involved were interrogated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and then transferred overseas. He provided a "Incident/Complaint Report" (Form 1569) that seemingly supported his story. However, NIDS investigator Roger Pinson interviewed former McGuire AFB officials, who denied any knowledge of the incident. Pinson found the Form 1569 to be likely counterfeit. NIDS admits that some may claim their findings are denied by military personnel, but states that four senior military officers interviewed by Pinson responded without hesitation and insisted they would have known about such an incident.

Dr. Greer Makes Even Wilder, Wackier UFO Claim

Dr. Stephen Greer is presented as claiming the government plans to stage a hoax extraterrestrial attack to provoke a cosmic war. Greer's views, shared in an email titled "COSMIC DECEPTION: LET THE CITIZEN BEWARE," suggest a covert agency is producing "Alien Reproduction Vehicles" (ARVs) and staging "UFO abductions" to mislead the public. Greer believes a shadowy group has mastered technologies to launch an attack on Earth that looks like an ET attack. The article recalls Greer's previous claim that revealing UFO secrets could have prevented the September 11 tragedy. Greer also cites Mark McCandlish's claim that the U.S. has had operational anti-gravity propulsion for decades, developed from studying ET vehicles. The newsletter disputes Greer's claim that "space-based weapons are already in place," stating no experiments have been conducted to demonstrate feasibility for space-based high-energy lasers.

UFO-Abduction Reports Experience Sharp Decline

John Velez reports a significant drop in UFO abduction reports submitted to his Abduction Information Center web-site, despite an increase in web-site visitors. Mark Rodeghier of the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) also reports a decline. Other researchers have reportedly experienced the same trend. Dr. John Mack, a Harvard psychiatrist who founded the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research (PEER), has folded PEER into a new organization, and his book "Passport to the Cosmos" is described as his final word on alien encounters. Tom P. Deuley of MUFON confirms this observation, noting fewer abductions and repeat cases. Budd Hopkins, however, did not mention this decline in a recent paper, instead discrediting skeptical explanations and theories of Mack, Greer, and Lt. Col. Philip Corso. Hopkins argues that abductions are not quasi-military operations and not related to the implementation of Reagan's "Star Wars" system.

New Disney Movie Promotes Media Interest In “Crop Circles"

The Disney movie "Signs," starring Mel Gibson, has generated significant media attention on crop circles. The movie, which opened on August 2nd, was a box office success. The article notes that the movie has led to a surge in books, documentaries, and TV shows about crop circles. While scientists initially sought natural explanations, UFOlogists have attributed them to ETs. However, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley confessed in 1991 to creating many early crop circles as a prank. Colin Andrews, a researcher, concedes that about 80% of crop circles are human-made but claims the remainder defy explanation, often occurring near Stonehenge. Dennis Stacy of the MUFON UFO Journal questions why crop circles in Britain are elaborate while those in Canada and the U.S. are primitive, suggesting ETs might send their most experienced makers to Britain.

The Best Explanation: Britain Has Its Own Expert Crop-Circle Makers

In 1998, New Zealand saw a large crop circle created by three British "professionals" from CIRCLEMAKERS, a group known for creating sophisticated crop circles in England. They were flown to New Zealand for an NBC-TV documentary. The article notes that the CIRCLEMAKERS group originated from a 1992 competition in Britain. It highlights how crop circle researchers (Cerealogists) can transform even mistakes into "special accomplishments." The article points out the animosity between crop-circle hoaxers and those who believe in paranormal or ET origins.

Maccabee Admits He Was Fooled By Hoax UFO Photos

Dr. Bruce Maccabee, a respected UFO photo analyst, admitted being fooled by hoax UFO photos. The incident involved two similar photos of a rectangular red UFO with green lights, allegedly taken near Lawton, OK, by two different individuals (JW and TJ) on March 11 and May 20, 2002. Maccabee initially classified them as "True UFO (TRUFO)". However, on August 4, Maccabee was alerted to a web-site describing how to create hoax UFO photos using digital cameras and software. The web-site included a hoax-UFO photo similar to the Lawton photos. Maccabee promptly conceded the Lawton photos were hoaxes, offering a lengthy commentary to minimize the impact, stating the hoaxer failed to prove his point but served as a warning to the UFO community. The article also criticizes Maccabee's past endorsement of Ed Walters' UFO photos from Gulf Breeze, FL, for which he received $20,000. Maccabee also spent over 100 hours investigating a video of a UFO over Mexico City, which was later exposed as a hoax by Jeff Sainio.

Birnes Admits Errors In Corso Book But Praises His Co-Author

William J. Birnes, co-author of "The Day After Roswell" with the late Philip J. Corso, admitted the book had errors due to a tight publication schedule. The newsletter's previous critique called Corso's book "the most factually flawed and self-contradictory book on the subject ever published." Examples of errors include the incorrect location of the 8th Army Air Force headquarters. Birnes explained that Corso was too ill to make corrections to the manuscript. The article details Corso's claims about his role in the early 1960s in the Foreign Technology unit and his alleged covert transfer of ET technology to American companies like Motorola and Bell Labs. The newsletter disputes Corso's timeline, noting that patents for microcircuits were filed later than Corso claimed. Corso's son opened a web-site with additional tales, including an encounter with a live ET in a gold mine. Corso also linked the JFK assassination to other events, suggesting a "secret government" operating since the 1950s. The Corso web-site was terminated without explanation, but Birnes hopes to publish a new book.

Scientists, Academics Criticized For Lack Of UFO Interest

Dr. David M. Jacobs criticized the lack of interest from scientists and academics in UFOs. He noted that in the past, the conventional paradigm and misidentifications were sufficient explanations, but by 1953, the inability to gather concrete evidence led to a "culture of ridicule." The advent of "contactees" like George Adamski in the mid-1950s seemed to confirm that UFOs belonged in popular culture. The University of Colorado investigation under Dr. Edward U. Condon in the late 1960s reportedly concluded that UFO research was unworthy of further study. Jacobs also cited government cover-up theories as a barrier and admitted that abduction reports are difficult for academics to accept. He criticized self-promoters and disreputable individuals in the UFO scene. Despite these barriers, Jacobs places the blame directly on the academic and scientific community for their "disgraceful" lack of concern and study.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Skeptics UFO Newsletter, edited by Philip J. Klass, consistently adopts a skeptical stance towards UFO claims. The editorial stance is to critically examine and debunk purported UFO incidents, often highlighting hoaxes, misinterpretations, and factual inaccuracies. The newsletter emphasizes the importance of rigorous investigation and scientific scrutiny, contrasting it with the sensationalism often found in UFOlogy. Recurring themes include the debunking of specific UFO cases (McGuire AFB), the analysis of trends in UFO reporting (decline in abductions), the impact of popular culture on UFO beliefs (crop circles and movies), and critiques of prominent UFO researchers and their claims. The newsletter also expresses a critical view of the scientific community's engagement with the UFO phenomenon, while simultaneously holding UFO proponents to high standards of evidence.