Alien Intrusion Page 21

  In 1984, a roll of unprocessed film anonymously arrived at the door of UFO researcher Jaime H. Shandera. He then contacted William L. Moore (co-author of The Roswell Incident), and they had the film developed. On it, they discovered photos of allegedly top-secret government documents that were claimed to prove that the government had recovered crashed flying saucers at Roswell and other locations. Later, Shandera and Moore added that they uncovered other similar documents filed away in government archives. Then, in 1994, another roll of film came into the possession of Don Berliner (Berliner is co-author of another Roswell conspiracy book).[9] This film supposedly contained a Special Operations Manual (SOM 1-01) on how to handle UFO incidents.[10]

  These documents “proved” that the authorities not only knew about the UFOs but, more importantly, that they conspired to cover up the truth. The most startling revelation to come out of these documents was that former President Harry S. Truman, on the basis of events at Roswell, authorized the formation of Operation Majestic Twelve (MJ-12). This was supposed to be a covert military group that operated above the law, and it is claimed that, over the years, MJ-12 operatives used intimidation and disposed of evidence (and even of witnesses) to conceal the truth about UFOs. These operatives became known as the “Men in Black” (MIB), which seemed to tie in with another conspiratorial idea. In common UFO lore, the mysterious MIB had, for many years, been turning up after UFO sightings, harassing and following witnesses, as well as UFO investigators. It was a description that became popular in books and movies over the years, including two recent Hollywood blockbusters of the same name. In reality, the MIB notion could probably be traced back to a scary 1953 book by Gray Barker, called They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers — another story that somehow became “truth.”[11]

  The most important piece of evidence for the MIB claims came from a memo supposedly prepared by Truman for Defense Secretary James Forrestal, dated September 24, 1947, authorizing the creation of MJ-12.[12]

  Misalignment of type from the Truman memo.

  In profiling these documents, well-known British UFO researcher Timothy Good jumped on board the conspiracy bandwagon, and at the same time tried to rehabilitate the reputation of Frank Scully and his earlier claims. In 1987, Good’s big-selling book, Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-up, also revealed an alleged briefing document prepared for (then) president-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower, which detailed the history of Roswell and MJ-12.[13]

  Who could refute this? They were sensational claims, and for once, no reliance on dubious eyewitnesses and failed memories — this was “proof” of the Roswell incident. Or was it?

  It is no wonder that in some quarters UFOlogy is not taken seriously. Once again, these claims turned out to be hoaxes, and Moore and Shandera in particular came in for intense criticism. The Eisenhower briefing document proved to be a forgery. A linguistic expert found clear differences in style between the forgery and original documents by the alleged author. For instance, the way the date was written was not consistent with other documents by the same author. Interestingly, the date format was characteristic of William Moore’s style in his own personal letters.[14]

  The “Truman memo” also came under critical analysis. Under a microscope the document was shown to be a composite: typed words, characters, and numbers did not align correctly on the page as would be expected if they were typed on a single typewriter. Truman’s signature was an exact copy from another document that he had signed. The original document, from which the signature was lifted, has even been located and identified. Because no two signatures are ever exactly alike, this was damning evidence.

  Furthermore, the Eisenhower memo (which Moore and Shandera claimed to have found in government archives) was supposedly written by his aide, Robert Cutler, but he was out of the country on that date. UFO debunker Philip Klass hints that the memo, which was found in an unlikely archival location, could have been smuggled into the archives by Moore or Shandera. The document apparently had a double fold, unlike other filed documents, and would have fit nicely into a coat pocket.

  And finally, Berliner’s SOM 1-01 operations manual contained many inconsistencies. Supposedly printed in April 1954, it said that any recovered extraterrestrial craft should be sent to “Area 51 S-4.” Yet that portion of Nellis Air Base did not become known as Area 51 until many years later.[15] This suggests that many UFOlogists who shout the loudest about government conspiracies are in fact involved in acts of conspiracy themselves.

  Area 51 and other “secret stuff”

  Why do people go to all the effort of producing forgeries and lying? Philip Klass alleges one clue to the motive for William Moore’s actions:

  Less than two years before Moore made public the initial MJ-12 papers on April 16, 1983 — he had confided to then-close friend and UFOlogist Brad Sparks that he was contemplating creating and releasing some hoax Top Secret documents… . Moore explained to Sparks that he hoped such bogus documents would encourage former military and intelligence officials who knew about the government’s (alleged) UFO cover-up to break their oaths of secrecy. Sparks strongly recommended against the idea.[16]

  It appears that through fraudulent means, they were trying to get the government to “play their hand.” For some, the belief in UFOs is so strong that the end justifies the means. This is a common psychological trait of believers in such conspiracy theories, similar to those involved in religious cults. They believe that they have the exclusive truth and that they must reveal it at all costs. The term “exclusive” implies that everyone else is wrong. In many cases, if you do not agree with their beliefs or conclusions, then you are also perceived as being part of the conspiracy, or at best you are grossly deceived.

  Berliner and Friedman also claimed in their book Crash at Corona (1992) that the government had harvested alien technology and had used it to advance human science. This is a popular theme in UFOlogy, known as reverse engineering. One of the major books to popularize this idea was written by retired U.S. Army Colonel Philip J. Corso. In The Day after Roswell (1997), he claimed that although not a firsthand witness at Roswell, he did eventually see an alien body. However, his major claim to fame is that he was involved in “seeding” (farming out) recovered alien technology to American defense contractors, ultimately leading to inventions such as laser technology, night vision equipment, and microchips.[17] Corso and his book were feted widely on TV and media. The book contained four photographs that he claimed were research from Army intelligence files. Skeptics have said that one photo was clearly a 1935 Ford hubcap that was thrown into the air, and the other three were lifted from the official Condon Report, and therefore not originals as claimed.

  A Russian satellite photo of Area 51.

  Although to this point I have seemed to focus on examples that are easily dismissed as nonsense, these people and the events surrounding them were pivotal in shaping modern UFO culture and popular beliefs. Some of these men remain “leading lights” on the UFO circuit, still propagating their ideas.

  The fact that they have been proven to be frauds seems to be of secondary importance to UFO believers. Secret technology conspiracies have spawned the belief that the U.S. government was involved in covert alien operations at its highly secret base known as Area 51. Also known as Groom Lake, this top-secret facility really does exist, and is located about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It has become a magnet for UFO groupies who flock there in droves. Over the years, locals and visitors have reported and captured footage of strange lights hovering over the base.

  Besides the claims of reverse engineering, there have been sightings of alien craft and flying saucers over the area. Proponents of the ETH have several explanations for these sightings:

  1. The Air Force has been developing flying saucer technology of its own, as a result of harvesting alien devices. And much of this is also responsible for UFO sightings around the world.

  2. The government has been in a collaborative relationship with the ETs
for many years, and has allowed many of them to use Area 51 as a secret Earth hiding base.

  3. ETs are spying on Area 51 as they carefully watch the development of human technology at the base, regardless of its source.

  One of these ideas was reinforced in a 1989 TV interview by a self-described physicist called Robert Lazar. He claimed that theory 1 (above) had been going on for many years, and that he had a “Majestic” (12) security clearance. As usual with individuals who make such spectacular claims, investigations determined that his qualifications and employment history were false. Nonetheless, his claims have brought lasting worldwide attention, not only to himself but also to Area 51, and he is a regular on many UFO specials that appear on TV from time to time. One would think that it would be easy for people to find out for themselves that he deliberately falsified his employment history.

  It is quite easy to claim to have worked for a top-secret organization. For example, if I claimed to have been a spy for the CIA, and you asked them if this were true, they would likely reply, “We can neither confirm nor deny this.” Because they will not deny it, I could happily go on claiming that I was an operative and that any public employment records were part of the CIA’s disinformation campaign to ensure that I remained a covert operative. And if they should openly deny that I ever worked for them — well, they would, wouldn’t they? It’s classic stuff that only adds to the mystery.

  The most self-refuting aspect of Lazar’s theory, however, is that if he were indeed a classified Majestic operative, then in true MJ-12 fashion he should have been locked up or “disposed” of long ago for having “spilled the beans” on Area 51.[18]

  Adding weight to the conspiracy idea is the fact that the U.S. government has increased its “land grab” around the base, enlarged the facilities, and also beefed up ground security. This is not surprising because there seem to be incessant intrusions into the base by UFO curiosity seekers with something to prove. All around the base there are signs advising that entry is illegal. I recall watching a UFO conspiracy-type documentary on television claiming that Area 51 had something to hide. In full view of the TV cameras, the presenter entered the restricted area, then was duly captured and removed from the base, thus allegedly proving his point. He loudly proclaimed that there are secrets that the government did not want him, or anyone else, to see.

  This is the type of nonsense that UFOlogy attracts, and it distracts from the fact that some people really are seeing very serious phenomena.

  It is well known that the military does develop secret technology for defense reasons, and has done so at Area 51. The area originally commenced operations as a test site for the U-2 spy plane in the 1950s. It is also believed to have served as a test site for the futuristic (as it was back then) SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance plane, and the site is known to have been used for America’s “stealth” technology. With this technology, the United States developed radar-invisible planes such as the F-117 stealth fighter and the stealth bomber. Rumors abounded about the stealth weapons even before their existence was officially released. There are similar rumors today about another secret project supposedly called “Aurora.” Delta (triangle-shaped) winged craft have also been tested by the United States, and it is now known that Americans have experimented with saucer-shaped craft as well. Given that the majority of sightings remain identifiable craft or natural phenomena, who knows how many top-secret technologies are responsible for UFO sightings.

  As expected, the government will neither confirm nor deny to what extent they are testing vehicles or weaponry at Groom Lake. It doesn’t matter to the UFO buffs anyway. Area 51 has already taken on legendary proportions. If you were to visit the area, you would drive down State Highway 375, which the state of Nevada has officially named the “Extraterrestrial Highway.” Like the town of Roswell, where there is now a UFO museum, a tourist industry has sprung up in the nearby town of Rachel. You can even stop off and have a drink at the “Little A‘Le’Inn.” As we will now see in more depth, it seems that the truth is not important, especially when money is an issue.

  The Alien Autopsy movie

  In addition to the paranormal and religious agendas of UFO believers, we have highlighted the massive popular, or lay, interest in the UFO phenomenon. If there is one thing our modern culture is good at, it is making money. We have discussed only a few of the numerous profit-seeking books and movies — some were based on complete non-events, and yet they became huge sellers that defined and shaped popular UFO culture.

  Recreation of the alleged alien autopsy at Roswell, New Mexico at the Roswell Museum.

  One pivotal piece of profit-making propaganda that needs to be discussed is the Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction (1995) film. This movie was, quite simply, huge. After doing the rounds on cable and satellite channels, it eventually made its way onto mainstream TV. Tens of millions of people worldwide have seen it. Unfortunately, most of these same people never heard any of the contravening evidence, i.e., that this was one of the biggest UFO hoaxes in history.

  Representation of the alleged alien autopsy at Roswell, New Mexico

  Purporting to be an in-depth documentary, this show was compiled and narrated by Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander Will Ryker in the also hugely popular TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

  This “documentary” is once again based around the Roswell legend. The film claimed to show real archived footage of autopsies carried out on the bodies of dead aliens recovered from the Roswell crash site. The effects were realistic (as you would expect in this day and age) and rather gruesome as the “medicos” carved open the alien body and removed organs. All sorts of experts were called in to examine the footage — anatomists, surgeons, and even special-effects artists, to determine whether it was real or not. Almost unanimously, they roundly condemned it as a hoax.

  Because the film was in black and white, and had a grainy, scratched appearance, it provided the illusion of age, and to support the claim that the film was genuine, a sample of footage was sent to Kodak to verify its old age, which Kodak duly did. Upon further investigation, though, Kodak revealed that only the leader tape and a single frame were submitted for examination. A Kodak spokesman told the Sunday Times in London:

  There is no way I could authenticate this. I saw an image in the print. Sure it could be an old film, but it doesn’t mean it is what the aliens were filmed on.[19]

  Portrayals in the film also contradicted some of the statements made by Captain Jesse Marcel with regard to the numbers of appendages and fingers that the aliens possessed. This latest “proof” had all the hallmarks of previous Roswell hoaxes. There was no prior indication that such a film existed or might be in circulation. Why did it suddenly appear after being hidden away for so many years?

  It was so popular that the Fox Network in America repeated it quickly after its original screening. However, not only was it widely condemned by experts but eventually one of the actors also came forward and revealed that he was paid to take part in the hoax. Fox then aired another special called The World’s Greatest Hoaxes; Secrets Revealed. Along with Bigfoot and other seemingly solved mysteries, they announced that the Alien Autopsy movie was one of the biggest orchestrated hoaxes ever presented.[20] Along the way, though, someone made an awful lot of money on a gullible and UFO-hungry public.

  Not only in America — the secret KGB files

  Most of the reports that catch the media’s attention seem to occur in the United States, but UFO sightings have been common all around the world, including Third World countries. There also seems to be a strong UFO link in countries where mystical-type Eastern religions such as Buddhism are practiced. In the West, the UFO link is more associated with New Age beliefs, which readily incorporate these extraterrestrial ideas. Researcher Bill Alnor says that the messages from the space brothers, via their earthly representatives, reflect a kind of a “non-judgmental universalism.” They transcend conventional beliefs, yet at the same time bind them all together. He says
that a man in Brazil, who now has 70,000 followers, was quoted as saying, “We believe everyone is a natural medium, and that all roads to God are good.” Apparently he mixes flying saucers with Christianity, Hinduism, and many occult ideas.[21]

  In countries where mystical beliefs dominate the culture, it would appear that the perception of UFOs generally takes on spiritual dimensions. The ideas of cover-ups and conspiracies are less prevalent in these Third World countries.

  The 1950s was much more than the decade of the UFO. In Western nations, the Cold War led to mistrust and an emphasis on “secret stuff.” Citizens were told to keep a watch out for “Reds under the beds” (communist spies). McCarthyism[22] was rampant, and the communist threat, rightly or wrongly, took on paranoiac proportions. Much of the perceived technology behind UFOs, if not attributed to aliens, was thought to be secret U.S. technology to counter the Soviet threat. But a prevalent mindset in American society was “If we can do it, so can the communists.” So, to some people, UFOs might be secret Soviet technology.