Grazie mille della segnalazione (ricordo che questa è la quarta tranche), in questi casi è pane per DownThemAll!
Gli UFO cmq ovviamente sono solo una burla, o al limite una teoria delirante di chi è insoddisfatto della propria vita. Ora conto approssimativamente quante centinaia di MB ammontano queste burle, limitandomi all'UK. Noto anche che l'UK government non si è accorto che si tratta solo di bufale. Che ingenui...
(magari tra un po' anche la traduzione), ovvero la trascrizione del videocast ufficiale che fa una panoramica su questa quarta fase di rilascio degli UFO files del ministero della difesa britannico:
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Script for National Archives UFO files - August 2009 podcast
Hello I’m David Clarke from the Dept Journalism, Sheffield Hallam University. I’m the
consultant to The National Archives for the ongoing release of the MoD’s UFO files.
This is the fourth instalment of files transferred from the MoD. They are available to download
from the National Archives dedicated website
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos There are 14 files in all – containing just over 4000 pages of material spanning 15 years, between
1981 and 1996.
There are detailed files covering specific UFO incidents, correspondence, a Parliamentary
questions and a series of files containing UFO reports from the period between January 1993 and
August 1996
During these three years there were more than 800 sightings reported to MoD, with a large
increase in numbers during 1996 when 609 incidents were logged. This was more than all the
three previous years added together (1993: 258 sightings; 1994: 209 sightings; 1995: 117)
The large increase in numbers during 1996 may reflect increased public awareness of UFOs and
aliens due to the popularity of the TV series The X Files and the release of the
movie Independence Day.
What the Key files?
There are two files that deal with the “Rendlesham Forest” UFO sightings in Suffolk.
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Rendlesham is undoubtedly Britain’s best known UFO incident. It has become known as
“Britain’s Roswell”.
It involves sightings of mysterious lights in the forest outside the perimeter fence of RAF
Woodbridge made by USAF personnel in December 1980. They claimed a UFO had landed in
the forest, leaving traces including markings on the ground and radiation.
A summary of the events were included in a famous memo to the MoD by Lt Col Charles Halt
(USAF deputy base commander), who witnessed one of the sightings.
Halt’s memo opens this file, which consists largely of correspondence between the MoD and
members of the public about the case between 1983 and 1995. The file also shows the MoD were
unable to explain the incident, but decided it was of “no defence significance” as no unidentified
objects had been detected on radar at the time.
Another file in this release contains the MoD’s final position statement on the Rendlesham
incident. This was written for the defence minister Lord David Trefgarne in 1995 and says: "…it
is highly unlikely that any violation of UK airspace would be heralded by such a display of
lights. I think it equally unlikely that any reconnaissance or spying activity would be announced
in this way. We believe that the fact Col Halt did not report these occurrences to MoD for almost
two weeks after the event, together with the low key manner in which he handled the matter are
indicative of the degree of importance in defence terms which should be attached to the
incident."
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But Lord Hill-Norton, a former Chief of Defence Staff, was unconvinced by the MoD’s
statements on the case. He believed the Rendlesham forest UFO incident was “a potential banana
skin looming for the MoD”.
In a letter to Defence Minister Michael Heseltine he said: “…If the [USAF] report…is accurate,
there is evidence that British airspace and territory are vulnerable to unwarranted intrusion to a
disturbing degree. If, on the other hand, [Halt’s report] must be dismissed, then we have
evidence – no less disturbing, I suggest – that a sizeable number of USAF personnel at an
important base in British territory are capable of serious misperception, the consequences of
which might be grave in military terms.”
Responding to another letter about the incident, Michael Heseltine said: “I can assure you there
is not a grain of truth in the allegation that there has been a cover-up about alleged UFO
sightings” including Rendlesham.
Belgian UFOs:
Another important UFO story covered by these files is the wave of sightings that occurred in
Belgium during 1989 -90. These reveal how in March 1990 the Belgian Air Force scrambled F-
16 fighters to intercept strange brightly-lit triangular-shaped flying objects reported by police
officers and others.
In a statement sent to the British MoD in June 1994 General Wilfried de Brouwer, Chief of
Operations, Belgian Air Staff, confirms that F-16 pilots obtained “lock-ons” with their radars but
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were unable to explain what had caused the phenomena. MoD were not informed of the incident
at the time and concluded there was no threat to the UK.
For their part, the British MoD told an inquirer “we have never detected a structured craft flying
in UK airspace that has remained unidentified.”
What are the other highlights of this release?
UFO sightings in London. In 1993 and 1994 there were many sightings of a brightly
illuminated oval object moving slowly over London.
The MoD discovered these were caused by a Virgin airship advertising the launch of the Ford
Mondeo. This airship was even seen by the MoD’s UFO desk officer. The files contain many
accounts and sketches of the London UFOs, many depicting saucer-shaped UFOs. It is
interesting that several people refused to believe the UFO was the airship!
Cosford incident: One entire file is devoted to this flap. Bright lights were seen across central
England in the early hours of 31 March 1993 by police officers and military witnesses including
a police patrol at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton.
During 6 hours there were more than 30 sightings reported to the MoD across the south and west
of the British Isles. The MoD’s UFO desk were so concerned they asked the RAF to replay radar
tapes but this found nothing unusual had been detected.
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But soon afterwards, it emerged the majority of sightings were caused by the re-entry into earth’s
atmosphere of the Russian rocket that launched Cosmos 2238 satellite. This was one UFO that
eventually became an I-F-O: “identified flying object.”
Can you tell us about some of the more unusual accounts in these files?
Alien Abductions (attempted!): Staffordshire Police sent a report to the MoD about a weird
incident in May 1995.
Two terrified youths ran into the police station late one night and claimed they saw a UFO land
in a field at Chasetown. They were hit by a blast of heat. A face appeared and a voice said: "We
want you - come with us.” They panicked and ran.
Police returned to the field with the lads the next day but could only find a farmer spraying
crops. He said he had not seen anything unusual!
UFO attack on cemetery: Cheshire police report from July 96: young man returning home near
Widnes ran after seeing UFO over cemetery.
Beams of light were projected onto the ground, a wailing noise was heard and smoke rose from
the ground. Investigations at the scene found a hole burned in a railway sleeper still smouldering
when police arrived…
Scotland UFO flap: Bonnybridge, a small town in southern Scotland, was featured in the
national press during 1994-95 as Britain’s hotspot for UFO sightings. It was claimed there had
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been more than 3,000 separate reports. In 1995 a local councillor wrote to John Major asking for
an inquiry and later he tried to twin the town with Roswell.
All 14 files can be downloaded from the TNA website which is:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos