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[Music]

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you

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I'm Nick Pope I worked for the British

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government for 21 years at the Ministry

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of Defence and for much of the early 90s

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I ran the UK's UFO program my job was to

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research and investigate the phenomenon

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and to determine if there was anything

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of any defense significance or anything

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of more general scientific interest now

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the biggest story in recent years in the

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UFO field has undoubtedly been the

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revelations concerning the existence of

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the Pentagon's

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a tip program this was front-page news

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in The New York Times on December 16th

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2017 and really in terms of the

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historian where it is it is still a

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story that continues to unfold there are

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fresh revelations it seems every few

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weeks and this is clearly the biggest

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thing to have hit the UFO community for

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some time now there is controversy even

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about the name of the program a tip has

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been variously suggested to be either

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advanced aerospace threat identification

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program or advanced aviation threat

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identification program there are even

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versions with an extra and in there and

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also suggestions that it either evolved

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from or is essentially the same thing as

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another program called or SAP advanced

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weapons system application program so

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when you can't even be certain or win

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this certainly controversy and

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disagreement about the exact nature and

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name of a program you know that you're

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dealing with some fairly shadowy

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relation to the nature of the program

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that continues to be debate about this

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was this as the Department of Defense

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and the Defense Intelligence Agency

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usually try to characterize it was it an

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advanced aerospace threat program in

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other words that there are some

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statements from the press office and

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some documents where they talk about

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this in terms of it being a program to

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assess far term aerospace threats now

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conventionally and I speak as someone

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who's done this whole thing within

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government conventionally when you talk

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about foreign advanced aerospace threats

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you're talking about Russia and China

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and maybe some other nations such as

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Iran and North Korea as well as

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non-state actors such as Isis but if you

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look at the paperwork that has been

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Declassified in relation to the

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Pentagon's a tip program and if you

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listen to the statements for the people

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involved in this Senate majority leader

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former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

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who was instrumental in setting it up

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Luis Elizondo the DIA career

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intelligence officer who ran this and

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some of the other people it's clear that

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part of this work at least part of it if

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not the whole of it was concerned not

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with Russia and China but but with

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anomalous phenomena the UFO mystery

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whatever you want to term it so here we

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have this program that made front-page

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news and New York Times was also in the

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Washington Post Politico CNN Fox CBS NBC

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a

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pilots involved who's gone on the record

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david flavor has say i don't know what

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it was but i want to fly one now when

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navy pilots are getting excited about

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speeds and maneuvers of something

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you know that you're in pretty

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interesting territory so the videos have

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been an important strand of this story

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and there is some dispute and

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disagreement about exactly how and when

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and under whose authority these videos

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which absolutely seemed to be the real

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thing and and the Pentagon of course

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before the New York Times would run this

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story the Pentagon through the press

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office had to confirm that yes there was

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an a tip program so so there has been

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confirmation of all this but exactly

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when and who and how the release of

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these videos came about that's still

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being debated but there are other

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strands of the story too for example the

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suggestion that they had meta materials

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now these are supposedly they've been

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called mystery metals that's not a

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helpful term everything sits somewhere

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on the periodic table and is made of the

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same stuff

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however there are differences in

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isotopes and what this means in terms of

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analysis is that just as you can analyze

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for example a meteorite and you can be

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certain that it came from space as

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opposed to it's just someone's trying to

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sell you a rock that they picked out of

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their backyard because the isotopic

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ratios are different and that's because

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the elements out of which you know the

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elements and compounds have been exposed

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to cosmic rays cosmic radiation in other

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words that we are protected from on on

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the surface of planet Earth

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so so you can tell if something's been

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in space and apparently these meta

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materials that were looked at as part of

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the work of the 88 program have

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undergone isotopic ratio analysis and

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the conclusion is that they have been in

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space so that needless to say is

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extremely interesting part of the eight

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hit work in fact an awful lot if not all

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of the a tip contract seems to have been

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put out into the private sector what the

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DoD and the Defense Intelligence Agency

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seem to have done with this is put it

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out supposedly for competitive tender

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one report suggests there were two

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bidders another report suggests there

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was only one but whatever the truth of

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that the contract went to Bigelow

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Aerospace now Robert Bigelow has a

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long-standing interest in UFOs dating

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back to a childhood sighting but has

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made some very forthright statements

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about the reality of this and has said I

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don't just believe this to be true I

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know this to be true

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now if

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the person who did the a tip contract

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for the Pentagon maybe that's the answer

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to the question how does he know this to

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be true why is this not just a belief

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why is Robert Bigelow in interviews

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talking about this in terms of

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definitive you can take it to the bank

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knowledge that this is true so that's

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another aspect of this and of course

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putting a program like this into the

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into the private sector has two

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advantages firstly it makes

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congressional oversight more difficult

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but secondly it takes a large part of

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the information outside the scope of the

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Freedom of Information Act now could

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argue that's already largely exempt

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because of defense and national security

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and intelligence exemption but having it

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in the private sector gives you an extra

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layer of protection because you can also

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in parallel with those other foi

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exemptions you can deploy the exemption

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that relates to privileged commercial

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privilege when something is done and is

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the propriety information of a private

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sector entity so that again is a way

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often and I've come across similar

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things and indeed done similar things in

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the UK where you run a program out of

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the private sector and it's sounds

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counterintuitive but it actually makes

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it harder not easier to to get that

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information out so we have this program

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and but that continues to be divergence

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of view about the true nature of the

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program just in January 2019 I acquired

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from the DA's office of corporate

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communications a letter that the DIA

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sent to Congress about the a tip program

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and they said you have asked about this

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this program here is

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a list of the products produced under

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the atyp contract they went on in their

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cover letter to Congress to talk about

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this in terms of it being a program

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designed to assess far term aviation

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threats to the US but then they listed

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as an attachment to that better 38

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studies that they've done papers that

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had been written under the 88 program

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and it was nothing to do with Russia or

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China or Iran or North Korea it was to

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do with theoretical physics relating to

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exotic propulsion systems that would not

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go basically not not to build a faster

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aircraft but to build a spacecraft

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capable of viable interstellar travel

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and there was another paper in there

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about the Drake Equation the Drake

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Equation is a construct designed to make

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an assessment of how many communicable

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civilizations there are in our Milky Way

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galaxy if this was a program looking at

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Russian and Chinese aviation over the

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next 40 years which is the way that some

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skeptics have tried to portray this

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program clearly they wouldn't be looking

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at the Drake Equation why if you're

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studying Russian aircraft or Chinese

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missiles would you need to know how many

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intelligent civilizations there are in

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the galaxy clearly it's a nonsense so we

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have a fundamental disconnect between

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what the DIA said to Congress in their

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letter and what they actually revealed

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by virtue of the list at attachment

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where clearly they were looking at

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something entirely different

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the whole story of how this got out into

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the public domain is is very interesting

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in October of 2017 Louis says Ando who

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had run this program for the DIA here

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left the DIA and turned up in a private

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organization called the to the Stars

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Academy of Arts and Sciences this was a

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think-tank to put together by the former

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blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge and he

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had formed this organization as part

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think-tank

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part research organization part lobby

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group to try to raise awareness of this

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subject and to try to kick-start a

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conversation with the American people

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about the reality of this phenomenon and

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maybe to try to get more done about it I

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think the way I characterize what Tom

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DeLonge him and what the to the Stars

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Academy seem to be doing is that they

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seem to be continuing some of the work

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that was done within government or at

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government's behest continuing a tip but

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outside of

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the DoD in the DIA and in a way that is

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more public so what happened was that

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they in October 2017 that to the Stars

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Academy did a a launch which was filmed

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and they basically revealed who they

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were what their strategic aims were and

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that generated some media coverage now

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between that time clearly they were

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having discussions with a number of

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media entities and some people were

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acting as go-betweens here and and one

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of the people involved in this story who

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knew about it was George Knapp who who

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was a journalist based out of Las Vegas

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who has links with Robert Bigelow and

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who has run series of favorable UFO

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stories over the years but another

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person who was brought into this this

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media handling strategy was the

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investigative journalist Lesley Kane and

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Lesley clearly found out about this was

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briefed on certain aspects of it

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then met some of the people involved

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teamed up with Ralph Blumenthal another

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journalist who worked for the New York

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Times and Helene Cooper another New York

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Times journalist and when so what

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happened was that and then they were

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also obviously in parallel talking to

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other media outlets but it was the Times

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who published first very closely

279
00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:23,170
followed by the Washington Post and

280
00:17:28,610 --> 00:17:26,250
Politico so clearly

281
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:28,620
there was some coordination here but the

282
00:17:35,330 --> 00:17:32,010
times got the scoop and when the story

283
00:17:38,810 --> 00:17:35,340
was published it went out jointly under

284
00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:38,820
the buy lines of Ralph Blumenthal Leslie

285
00:17:44,270 --> 00:17:41,370
Kane and Helene Cooper

286
00:17:45,740 --> 00:17:44,280
so the three of them had gotten the

287
00:17:48,620 --> 00:17:45,750
story out but clearly they had been

288
00:17:52,190 --> 00:17:48,630
talking to people like Lewis Elizondo

289
00:17:56,390 --> 00:17:52,200
who went on the record Senator Harry

290
00:17:58,070 --> 00:17:56,400
Reid who went on the record but a number

291
00:18:00,770 --> 00:17:58,080
of other people associated with the

292
00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:00,780
program who did not go on the record and

293
00:18:04,940 --> 00:18:03,270
also as part of the fact-checking for

294
00:18:07,970 --> 00:18:04,950
the story the New York Times and

295
00:18:10,070 --> 00:18:07,980
presumably the other media outlets had

296
00:18:12,860 --> 00:18:10,080
to satisfy themselves that this was real

297
00:18:15,350 --> 00:18:12,870
and they did that by for example not

298
00:18:18,049 --> 00:18:15,360
just talking to Harry Reid and Lewis

299
00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:18,059
Elizondo but talking to the pilot David

300
00:18:25,159 --> 00:18:20,490
flavour who had been involved in one of

301
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:25,169
those military jet chases and of course

302
00:18:30,820 --> 00:18:28,650
they saw some documentation relating to

303
00:18:35,090 --> 00:18:30,830
the a tip program they saw for example

304
00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:35,100
contractual solicitation documentation

305
00:18:38,860 --> 00:18:37,330
showing how this had been put out and

306
00:18:42,799 --> 00:18:38,870
[Music]

307
00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:42,809
what the contractual requirements were

308
00:18:48,590 --> 00:18:46,710
but the final confirmation of course had

309
00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:48,600
to come from the government itself all

310
00:18:54,529 --> 00:18:51,690
this was very impressive but ultimately

311
00:18:57,020 --> 00:18:54,539
a pentagon spokesperson through the

312
00:19:00,020 --> 00:18:57,030
press office confirmed to The Times and

313
00:19:04,789 --> 00:19:00,030
others that yes there was an a tip

314
00:19:07,190 --> 00:19:04,799
program and at some stages press

315
00:19:09,620 --> 00:19:07,200
officers have used phrases along the

316
00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:09,630
lines of confirming that in parallel

317
00:19:14,930 --> 00:19:11,570
with this work part of this work

318
00:19:16,820 --> 00:19:14,940
included looking at anomalous phenomena

319
00:19:18,950 --> 00:19:16,830
now they've been a couple of occasions

320
00:19:23,860 --> 00:19:18,960
where that's I won't say it's been

321
00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:23,870
walked back but it's been omitted from

322
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:26,130
some of the statements that have come

323
00:19:33,490 --> 00:19:30,210
out of of public affairs at DoD and dia

324
00:19:35,380 --> 00:19:33,500
but there are other

325
00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:35,390
occasions where that statement has been

326
00:19:42,610 --> 00:19:39,760
made so I don't regard it as being

327
00:19:44,470 --> 00:19:42,620
disputed that they looked at anomalous

328
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:44,480
phenomena and my goodness when you look

329
00:19:50,110 --> 00:19:47,210
at the attachment the letter dia sent to

330
00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:50,120
Congress it makes it abundantly clear

331
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:52,850
we're not talking about Russian and

332
00:19:57,460 --> 00:19:54,490
Chinese aircraft we're talking about

333
00:20:00,010 --> 00:19:57,470
more exotic things that some people

334
00:20:02,110 --> 00:20:00,020
would say fringe science

335
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:02,120
some would almost say literally science

336
00:20:12,210 --> 00:20:07,810
fiction but clearly scientists with

337
00:20:15,670 --> 00:20:12,220
papers published in in prestigious

338
00:20:18,130 --> 00:20:15,680
peer-reviewed journals have have been

339
00:20:21,130 --> 00:20:18,140
involved in this and have have published

340
00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:21,140
on this and have contributed to the atyp

341
00:20:31,810 --> 00:20:25,730
work on subject such as wormholes warp

342
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:31,820
drive anti-gravity Stargate etc I think

343
00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:35,090
in conclusion I would say that this is

344
00:20:42,460 --> 00:20:38,690
not a a done deal this there is still

345
00:20:45,340 --> 00:20:42,470
discussion and debate about a tip there

346
00:20:47,230 --> 00:20:45,350
will continue to be revelations about

347
00:20:49,660 --> 00:20:47,240
this program we have very little

348
00:20:52,660 --> 00:20:49,670
paperwork still we I mentioned the

349
00:20:58,330 --> 00:20:52,670
contractual solicitation document we

350
00:21:00,490 --> 00:20:58,340
also have a January 24 2009 letter from

351
00:21:03,130 --> 00:21:00,500
Harry Reid to the deputy defense

352
00:21:07,690 --> 00:21:03,140
secretary we have and I've mentioned

353
00:21:11,930 --> 00:21:07,700
this the letter that the DIA sent to

354
00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:13,190
we still don't really have much

355
00:21:22,180 --> 00:21:16,730
paperwork out of the 38 papers

356
00:21:26,330 --> 00:21:22,190
they're called dirts defense

357
00:21:30,289 --> 00:21:26,340
intelligence research documents out of

358
00:21:32,389 --> 00:21:30,299
the 38 listed in the attachment to the

359
00:21:34,399 --> 00:21:32,399
letter that went to Congress only around

360
00:21:37,539 --> 00:21:34,409
half a dozen have been published so the

361
00:21:40,779 --> 00:21:37,549
still material to come out there and

362
00:21:45,259 --> 00:21:40,789
there's still of course an awful lot of

363
00:21:49,399 --> 00:21:45,269
internal DoD and dia and maybe other

364
00:21:54,649 --> 00:21:49,409
agency documents that I would expect to

365
00:21:57,549 --> 00:21:54,659
exist on the a tip program that have not

366
00:22:00,080 --> 00:21:57,559
yet been Declassified and released now

367
00:22:02,509 --> 00:22:00,090
clearly some of this must still be

368
00:22:04,129 --> 00:22:02,519
classified and it's not necessarily easy

369
00:22:07,159 --> 00:22:04,139
to get it out into the public domain

370
00:22:08,810 --> 00:22:07,169
people say where are the American people

371
00:22:10,549 --> 00:22:08,820
have a right to know but once you put

372
00:22:12,529 --> 00:22:10,559
the information out of course it goes

373
00:22:15,019 --> 00:22:12,539
not just the American people through the

374
00:22:18,230 --> 00:22:15,029
media but once it's out there goes to

375
00:22:19,879 --> 00:22:18,240
Russia China Iran North Korea anyone who

376
00:22:21,799 --> 00:22:19,889
wants to read it it's once it's out its

377
00:22:24,980 --> 00:22:21,809
out you can't get genie back into the

378
00:22:27,980 --> 00:22:24,990
bottle so it's not necessarily as simple

379
00:22:31,060 --> 00:22:27,990
as it sounds and I know from my own

380
00:22:33,860 --> 00:22:31,070
experience that sometimes

381
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:33,870
declassification is is very tricky you

382
00:22:38,919 --> 00:22:35,610
have to decide which bits can be

383
00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:38,929
released to the public and which

384
00:22:46,159 --> 00:22:43,470
information needs to still be classified

385
00:22:47,619 --> 00:22:46,169
because I mean look none of us have been

386
00:22:51,139 --> 00:22:47,629
involved in these sorts of programs

387
00:22:54,259 --> 00:22:51,149
classify things for fun it's a darn

388
00:22:57,110 --> 00:22:54,269
nuisance it's it takes it takes time and

389
00:22:59,419 --> 00:22:57,120
it's it's an administrative burden we

390
00:23:02,869 --> 00:22:59,429
don't do these things because they're

391
00:23:06,019 --> 00:23:02,879
fine we do these things because it's the

392
00:23:09,999 --> 00:23:06,029
proper thing to do the definition for

393
00:23:14,090 --> 00:23:10,009
example of something like top secret is

394
00:23:16,159 --> 00:23:14,100
and this is not a direct quote but the

395
00:23:18,830 --> 00:23:16,169
sense of it is the top secret

396
00:23:21,230 --> 00:23:18,840
information is information the

397
00:23:24,019 --> 00:23:21,240
compromise of which would cause

398
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:24,029
catastrophic damage to the national

399
00:23:31,609 --> 00:23:26,730
interest and catastrophic damage might

400
00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:31,619
be defined as strategic damage or it

401
00:23:37,549 --> 00:23:33,450
might be loss of life or it might be

402
00:23:40,159 --> 00:23:37,559
both so none of us do these these things

403
00:23:47,899 --> 00:23:40,169
for fun or because they're easy they're

404
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:47,909
not easy then they're hard so it's it's

405
00:23:53,450 --> 00:23:50,970
a sensitive topic or all of this and and

406
00:23:56,389 --> 00:23:53,460
I hope that more information on this

407
00:24:00,409 --> 00:23:56,399
program will come out Oh

408
00:24:02,749 --> 00:24:00,419
over the next few months however long it

409
00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:02,759
takes but I can't guarantee that we'll

410
00:24:08,210 --> 00:24:06,869
be involved and I of course worked on a

411
00:24:10,639 --> 00:24:08,220
similar program for the British

412
00:24:13,549 --> 00:24:10,649
government but I was not involved in any

413
00:24:17,330 --> 00:24:13,559
way with the a tip program and although

414
00:24:20,539 --> 00:24:17,340
I've met and had discussions with some

415
00:24:23,299 --> 00:24:20,549
of the people involved I I have no

416
00:24:25,159 --> 00:24:23,309
official involvement in that program so

417
00:24:28,070 --> 00:24:25,169
I can't speak with any authority about

418
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:28,080
what might be out there still to be

419
00:24:34,999 --> 00:24:30,570
released and whether it will be released

420
00:24:38,930 --> 00:24:35,009
or not I know from talking to Lois

421
00:24:44,450 --> 00:24:38,940
Elizondo that sometimes with this

422
00:24:47,509 --> 00:24:44,460
subject in the Pentagon at high level he

423
00:24:52,009 --> 00:24:47,519
and others hit roadblocks there was

424
00:24:54,289 --> 00:24:52,019
pushback from some senior military and

425
00:24:57,769 --> 00:24:54,299
and civilian people I don't know exactly

426
00:25:00,249 --> 00:24:57,779
who and where but one one reason for

427
00:25:02,690 --> 00:25:00,259
that pushback apparently was religious

428
00:25:05,279 --> 00:25:02,700
there are

429
00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:05,289
apparently some people in the Pentagon

430
00:25:10,590 --> 00:25:07,809
and I've come across a similar thing in

431
00:25:13,649 --> 00:25:10,600
the British government some people have

432
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:13,659
convinced themselves that the UFO

433
00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:16,930
phenomenon is do not demonic

434
00:25:25,830 --> 00:25:21,760
there is a phrase in the Bible I think

435
00:25:30,930 --> 00:25:25,840
in in the book of Ephesians and it talks

436
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:30,940
about Satan in terms of I think quote is

437
00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:34,770
the Prince of the power of the air and

438
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:38,890
that quote seems to be the reason why a

439
00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:41,170
number of people within government have

440
00:25:45,780 --> 00:25:43,330
convinced themselves that this is

441
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:45,790
demonic and therefore if it's demonic

442
00:25:50,010 --> 00:25:47,890
we shouldn't be studying with it

443
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:50,020
shouldn't be engaging with it because it

444
00:25:58,890 --> 00:25:56,050
feeds it I think this is it's very

445
00:26:01,530 --> 00:25:58,900
difficult and sensitive area of course

446
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:01,540
and I don't want to disparage people's

447
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:06,250
beliefs but it's frustrating to me to

448
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:11,650
find that UFO skepticism is not as some

449
00:26:16,140 --> 00:26:13,330
people might think within government

450
00:26:17,990 --> 00:26:16,150
necessarily rooted in a belief that this

451
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:18,000
isn't a real phenomenon

452
00:26:24,399 --> 00:26:21,650
these people are seemingly quite

453
00:26:26,769 --> 00:26:24,409
you know happy to admit it is a real

454
00:26:28,180 --> 00:26:26,779
phenomenon but the skepticism comes from

455
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:28,190
the fact that they believe it to be a

456
00:26:33,510 --> 00:26:31,010
demonic phenomenon that therefore we

457
00:26:38,769 --> 00:26:33,520
shouldn't study I would like to see

458
00:26:41,470 --> 00:26:38,779
people like Louis Elizondo would like to

459
00:26:43,390 --> 00:26:41,480
see people like Christopher Mellon would

460
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:43,400
like to see other people who've been

461
00:26:48,610 --> 00:26:46,010
involved in these sorts of subjects at

462
00:26:55,269 --> 00:26:48,620
senior level within the system within

463
00:26:58,210 --> 00:26:55,279
government we'd like to see more proper

464
00:27:00,850 --> 00:26:58,220
serious scientific research and

465
00:27:02,919 --> 00:27:00,860
investigation of this phenomenon it's in

466
00:27:05,799 --> 00:27:02,929
our airspace it's real it's undeniable

467
00:27:08,139 --> 00:27:05,809
now this thing there's no longer a

468
00:27:10,539 --> 00:27:08,149
debate to be had about is this real or

469
00:27:13,690 --> 00:27:10,549
not I mean my goodness we've seen it's

470
00:27:17,409 --> 00:27:13,700
real we've seen the videos of the Navy

471
00:27:21,990 --> 00:27:17,419
Jets chasing these things we've heard

472
00:27:25,570 --> 00:27:22,000
the pilots talking about this we've had

473
00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:25,580
former Senate Majority Reeder Leader

474
00:27:30,370 --> 00:27:27,890
Harry Reid talking about how and why the

475
00:27:32,500 --> 00:27:30,380
program was set up and help more needs

476
00:27:35,590 --> 00:27:32,510
to be done on on this I mean yeah there

477
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:35,600
is no longer a debate about is this real

478
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:38,090
or not it's real that we need now to get

479
00:27:45,010 --> 00:27:41,770
to the next questions what is this

480
00:27:49,539 --> 00:27:47,409
what are the threats what are the

481
00:27:51,519 --> 00:27:49,549
opportunities and when I talk about

482
00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:51,529
opportunities I'm talking primarily

483
00:27:57,039 --> 00:27:54,950
about technology acquisition if there's

484
00:28:00,460 --> 00:27:57,049
a an intelligence here if there's a

485
00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:00,470
technology can we acquire that

486
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:03,770
technology the u.s. the UK can we stop

487
00:28:09,190 --> 00:28:05,330
the Russians or the Chinese or someone

488
00:28:11,980 --> 00:28:09,200
else getting it first and then we get to

489
00:28:15,399 --> 00:28:11,990
the next questions what's what's this

490
00:28:18,130 --> 00:28:15,409
all about what is we have some idea of

491
00:28:20,289 --> 00:28:18,140
the capability we're dealing with here

492
00:28:24,549 --> 00:28:20,299
and its capability that seems to run

493
00:28:25,419 --> 00:28:24,559
rings around us our Jets chase them but

494
00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:25,429
can't catch them

495
00:28:32,590 --> 00:28:29,570
our radar systems track them but never

496
00:28:36,750 --> 00:28:32,600
seen anything like it so we know or we

497
00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:36,760
know part of we have a broad idea of the

498
00:28:42,580 --> 00:28:38,870
capability what we really have no idea

499
00:28:45,039 --> 00:28:42,590
of is the intention what's the intent

500
00:28:47,350 --> 00:28:45,049
and you can't say whether there is or is

501
00:28:55,860 --> 00:28:47,360
not a threat if you don't know the

502
00:29:01,720 --> 00:28:55,870
intent so the story is is huge it has

503
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:01,730
taken the whole subject of UFOs out of

504
00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:09,500
is no longer a sort of

505
00:29:14,690 --> 00:29:12,690
are they or aren't they debates I mean

506
00:29:17,180 --> 00:29:14,700
oh yeah I know it's in one sense it's a

507
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:17,190
UFO simply means something in our

508
00:29:24,070 --> 00:29:19,890
airspace that we can't identify but the

509
00:29:26,470 --> 00:29:24,080
question is there a phenomenon as

510
00:29:28,510 --> 00:29:26,480
opposed to is it all just

511
00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:28,520
misidentifications and hoaxes and

512
00:29:34,010 --> 00:29:31,590
psychological delusions that question I

513
00:29:36,230 --> 00:29:34,020
think and people who've been involved in

514
00:29:39,230 --> 00:29:36,240
programs like this for government I

515
00:29:42,110 --> 00:29:39,240
think now is beyond debate that clearly

516
00:29:45,190 --> 00:29:42,120
the answer to that question is yes there

517
00:29:49,130 --> 00:29:45,200
is something above and beyond

518
00:29:50,540 --> 00:29:49,140
misidentification hoaxes and delusion so

519
00:29:53,090 --> 00:29:50,550
that debate is gone

520
00:29:56,420 --> 00:29:53,100
it's it's it's yesterday's UFO story

521
00:29:59,360 --> 00:29:56,430
today and tomorrow's UFO story is what

522
00:30:00,950 --> 00:29:59,370
are we going to do about it what is it

523
00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:00,960
and what are we going to do about it

524
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:06,450
so we are in interesting times I can't

525
00:30:12,950 --> 00:30:09,330
recall an occasion where this subject

526
00:30:17,990 --> 00:30:12,960
has at the highest level been taken so

527
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:18,000
seriously ie now go on to mainstream TV

528
00:30:24,110 --> 00:30:20,370
news media for example and talk about

529
00:30:28,670 --> 00:30:24,120
this quite openly no longer is this the

530
00:30:32,660 --> 00:30:28,680
little subject that that people whistle

531
00:30:37,180 --> 00:30:32,670
that the x-files theme tune to and make

532
00:30:41,150 --> 00:30:37,190
funny jokes about it now now politicians

533
00:30:42,710 --> 00:30:41,160
intelligence officers pilots these are

534
00:30:45,590 --> 00:30:42,720
the sorts of people having a discussion

535
00:30:48,290 --> 00:30:45,600
about this phenomenon so we are in the

536
00:30:51,050 --> 00:30:48,300
process of taking this to the next level

537
00:30:53,630 --> 00:30:51,060
the to the Stars Academy are going to

538
00:30:57,530 --> 00:30:53,640
continue clearly what what they are

539
00:30:59,060 --> 00:30:57,540
doing I'm doing similar things in

540
00:31:01,160 --> 00:30:59,070
relation for example to the

541
00:31:03,860 --> 00:31:01,170
declassification and release of the

542
00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:03,870
British government's UFO FILES

543
00:31:09,830 --> 00:31:06,450
many of which I wrote I'm involved in

544
00:31:12,380 --> 00:31:09,840
that release processes as a spokesperson

545
00:31:17,270 --> 00:31:12,390
and really the public face of it and

546
00:31:19,220 --> 00:31:17,280
continuing to have a conversation I

547
00:31:22,820 --> 00:31:19,230
suppose to have

548
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:22,830
zatia with with politicians with the

549
00:31:28,430 --> 00:31:24,570
media with the public about what to do

550
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:28,440
about this and perhaps I'll finish on

551
00:31:40,100 --> 00:31:33,570
one important aspect of of this

552
00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:40,110
as I speak ongoing active congressional

553
00:31:50,060 --> 00:31:46,050
interest in the a tip program and in the

554
00:31:53,090 --> 00:31:50,070
phenomenon more generally the Senate

555
00:31:55,550 --> 00:31:53,100
Armed Services Committee has taken

556
00:31:57,770 --> 00:31:55,560
evidence they've interviewed some of the

557
00:32:00,700 --> 00:31:57,780
people involved with with all of this

558
00:32:03,890 --> 00:32:00,710
the House Armed Services Committee is

559
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:03,900
involved too there is I think a debate

560
00:32:11,750 --> 00:32:06,810
about where within Congress this best

561
00:32:14,990 --> 00:32:11,760
sets but what happens next I don't know

562
00:32:16,250 --> 00:32:15,000
but clearly the Senate Armed Services

563
00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:16,260
Committee the House Armed Services

564
00:32:23,410 --> 00:32:18,710
Committee you're gonna take this forward

565
00:32:27,490 --> 00:32:23,420
whether this results in open public

566
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:27,500
hearings or whether it remains an

567
00:32:34,610 --> 00:32:31,010
internal subject of inquiry I don't know

568
00:32:37,790 --> 00:32:34,620
but the fact that there's congressional

569
00:32:43,430 --> 00:32:37,800
interest in this is is I think an

570
00:32:46,130 --> 00:32:43,440
indicator of now the level at which this

571
00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:46,140
is being continued so when I say that

572
00:32:50,060 --> 00:32:48,210
this subject has been taken out of the

573
00:32:53,660 --> 00:32:50,070
fringe and into the mainstream I don't

574
00:32:56,300 --> 00:32:53,670
make that statement likely this is now a

575
00:32:59,090 --> 00:32:56,310
subject that is not just in the tabloids

576
00:33:01,970 --> 00:32:59,100
it's in the New York Times and The

577
00:33:05,180 --> 00:33:01,980
Washington Post this is a subject that

578
00:33:07,820 --> 00:33:05,190
is now not just being discussed at UFO

579
00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:07,830
conferences but it's now being talked

580
00:33:16,810 --> 00:33:11,010
about in congressional hearings and and

581
00:33:19,330 --> 00:33:16,820
committees so watch this space

582
00:33:22,900 --> 00:33:19,340
there is more to come on this this is an

583
00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:22,910
important and interesting story and a

584
00:33:29,980 --> 00:33:25,490
lot of it still lies in the future is

585
00:33:32,110 --> 00:33:29,990
this disclosure well it's not it's not

586
00:33:35,140 --> 00:33:32,120
conventional disclosure the UFO

587
00:33:37,930 --> 00:33:35,150
community to talk about disclosure to

588
00:33:40,450 --> 00:33:37,940
the UFO community is disclosure with a

589
00:33:44,050 --> 00:33:40,460
capital D my fellow Americans people of

590
00:33:47,140 --> 00:33:44,060
the world we are not alone I don't think

591
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:47,150
you're going to get that I think

592
00:33:55,530 --> 00:33:51,850
disclosure is a more subtle process

593
00:33:59,460 --> 00:33:55,540
disclosure is

594
00:34:03,450 --> 00:33:59,470
this subject favorably discussed and

595
00:34:06,230 --> 00:34:03,460
confirmed in the New York Times The

596
00:34:11,310 --> 00:34:06,240
Washington Post and Politico

597
00:34:15,180 --> 00:34:11,320
disclosure is this subject acknowledged

598
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:15,190
and discussed in Congress when people

599
00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:17,770
say when are we going to get disclosure