AREA 51 FORMAT=INTRO ANCHOR=MARK WRITER=GKN SOURCE=IT17.IT19 TAPE#= PHOTOG= DATE=7-18-96 (*BRADSHAW*) SINGLE (**SINGLE**) HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS RELATED TO NEVADA'S INFAMOUS AREA 51 MILITARY BASE HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC BY ORDER OF A FEDERAL JUDGE. THE ACTION WAS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO LEGAL MOTIONS FILED BY CHANNEL 8. HOWEVER, THE PENTAGON IS STILL WITHHOLDING OTHER SENSITIVE MATERIAL, IN DEFIANCE OF THE COURT. (***PAULA***) 3-SHOT (**3-SHOT**) GEORGE KNAPP OF THE CHANNEL 8 I-TEAM IS HERE WITH THE STORY. S-AREA 51 FORMAT=INTRO ANCHOR=GEORGE WRITER=GKN SOURCE=IT17.IT19 TAPE#= PHOTOG= DATE=7-18-96 AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, NUMEROUS DELAYS, AND THREE COURT ORDERS, THE PENTAGON HAS FINALLY COUGHED UP SOME OF THE MATERIAL CONCERNING A LAWSUIT FILED BY FORMER WORKERS AT AREA 51. CONSIDERING HOW MUCH THE MILITARY DRAGGED IT'S FEET, YOU MIGHT THINK THE DOCUMENTS HELD VITAL NATIONAL SECRETS. NOT SO. P-AREA 51 FORMAT=PKG ANCHOR=GEORGE WRITER=GKN SOURCE=IT17.IT19 TAPE#= PHOTOG= DATE=7-18-96 ((Jonathan Turley/Law professor: what they're saying is that they can classify evidence of their own crimes.)) LAW PROFESSOR JONATHAN TURLEY REPRESENTS FORMER AREA 51 EMPLOYEES WHO SAY THEY WERE EXPOSED TO TOXIC MATERIALS AT THE BASE. THE MILITARY HAS CONTENDED THE LAWSUIT CANT PROCEED BECAUSE IT WOULD ENDANGER NATIONAL SECURITY TO REVEAL ANYTHING ABOUT THE BASE, INCLUDING WHETHER THERE IS PAINT OR JET FUEL STORED THERE. CHANNEL 8 NEWS ASKED THE COURT TO UNSEAL TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE TRIAL, TRANSCRIPTS WHICH HAD NO REASON TO BE SEALED IN THE FIRST PLACE. ((Jonathan Turley/Law professor: so why is the hearing sealed? The answer is the oldest trick in the book. The governbment is embarrassed. it doesnt want the public to know what it did behind closed doors.)) THE PENTAGON RELUCTANTLY RELEASED HUNDREDS OF PAGES FROM THE TRIAL, INCLUDING COPIES OF AN AREA 51 SECURITY MANUAL, WHICH TEACHES BASE SECURITY OFFICERS HOW TO LIE TO THE PUBLIC. THE MANUAL CONFIRMS THAT AREA 51 HAS ITS OWN SWIMMING POOL, TENNIS COURTS, AND CORNER BAR. ALSO RELEASED WAS TESTIMONY FROM BASE WORKERS WHO WITNESSED EXPOSURES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT MATERIAL REQUESTED BY CHANNEL 8 AND ORDERED RELEASED BY THE COURT IS STILL BEING WITHHELD. WHEN AND IF IT'S FINALLY RELEASED, THE MATERIAL COULD SHOW THE EXTREME LENGTHS THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN IN ORDER TO HIDE EVIDENCE OF ITS OWN CRIMES. ((Jonathan Turley/Law Professor: We've has three court orders and have yet to get the release of these documents. Itr's bloody ridiculous for the govt to reinterpret orders and delay the release. as we made clear in our motion, we are not going away.)) T-AREA 51 FORMAT=RDR ANCHOR=GEORGE WRITER=GKN SOURCE= TAPE#= PHOTOG= DATE=7-18-96 NOR ARE WE. TODAY, THE U.S. 9TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ACKNOWLEDGED THE GOVERNMENT'S DELAY TACTICS. IT GRANTED THE AREA 51 EMPLOYEES MORE TIME TO FILE THEIR APPEAL, BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE PENTAGON HAS NOT YET HANDED OVER THE INFORMATION THAT CHANNEL 8 AND THE WORKERS HAVE REQUESTED. TX-2
7/19/96