THE UFO CHRONICLES

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Controversy Over Luis Elizondo's Credentials As Head of The Pentagon UFO Program, AATIP

Unidentified and Luis Elizondo

For those who think I have missed it, I have, of course, seen the article and information about John Greenewald and his attempt to verify Luis Elizondo’s claim of leadership of the AATIP program. It is a disturbing document because it suggests that Elizondo wasn’t in a leadership position, although that it how he is “credentialed” on History’s Unidentified program.

First, however, let’s separate the UFO sightings on the USS Nimitz from this controversy around Elizondo. We do have the video, limited though it is, and the testimony from several

By Kevin Randle
A Different Perspective
6-14-19

members and former members of the US Navy including fighter pilots. The sighting should stand or fall on its own merits. The controversy around Elizondo has nothing to do with the sighting itself. We judge the sighting on the information we have and don’t discredit it because someone who was not there and had no role in the case, finds himself in wrapped controversy.

Now, we move onto the other part of this. What do we know about Luis Elizondo? Was he one of the leaders of the AATIP program? Or was his name merely on a distribution list? What has been learned?

John Greenewald attempted to answer some of these questions. In the article The Intercept that seems to kick off the controversy, Greenewald reported that Elizondo had no real role in AATIP.

And you can pick up more information on this controversy at Curt Collin’s Blue Burry Lines blog.

The article in The Intercept, as you can see from the first link, was written by Keith Kloor, and said, in essence, that Elizondo “…had no responsibilities with regard to the AATIP program while he worked [in the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence], up until the time he resigned.”

Much of this was based on information provided by Greenewald. I will say that I know John, have talked with him on a number of occasions and have used his Black Vault in my research. I find him to be a careful researcher who does not leap to conclusions and doesn’t print anything until he is sure of the information. Greenewald’s suggestions about the accuracy of Elizondo’s job description is quite worrisome.

However, I have also learned that even those with good intentions and careful research methodology can make errors. In looking at this, I reached out to George Knapp. He responded to me quickly, but didn’t provide any useful information to me directly. I suspect now that he had put it all up on Twitter so that he assumed that I would see it there.

That tweet, or series of tweets, did not help. What he provided was a letter from Senator Harry Reid of Nevada that did have Elizondo’s name on an “FY 10 Preliminary Bigoted List of Government Personnel.” Elizondo was listed as a Special Agent, USDI (Gov’t). Interesting, but it doesn’t make Elizondo a leader of AATIP, only that he was on the list of those who knew about the program and had some sort of connection to it.

Harry Reid was interviewed on the radio about all this recently. He told the interviewer that he’d talked with Elizondo many times. He said, “So, I know Elizondo is a real guy. People are out there – a few people are trying to punch holes in what he is saying and what he does, but he was part of the Defense Department, no question about it, and a man of, I think, veracity.”

This doesn’t, however, provide us with any new information about Elizondo’s role in AATIP. It seems to be confirmed that Elizondo had a role in the DoD, and that Reid knew who he is, but that doesn’t make him the chief of ATTIP.

Hal Puthoff, who has hovered around the UFO field for a while and who is now a contractor of some sort with the To The Stars Academy, an organization with which Elizondo is also associated, told John Greenewald, “I have no problem asserting... Elizondo’s leadership and responsibility for maintaining continuity of the Program…”

An article in Politico, written by Bryan Bender, didn’t do much to clear up the controversy. According to Bender “Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White confirmed to POLITICO that the program [AATIP] existed and was run by Elizondo. But she could not say how long he was in charge of it and declined to answer detailed questions about the office or its work…”

Given the nature of classified programs, that really doesn’t surprise me. If the information is classified, then any spokesperson is going to be reluctant to answer questions about it. But she apparently no longer works in that same job, so you have to wonder about the value of her endorsement, which doesn’t really help us.

There is another player in all this and it is Wired. Apparently, they were able to confirm that Elizondo worked for the DoD but could not confirm that he had worked on AATIP. George Knapp’s letter does not confirm it either. It only confirms that Elizondo was on a distribution list for AATIP information or association.

John Greenewald got into it again, with another posting to his Black Vault website. He contacted Susan Gough, a Pentagon spokesperson. He asked her specifically about Luis Elizondo's name listed on Reid’s letter. As reported by Greenewald:

“I can confirm that the memo you’re referring to is authentic. DOD received it and responded to Sen. Reid,” Ms. Gough said. She then explains that her office is unable to provide The Black Vault a full copy of the response, since the Public Affairs office does not release Congressional correspondence, but she adds, “It makes no change to previous statements. Mr. Elizondo had no assigned responsibilities for AATIP while he was in OUSD(I). DIA [Defense Intelligence Agency] administered AATIP, and Elizondo was never assigned to DIA. Elizondo did interact with the DIA office managing the program while the program was still ongoing, but he did not lead it.

You can read all of what Greenewald had to say in the article he posted to the Black Vault here.

Everything seems to suggest that Elizondo had some sort of involvement with the program, but that suggesting he was leading it appears to be something of an embellishment. But you have to wonder if there isn’t something else going on here… oh, not about the USS Nimitz and the UFO sighting, but in the promotion of the television show. Having the leader of the AATIP program leading the TV investigation makes it a little more credible. But that only works if the credential can be verified. Does merely having some association with the program, rather than actually leading it reduce the credibility? Or more importantly, does embellishing the role of the lead investigator on the History program diminish that credibility of that program?

The question arises from that. In a world in which so much information is now available to so many of us with so little effort, isn’t it a little reckless to inflate credentials? In the end, if the inflation is discovered, and it will be if it exists, it hurts the overall program and in fact, hides the importance of the USS Nimitz sightings. You almost have to wonder if that wasn’t the whole point.

Again, all this controversy about Elizondo (which could be cleared up in a candid statement) does not detract from the AATIP program nor the sightings by those in the USS Nimitz battle group. They are separate issues. I suppose I’m suggesting that we ignore the trouble about Elizondo until it can be resolved and concentrate on the information from the witnesses and attempt to learn more about the video that has been released. One does not depend on the other and we shouldn’t get caught up in the controversy to the exclusion of investigation of the sighting. Surely, there will be more about that in the weeks to come.

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Peruvian Air Force Confirms UFO Sighting Over Lima

Two unidentified flying objects (UFOs) flew over the skies of Lima at 1:30 a.m. on 27 February of this year.

By Inexplicata
6-24-19

They were described as highly luminous vehicles at a distance of 5 nautical miles and an altitude of 2400 meters, near the Jorge Chavez International Airport, according to confirmation given by the Peruvian Air Force to CNN. However, following publication, the very same official who spoke to the news outlet has denied the truthfulness of that statement.

According to CNN, the presence of these objects was elaborated and reported by commercial flights. The crews of LAN Peru 2437 and Latam Ecuador 1442 identified the UFOs during communications with the control tower. Both aircraft were on the airport runways, ready to take off for their respective destinations.

The incident alert lasted 40 minutes. The Corpac radar recorded the event and documented it, as explained by a Peruvian Air Force official report to which CNN en Español had access.

According to CNN, confirmation of the UFOs was attested by DINIA (Dirección de Información e Intereses Aeroespaciales del Perú - Office of Peruvian Airspace Information and Interests). Major General Robert Baxerias Vucanovich ratified the information, affirming its validity.

"The event to which you are referring indeed took place [the presence of UFOs near the Lima airport] and it is necessary to point out that at no time where either civilian or military air operations in jeopardy as a result of their localization and location," said Baxeiras.

However, Baxeiras told the Peru21 newspaper that he never discussed the UFO sightings.

"We have an anomalous phenomena office. A gentleman from CNN wrote me saying that some reports had been leaked, stating that an air traffic controller had seen a light in the sky, and had reported it on his hand-over sheet. I then replied by mail that yes indeed, when something is seen flying, the FAP is under obligation to investigate it, but at no time did I say UFO," he said.

Marco A. Barraza, the senior researcher from DIFAA (Departamento de Investigación de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos del Perú - Peruvian Anomalous Aerial Phenomena Research Department) advised CNN that contrary to the information disseminated on social media regarding the UFO sightings at the airport, the unidentified flying objects were only in the air terminal's vicinity.

"The [Jorge Chavez] airport's airspace is fully monitored, supervised and controlled as far as air operations are concerned. This took place at sea, in the proximity of San Lorenzo Island," Barraza told CNN en Español.

Barraza explained that the Peruvian Air Force refrained from issuing a communiqué at the time, deeming it unnecessary, as there was no visible threat.

"A series of incidents, objects and events play out in the skies, and these are investigated, but as long as they do not present a threat or hazard to civilian or military operations, they move into 'another category'," he said about the case, which is still under investigation.

Baxeiras Vucanovich also told Peru21 that he requested consultation from Marco Barraza in order to better respond to this speculation. “He sent me a reply and I boiled it down to five paragraphs pointing out that yes, something was seen in the sky, but it will be investigated. At no time was it said that it was a UFO. They've started this uproar."

General Baxerias asked that rumors not be allowed to continue, as it was not a UFO but rather "space junk."

"What was seen could be a kite, one of the many Google balloons (Project Loon), or as we say, trash in the air," he told Peru21.

Documents with seemingly official terminology and specifics appeared on social media in connection with the two UFOs over Lima. Barraza notes that having not been furnished by authoritative sources, these documents should be considered as spurious information.

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

UFO Recorded Over Lima, Peru International Airport
(Part One)

UFO Recorded Over Lima, Peru International Airport
(Part Two)

UFO Videotaped Over San Isidro, Lima | VIDEO

* Source: PLANETA UFO (Argentina) and www.eltiempo.com (Peru) Date: June 19, 2019

* [Translation (c) 2019 S. Corrales, IHU with thanks to Guillermo Giménez and the El Tiempo newsroom]

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Navy Pilots Reported a UFO Off Jacksonville Coast

Navy pilots said they believe they spotted a UFO just off the coast in Jacksonville.

Matthew Spanopoulos said some things you see you never forget, especially the night he believes he saw a UFO four years ago.

By Brittany Jones
www.news4jax.com
6-22-19

"I remember just the really panicked, the fear that you always think about in your dreams where it just paralyzed you," Spanopoulos said. "That's kind of what I felt mixed with excitement, because when you see something like that, there's definitely mixed emotions running through you. For a second, it's kind of like, 'Whoa, am I really seeing this?'"

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Alien Abduction Story Commemorated By Historical Marker (Mississippi)

Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson claimed to have been abducted by a UFO in Pascagoula in 1973. Their story became known around the world.

On Saturday, the City of Pascagoula commemorated the story

By Harold Gater
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
6-24-19

with a historical marker. The dedication took place next to the Lighthouse Park boat launches, according to a city news release.

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

Alien Abductee, Calvin Parker Breaks Silence – Gives Rare Interview | VIDEO

Pascagoula UFO Incident – New Witnesses

Pascagoula: The Closest Encounter, My Story – A REVIEW

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Documenting Luis Elizondo's Leadership of the Pentagon's UFO Program

When To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science burst on the scene, the feather in it's cap was the revelation that the US government had a secret UFO investigation, and that the program's former director was now a key member in their company, TTSA.

The news was really made by the article in the New York Times from Dec. 16, 2017, by Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean. Luis Elizondo was presented as the former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program

By Curt Collins
Blue Blurry Lines
6-13-19

(AATIP). It was revealed that Senator Harry Reid was the architect of AATIP's creation, and it referred to a letter by him that had been presented to journalists to establish the bona fides of AATIP and Elizondo.

[...]

Controversy arose after Keith Kloor's scathing June 1, 2019, Intercept article, "The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He?" The DoD denied Luis Elizondo's role in AATIP. Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Sherwood stated:

“Mr. Elizondo had no responsibilities with regard to the AATIP program while he worked in OUSDI [the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence], up until the time he resigned effective 10/4/2017.”

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

NASA Rover on Mars Detects Puff of Gas
That Hints at Possibility of Life

The Curiosity mission’s scientists picked up the signal
this week, and are seeking additional readings from the red planet.

Mars, it appears, is belching a large amount of a gas that could be a sign of microbes living on the planet today.

In a measurement taken on Wednesday, NASA’s Curiosity rover

By Kenneth Chang
The New York Times
6-22-19

discovered startlingly high amounts of methane in the Martian air, a gas that on Earth is usually produced by living things. The data arrived back on Earth on Thursday, and by Friday, scientists working on the mission were excitedly discussing the news, which has not yet been announced by NASA.

[...]

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

NASA Discovered Evidence of Life on Mars 40 Years Ago, Then Set It On Fire

Life On Mars a Reality, Scientists Claim

Proof of Life on Mars Destroyed, Claims Former NASA Scientist | VIDEO

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Sgt. Charles R. Sharp, Lt. Col. Robert Friend, Capt. Hector Quintanilla

Robert Friend, a decorated fighter pilot who flew 142 combat missions with the fabled Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, then became an expert on missile systems and directed Project Blue Book, the classified Air Force investigation into unidentified flying objects [UFOs], died June 21 at a hospital in Long Beach, Calif. He was 99.

By Harrison Smith
The Washington Post
6-23-19

[...]

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

UFO / ET Contact at CIA Head Quarters in Washington D.C.?

Air Force Team Investigates UFO Chase Incident | UFO CHRONICLE -1963

UFOs Invaded The Tri-State –1963

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Congress Is Taking the UFO Threat Seriously

In 2004, two Navy pilots near San Diego encountered what they said was a strange aircraft: “whitish” in color, oval in shape, and capable of accelerating “like nothing I’ve ever seen,” one of the pilots would later tell the New York Times.

By Eric Lutz
Vanity Fair
6-20-19

[...]

According to Politico, an increasing number of legislators have been requesting Pentagon briefings on UFOs—a sign, officials told the publication, of “growing congressional interest” in the topic. “There are people coming out of the woodwork,” a government official told the outlet. Three senators, including Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence committee, were reportedly briefed on Wednesday about encounters members of the Navy have described with unidentified aircraft. “If naval pilots are running into unexplained interference in the air,” Warner’s spokesperson said, “that’s a safety concern Senator Warner believes we need to get to the bottom of.” Other lawmakers apparently agree: “More requests for briefings are coming in,” an intelligence official told Politico.

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

THE UFO CHRONICLES

Pages

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Controversy Over Luis Elizondo's Credentials As Head of The Pentagon UFO Program, AATIP

Peruvian Air Force Confirms UFO Sighting Over Lima

Navy Pilots Reported a UFO Off Jacksonville Coast | VIDEO

Alien Abduction Story Commemorated By Historical Marker (Mississippi)

Documenting Luis Elizondo's Leadership of the Pentagon's UFO Program

(Another) Sign of Life On Mars?

Robert Friend, Tuskegee Pilot Who Led Air Force Study on UFOs, Dies at 99

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Congress Is Taking the UFO Threat Seriously

LIVE SIGHTING REPORTS BY MUFON