Documents / Official release

[01/08/1997 - 09/11/1997]: 24194018-20060474F-001-018-2023

· 48 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This Clinton Presidential Library folder of NSC cables, filed under "Flying Saucer or UFO" and covering January to September 1997, holds several cables plus a withdrawal sheet listing three redacted items. A Tel Aviv embassy media report notes an Israeli cartoon about a January 5 UFO alert. An FBIS translation reports that a Colombian helicopter landed in Rubio, Venezuela, prompting UFO speculation. A DoD briefing transcript quotes Kenneth Bacon saying a CIA study found no evidence of UFOs, and an FBIS summary covers Cuban radio claims about the 1947 New Mexico crash.

  • p. 13 …BACON, ASD (PA) AT THE PENTAGON MR. BACON: GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S APRIL FOOL'S DAY…
  • p. 16 …IF IT'S SUCH A GOOD PLANE, WHY DOESN'T THE PENTAGON WANT TO BUY ANY…
  • p. 19 …CAN YOU SHED ANY LIGHT ON EITHER OF THOSE REPORTS? IS THE PENTAGON AWARE OF IT…
  • p. 20 …TO KIND OF PUT THIS STORY IN PERSPECTIVE, HAS THE UNITED STATES OR THE PENTAGON NOTICED…
  • p. 22 WITHOUT ANY PENTAGON REVIEW OF THE SECURITY THREAT? A: THE SECURITY REVIEW OF THE COSCO ARRANGEMENT…
  • p. 23 …HAVE BEEN--ARE--LOOKING AT WAYS THAT THE PENTAGON CAN BE RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY, AND THAT…
  • p. 25 …BACON, ASD (PA) AT THE PENTAGON MR. BACON: WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. IT CERTAINLY IS A GREAT…
  • p. 28 …APOSTOLOS TSOHATZOPOULOS AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WILLIAM COHEN HERE AT THE PENTAGON? A: I HAVEN…
  • p. 30 …DOES THE PENTAGON SEE ROOM FOR COMPROMISE HERE, OR IS THE PRESIDENT GOING TO INSIST, AND…
  • p. 31 …THAT IF THE CONGRESS DOESN'T LIFT THE 60-40 RULE, THAT THE PENTAGON WILL NOT…
  • p. 33 …BACON, ASD (PA) AT THE PENTAGON MR. BACON: GOOD AFTERNOON. SORRY I'M LATE FOR THE…
  • p. 36 …OF THE SECURITY PROCEDURES? AND ARE YOU CONFIDENT GENERALLY THAT SECURITY AT THE PENTAGON IS ADEQUATE…
  • p. 38 …WERE HIS ACTIONS CAPTURED ON THE PENTAGON VIDEO MONITOR? PAGE 03 RUEKJCS7746 UNCLAS A: THEY WERE…
  • p. 39 …HE'S PART OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM THAT THE PENTAGON HAS, SORT OF A SEPARATE…
  • p. 40 PAGE 06 RUEKJCS7746 UNCLAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS WHICH IS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE PENTAGON. FIRST…
  • p. 41 …DOES DEFENSE SECURITY GO TO THE VITAL OFFICES AROUND THE PENTAGON AND ALSO TO PROTECT TOP…
  • p. 42 …THE PENTAGON? A: WE ARE DOING IT. WE ARE, ONE, LOOKING AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE…
  • p. 43 …OVER THE WEEKEND, OR IT WAS RELEASED OR REPORTED ON OVER THE WEEKEND -- AS PENTAGON SPOKESMAN…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

UNDERTAKING, THROUGH THE FBI. THEY'RE IN CHARGE OF THIS

INVESTIGATION. DIRECTOR FREEH HAS BEEN OVER THERE SEVERAL TIMES. UNCLAS FINAL SECTION OF 03

THERE IS EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE SAUDIS ON THIS INVESTIGATION, AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SECRETARY COHEN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A DETAILED WAY.

Q: HE HASN'T RAISED THAT -- [OFF MIKE]?

A: HE DID TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION, AND HE SAID PUBLICLY THAT HE -- HE URGED THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION, FULL COOPERATION WITH THE SAUDIS -- FROM THE SAUDIS WITH THE UNITED STATES. HE REPEATED WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID; THAT WE EXPECT FULL AND COMPLETE COOPERATION FROM THEM. AND HE DID SPEAK ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR INCIDENT, WHICH WAS THE DEPORTATION OF ALSAYEGH FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES. BUT THE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE UNDER THE MANTLE OF THE FBI.

YES?

Q: FOLLOWING UP ON MARK'S QUESTION, WITH THE CINCS IN TOWN, WILL DEFENSE SECRETARY COHEN CONDUCT INTERVIEWS REGARDING

## PAGE 02 RUEKJCS3096 UNCLAS

THE CHAIRMANSHIP, USE THE OPPORTUNITY?

A: I CAN'T GO INTO SPECIFICS, BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S ON HIS MIND AND IT'S ON THEIR MIND, AND THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME OF THEM TO TALK.

Q: HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER ARMEY LAST NIGHT SAID THAT IF THE PRESIDENT IS NOT WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON THE QUESTION OF KELLY AND MCCLELLAN -- THE DEPOTS AT KELLY AND MCCLELLAN AIR FORCE BASES, THAT THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ROUND OF BASE CLOSINGS. DOES THE PENTAGON SEE ROOM FOR COMPROMISE HERE, OR IS THE PRESIDENT GOING TO INSIST, AND PENTAGON GOING TO INSIST, THAT YOU RETAIN THE RIGHT TO PRIVATIZE THOSE DEPOTS?

A: WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I CAN'T TALK FOR THE PRESIDENT ON THIS ISSUE. WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, THE SECRETARY AND THE STAFF ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME THIS WEEK ON THAT ISSUE, WHICH IS BRAC, AND HOW TO GET BRAC THROUGH. THE SECRETARY WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A 9-9 VOTE ON IT IN THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STRONG SUPPORTERS FOR BRAC IN THE SENATE, IN PARTICULAR; THERE ARE SOME IN THE HOUSE AS WELL. AND WE ARE PREPARED TO WORK WITH CONGRESS AGGRESSIVELY AND ENERGETICALLY TO TRY TO GET A BRAC PACKAGE

## PAGE 03 RUEKJCS3096 UNCLAS

THROUGH. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE DETAILS OF ANY EVENTUAL COMPROMISE WILL BE. I THINK IT MAY BE TOO EARLY TO TALK ABOUT DETAILS AT THIS TIME. I THINK WE HAVE TO GET A CLEARER IDEA OF WHERE EVERYBODY STANDS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT BRAC IS TO STRESS THAT IF WE WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM THAT THE PENTAGON, THAT THE CHIEFS, THAT THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE -- AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE QDR -- THINKS IS THE RIGHT MODERNIZATION PROGRAM FOR THE FUTURE, WE HAVE TO GENERATE SAVINGS SOMEWHERE, AND IT REALLY DOES COME DOWN TO A CHOICE BETWEEN PROTECTING FORCES OR PROTECTING OLD FACILITIES -- PROTECTING FACILITIES THAT ARE EXCESS IN MANY RESPECTS. AND I KNOW THIS IS A CONTROVERSIAL

Cases discussed

  • Roswell Incident 1947
    explosion of a UFO in New Mexico in 1947 and the results of an autopsy... kept a secret by the Americans

About this file

Official release, from the nara collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 48 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.