Project Blue Book file: Trinidade Island, 16 Jan 1958

ROB MERCERQuestion regarding the release of information to Ral ph Rankow on the Saldahana
photos.
PQI NTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
~ Rankow. Represents NICAP , and is a photographer, not a photo interpreter.
a) NICAP's position, as per the attached t wo it ems taken from"UFO EVIDENCE".
b) Rankow, as a member of NICAP,will use any information presented to him
to discredit th e Air Force , if possible .
69lllgressional inquiry . Will Rankm,r contact congresK1
a) If g iven th e ONI r eport, only if the information can be considered as
detrimental to t he Air Force, and in this case probably ~ anyway
claiming that the Air Force should not eegard the photos as a hoax (based
on the ONI analysis) without having examined the negatives themselves.
b) Pr obably yes, if not given the fiNI report char g ing that the Air Force is
witho lding information, and tr y to force the informatio n tnrough congress.
c) No matter what the Air Force does in t his case the ONI report will be
used against us , either as a charge of witholding information or as a
charge of incorrect evaluation, (NICAP's position, not the Air Forces)
or rath e r no evaluation at all, since we accepted the Navy r eport.
0. RELEASE O~ ;!" HE ONI REPORT: .~- fU::fNl-T
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- :;::JJ"1:'tC.C k:rE
pxT1- iOffit. I don't feel that the congressional membe r would release the report ""~
without approval of the State Department knowing its contents . Rankow ~ ould then
accuse the congressman of wi tholding that part of the report not r elating to the UFO
or ac cept his word that all UFO info rmation had been released.