| 05.31.2004 | Object spotted in New Jersey, USA |
| 05.18.2004 | SEPRA closed, SEPRA not closed ... Open the archives to the public! |
| 05.18.2004 | Strange observations in the sky of Côte-d'Orient, France. |
| 05.14.2004 | Mexican report: brazilian ufologists than the mexican authorities for their transparency. |
| 05.14.2004 | Mexican report: an explanation flap. |
| 05.13.2004 | Mexican report: in the media. |
| 05.13.2004 | Mexican report: Ministry of Defense already criticized, answers. |
| 05.11.2004 | Mexican pilots UFO report hits the big news. |
| 05.09.2004 | Identified flying planet in Cadillac, USA? |
| 05.03.2004 | Another Venus-UFO. |
| 05.03.2004 | Man tapes strange lights in the sky, Texas, USA. |
| 05.02.2004 | UFO over Capilla Del Monte, Argentina. |
| 05.01.2004 | Animals death at an East Texas ranch, USA. |
| 05.01.2004 | Observation in sunderland, England. |
The witness reports from Fort Lee that right after five military jets flew by going southwest at 4 PM, an oval shaped, black, heavy-like object was observed heading northwest on May 31, 2004. The jets made a huge sound and the witness saw a strangely tilted object that might have been a big balloon or an advertising aircraft. However, this craft was not floating; it was flying and had a heavy metal feeling.
Thanks to Peter Davenport, NUFORC Director, www.ufocenter.com
France has a long history of continuing official interest in UFO reports, in the shape of a service of its small NASA-equivalent called CMES, the Center for Space Studies. The CNES "UFO bureau" was called GEPAN, then SEPRA, and generated both interest, controversy, rumors as it regularly tended to conclude that UFOs are real and maybe or probably extraterrestrial, although such a position was never publicized and appeared only on internal documents or as personal opinion of GEPAN /SEPRA's changing directors.
A ufologist alerted colleagues that apparently Jean-Jacques Velasco, the current director for SEPRA, would not be in charge of SEPRA anymore. Many wondered if this had to do with his new book in which he gives his personal conclusion that some UFOs are real and extraterrestrial.
An article of the French astronomy popularization magazine "Ciel et Espace" for June 2004 which appeared in newstands recently and was reproduced by a webmaster on the Internet was headlined: "CNES buries UFOs." The article shows quite a bias against the notion that some UFO reports may be explained by ET spacecraft, and quite hostile to SEPRA and GEPAN, indicating that they just issued a few "technical notes on problems of methodology". The article seems to tend towards the notion that UFO reports are merely a sociology problem. It also indicated that the archive of CNESm including sanitized witness testimonies gathered by the authorities may be published at some undefined time.
Ufologist Gildas Bourdais noted that a bizarre twist is that the article was published on the internet a good week before the magazine appeared in newstands: "It looks like some people were very eager to see it published."
A noted german UFOskeptic commented that SEPRA is closed, and that it is only normal since there are no UFOs, and that the ending of SEPRA is a "sign of the times", i.e. the times when everybody understands that UFOs are only Venu and hot air baloons and hoaxes.
A journalist of of the newspaper later "Sud-Ouest" wrote that SEPRA does not exist anymore, but that Jean-Jacques Velasco is still in charge of UFOs at CNES, alone at this task as previously.
Journalist and Fortean researcher Gregory Guttierez did an interview on May 28 with Arnaud Benedetti, the official spokesperson for CNES.
The interview, and his comments about it, are available here - in French: http://www.ovniland.com/article.php3?id_article=10
Benedetti said that SEPRA as a service does not exist anymore since January 2004, and that Jean-Jacques Velasco is now "in charge of mission" dealing with "rare aerospace phenomena". Benedetti said that the means and the operation of that mission are under discussion and no decision seems to have been made yet. A think tank may be created to think about a real program to study "rare aerospace phenomena."
Benedetti said CNES is indifferent to the conclusions by Jean-Jacques Velasco recently published in his new book: UFOs are real and extraterrestrial and he proved it scientifically. Both CNES and Jean-Jacques Velasco said or wrote that this conclusion is a personal conclusion of Jean-Jacques Velasco. Many were concerned - or hoped - that this personal conclusion would result in Jean-Jack Velasco being sacked.
Asked by Guttierez whether the archive will be made public at last, Benedetti said so. Asked about some indication of a delay, he answered that this will take "a long time."
In the middle of the rumor and uncertainties as to the continuation of the official French UFO effort or its ending, I have expressed publicly my own concern, first on the two leading french UFO/Forteana Internet discussion groups Aleph and OVNI-Science:
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As you already know, CNES seems to have taken the decision to close SEPRA. ALL documentation, papers, studies, photographs, testimonies (anonymized), graphs, listings, files, taking away of the GEPAN/SEPRA constitute a PUBLIC PROPERTY gathered thanks to the taxes paid by us all. Since this public property is not used any more, because of the suppression of the service which exploited it (whatever the quality of this service or its conclusions), this documentation should be accessible to all, without delay, free of charges, for the benefit of WHOEVER would like to make his/her own opinion or to consolidate his/her opinion on UFOs, GEPAN, SEPRA and CNES matters. Procedures at least as simple as the American FOIA regulation should be organized without delay. A public archive location open to the public should be organized as soon as possible, following the example in the United States since 1977 where National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC, maintains for the benefit of ANY American citizen the integrality or almost of many cubic meters of UFO documentation gathered or created by Project Blue Book, also offering facilities of reproduction at cost price. It would be morally and scientifically outrageous that this documentation disappears, as it was the case with the Colorado project (Condon report) in the United States, which files should have been opened but were taken by the study director to his personal residence where he finally made a garden fire of it. I firmly think that the entire French ufology community should now have a high concern to ask for public access to this documentation in its entirety. The response or lack of response of CNES to this demand would prove or disprove their good faith. If French ufologists, whatever their opinions, have no other concern that to quack and speculate over and over without ending, on this or that error in past SEPRA activities, or to debate on incompetence or dissimulation, or to criticize their colleagues for conspirationnist tendency or any of their opinions, they will get only what they deserve: Nothing. |
A petition has very quickly been organized. A remarkable thing is that many ufologists in France have shared my concern and signed the petition. Many have understood that the question is not so much about speculating on the content of the CNES unpublished archives or the reality of UFOs and not even on the quality of SEPRA / GEPAN archives or the personality of Jean-Jacques Velasco, but that it is very important that everyone finally gets the possibility to see for himself and make his own opinion or work on this archive. This is why the petition has gathered ufologist of completely antagonist opinions on UFOs, ETs, CNES: the goal is that the archives must not be lost or filed in some cellar, they must be sanitized and opened to all.
If you have the same concern, please visit the petition's web site and sign.
The petition and more comments information is at:
The mexican events mentionned here are documented there.
Brazilian Ufology supports Mexican military's attitude towards the episode of March 2004A.J. Gevaerd - 5/14/2004 The members of the Brazilian UFO Researchers' Community, civil investigators of all lines and from the most various research groups wish to compliment the Mexican authorities for the application of correct procedures and the accuracy of their attitudes towards the March 2004 episode involving the mass appearance of unidentified flying objects, thoroughly announced by the world press. The Brazilian UFO Researchers' Community praises the wise and democratic decision made in an unprecedented way in that country to bring to public knowledge both in Mexico and elsewhere, and in television network and mobilizing the whole media, the aforementioned event, which involved the participation of a military team for special actions. Seldom before in the history of mankind have we seen governmental authorities acknowledge so openly the enormous significance of such an important event and agree that the same event should not be kept hidden from society. Transparency, appropriateness and professionalism in Mexican approach to the UFO phenomenon: We also wish to sincerely congratulate Mexico's Defense Department, most particularly Secretary of Defense, General Clemente Vega Garcia, who had the initiative to invite civil UFO researchers and the press in his country to share with them the information on the spectacular UFO commotion in the skies over Mexico. It is precisely this sort of attitude that one should expect from vanguard leaders who are aware of their responsibility to care for the national security of their respective countries. This episode demonstrates how transparent, appropriate and professional the Mexican authorities, scientists and militaries are when dealing with the UFO phenomenon. We expect this to be an example for the Brazilian authorities, so they can be made to listen to the recently introduced movement through the aforementioned campaign, UFOs: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION NOW by the Brazilian UFO investigators and that just now when Mexico is showing to be serious and open on the subject, demands a similar stand form our authorities. The Brazilian initiative will gain new strength thanks to the incident in Mexico and may receive wider attention both from the population and the government. A national movement that requests the Federal Government to open up and expose its UFO files. UFOs:FREEDOM OF INFORMATION NOW is a campaign for a just cause that has long been the ultimate wish of all members of the Brazilian UFO Researchers' Community. It is founded on the Brazilian Ufology's Manifesto, whose aim is to organize and unify the isolated claims from many UFO investigators and research groups being made since decades ago, so far without a central coordination. The campaign's aim is to show our authorities that the UFO phenomenon is a subject that concerns the whole population, such as is occurring in Mexico right now. Through the campaign, the researchers intend to gather subscriptions from thousands of researchers, students, authors, lecturers, enthusiasts and active people interested in Ufology, all asking in one voice that the Government stop its present hush-policy on UFOs. All Brazilian society may get to know the truth about flying saucers thanks to the Freedom of Information movement It is time to acknowledge what is known about the frequent sightings of unidentified flying objects in our skies and the several reports of their manifestation in our Brazilian territory. The Brazilian civil UFO researchers want Ufology to be officially accepted and acknowledged, following the examples of France, Spain, Belgium, China, Uruguay and Chile, and most recently Mexico. Now, with this movement, we also offer our government our contribution to the analysis and investigations of the UFO phenomenon, its implications and consequences. Additionally, we volunteer to effectively cooperate in disclosing the information to all Brazilian society. Once again, the Brazilian UFO Researchers' Community expresses its compliments and feelings of sincere respect and admiration for the Mexican attitude, and offer to help the militaries, scientists and other authorities in that country with technical support in whatever they may find necessary. Signed:
Brazilian Commission for Ufology (CBU) Important information at: http://www.ufo.com.br/secrecy.php A. J. Gevaerd, editor Brazilian UFO Magazine |
Mexico's largest television network on Monday and Tuesday broadcast footage taken by Mexican Air Force pilots of what they say are up to 16 unidentified flying objects detected, but not seen visually, on the flight instrumentation. The movements and characteristics of the detected objects are said most unusual.
The pilot have apparently handed the footage and their testimony to Jaime Maussan, a Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast.
According to a news agency, the mexican newspaper La Jornada "dismissed the brouhaha" as "circus" in its Tuesday edition.
The Reuters and AFP news agencies have published a short news item on this:
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=508820§ion=news
...so it is now reported worldwide:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=122&art_id=qw1084294082176B252&set_id=1
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Index/nouvelles/200405/11/007-ovnis-mexique.shtml (French)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1106371.htm
Rense.com offers a more detailed article including several screenshots showing infrared detection of the UFO or phenomenon:
http://www.rense.com/general52/deff.htm
Since then, I wrote much more on this here.
Ufologist Brian Vike received a report and a videotape on May 4, 2004, which shows an "object moving slowly across the sky. As it moves through the sky it changes the most brilliant colors, or for a better word it flashes at a fast rate of speed. The footage is truly amazing." "The witness made a large number of still shots from the video clip and this is what you see below in the photo."
One more time in the recent weeks we have images showing something with a striking resemblance to Venus videotaped on digital camera using zooming, as explained here for a similar previous videotape.
Local TV news Channel KGBT 4, in Harlingen, Rio Grande valley, Texas, says a man claims to have caught UFOs on tape. The videotape shows a group of as many as 15 lights, one of them "changing shape when zoomed at", (which is not surprising) and spinning.
The man who want to remains anonymous, was awakened by his dogs around midnight on early Monday morning, May 3, 2004. He said that when he went to see what they were barking at, he couldn't believe his eyes because bright lights, unlike any he had ever seen before, danced around in the sky at a distance.
Whereas he does not want to speculate, some of his friends who viewed the tape believed he may have taped aliens spacecraft.
TV people checked with Mission Police spokesperson Martin Garza to see if anyone reported the suspicious sighting; Garza said "no." but the TV says there were media reports of a similar sighting in Mexico.
Proyecto Catent (Argentina) and Inexplicata report that "At 22:05 hours on May 2, 2004, a resident of Barrio Las Gemelas in Capilla del Monte contacted the CATENT group to report the transit of a yellow light that was reflected on the treetops and traveling in an East-West direction, that is to say, from the Sierras toward Dique El Cajo, at an estimated elevation of 150 meters above ground and without making any noise whatsoever. The caller’s parents were also witnesses to this event."
"Townspeople tend to comment quite often on these cases, and they are so many and so numerous that they are often not passed on to information lists."
"Last week, on Wednesday, April 28, researcher Hector Picco remarked that he had seen a small white light coming from the sierras and vanishing into the rocky floor of an empty piece of property adjacent to his home."
"A local fisherman said that in the year 1983, while on his way to a fishing trip with some friends in Dique Los Alazanes (in the region of La Toma), he had seen a UFO with several lights that moved below mountain level between the Uritorco and the Overo [hills]. This case predates the famous Pajarillo footprint."
Translation (c) 2004 Scott Corrales IHU. Special thanks to Proyecto Catent.
A rancher is puzzled by the death of seventeen of his cows and also the family dog and a squirrel. There is no visible explanation so far as to what caused the deaths, no wounds. A "mysterious jelly" was found on the ground at the location, apparently not fungus. The remains of the cattle are being examined to discover what the animals may have ingested.
