MYSTERY WIRE — With talk of the upcoming Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force report to Congress making headlines today, the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs faced not just one question, but three about the report.
Unlike a news briefing held last week at the White House, the questions were not surrounded by laughter. Although the spokesman, John F. Kirby, did crack a smile when first asked about it by ABC News.
Then CNN’s Barbara Starr prefaced her question by saying, “I hesitate to be asking this,” followed by a serious question about any assessment that the DoD could release today.
You can read the three exchanges, that have been edited together, below.
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
I was going to the phones. Right. Okay. Okay, Matt Seyler ABC.
Matt Seyler – ABC
Hi, John, thanks for doing this. A quick question on the coming UAP reports. There’s been some reporting that this could be coming as soon as this week or maybe even tomorrow. Can you say anything about what timing we should actually expect?
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
The what report Matt?
Matt Seyler – ABC
Sorry, the UAP report, UFO report.
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
UFO report, that that is really for the DNI to speak to Matt. As you know, this is a report, a congressionally mandated report DNI is in the lead. It will be DNI who will be making that report? Obviously, DoD has a role in helping, and helping flesh out the information that will be in that report. But as for specific timing, I’d refer you to the DNI.————————-
Pentagon news briefing – 6/1/2021
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Barb (Barbara Starr – CNN), do you have your hand up?
Barbara Starr – CNN
I did. I wanted to follow up on a couple of things. And the very last follow up and I hesitate to be asking this, but, on the unmanned aerial phenomenon report, because you said, because many of these reported sightings have been from military personnel. And because you said that DoD is assisting with this effort. Can you tell us anything about what you have been able to rule out? Have you been able to rule out the science fiction scenario of any kind of life form? Is this mechanical phenomena? Is this perhaps atmospheric? Can you just say, for people who are interested that you have ruled out there’s any life forms out there?
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
I would be getting a head of a report that hasn’t been submitted to Congress yet. And that’s never a good idea for a spokesman in this town. So I don’t want to get ahead of the report. And I refer you to DNI to speak to that.
Barbara Starr – CNN
There’s nothing you can rule out at this point?
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
I am not going to get ahead of a report that this agency is not writing in response to a congressional mandate. I would refer you to DNI for more detail about that.
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John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
I think I’ve got time for one more, and I apologize for the time crunch today. But I do have to get going here. Paul Shinkman from US News.
Paul Shinkman – US News and World Report
And then one last question on the Pentagon’s contributions to the UFO report. I’ve been speaking with a series of experts abroad who have expressed some concern about similar investigations and other countries having too much of a military focus and not enough input from civilian scientists. I wonder if that’s a concern that the Pentagon has shared and whether that came up at all during this most recent review process.
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
We’re participating in a DNI led study, again on, mandated by Congress, we’re providing context and information that we have on these phenomena. And our focus is on again on supporting the DNI efforts to produce this report. That’s where our focus is and, and, and, again, that’s our that’s our lane, that’s our place to be in is to provide the kind of context that we have the information that we have to help the DNI produce this report for Congress. Thanks, everybody. Sorry, I gotta rush.
The report is due no later than June 25th, but could be released earlier if complete. There’s also been considerable talk from lawmakers that the report might be delayed.
