LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Today, for the first time in more than half a century, Congress held a public hearing on one of history’s great mysteries: UFOs.
George Knapp of the 8 News Now I-Team has been following this for years.
Brian Loftus: So, this is a good thing for the UFO topic right, a public hearing where members of Congress get to ask questions of Pentagon officials about what’s going on, what evidence they’ve collected?
George Knapp: Yes, absolutely. Kudos to Congress and to the House Intelligence Committee and Subcommittee for staying on top of this … so far. I do wish that Sen. Harry Reid had been able to live long enough to see it happen because so much of what unfolded today is directly attributable to the work he did. He secured $22 million for what became the largest government-funded UFO study in American history, based right here in Las Vegas within Bigelow Aerospace. That program, acronym AAWSAP — the Advanced Aerospace Weapon Systems Applications Program — created the largest UFO data warehouse in the world with 200,000 UFO cases. However, at the hearing today, it seemed that neither members of Congress nor the Pentagon witnesses had a clue any of that existed.
Brian Loftus: We heard the witnesses say their database of UFO cases has grown in the past year from 144 cases up to 400 because they’ve worked to remove the stigma about reporting UFOs, making it easier for service members to come forward.
George Knapp: I think that should be applauded. However, if at the same time the Pentagon continues to give pretty crummy explanations for UFOs, eventually the airmen and sailors, soldiers will see this, and they’ll figure out that reporting UFOs isn’t good for their careers, we heard them say some of the UFOs that buzzed U.S. Navy ships were drones. Okay, whose drones? Who flies a dozen drones 100 miles out at sea, at night? The drones appear out of nowhere then disappear, some fly straight up into space. Who has these drones?
Brian Loftus: We heard some solid questions from some of the committee members today while others seemed ready to accept whatever explanation the Department of Defense gave them, or they said it must be secret tech from China or Russia. Or maybe our own tech.
George Knapp: (California Congressman) Adam Schiff had done his homework. The chairman of the subcommittee, same thing. And then there was a congressman from Wisconsin who raised an excellent point. One of the most interesting moments of today’s hearing came when Congressman Gallagher of Wisconsin asked some very pointed questions, and the Pentagon guys seemed like deer caught in the headlights. He asked about incidents where UFOs appeared over nuclear missile bases and disabled the nukes, something Harry Reid told us about a few years ago. These incidents have happened many times including at the weapons storage area of Nellis Air Force Base. More than 100 former nuke technicians have come forward about it, but the response from the witnesses was very frustrating. That exchange was very telling. Many other questions received lip service. I heard them explain away some UFO video as the result of drones. Who’s drones? One incident was 100 miles out to sea. A warship was buzzed by more than a dozen of these things, some recorded on video and seen on sensors. And then, poof, they were gone. Saying they were “drones” doesn’t make me feel any less queasy. Who’s drones?
