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3
40 - EVENTS/CRIME_INVESTIGATIONS/X-Dossier.md
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@ -25,11 +25,10 @@ The statements of the X witnesses led to the reopening of the unsolved murders o
Connerotte was taken off the Dutroux case in October 1996 by the so-called "spaghetti ruling" and was replaced by Judge Jacques Langlois; the removal was followed by the [[White Marches|White March]] in Brussels.[^1][^3] The gendarme Aimé Bille, assigned to the Van Hees file, found that the original investigation under Judge [[Jean-Claude Van Espen]] had "multiple gaps." From April 1997 Duterme, who now directed the cell, had De Baets's colleagues reread the interviews for possible manipulation, and in the summer of 1997 Langlois ordered a complete rereading of all the related files and removed De Baets and Bille. The parliamentary commission's report of February 16, 1998, said it had first to be established whether the difficulties of the De Baets team and the Van Hees inquiry were linked to protection. A week later the rereading was closed. On April 23, 1998, the prosecutors-general of Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels found that "no proof could be found that Regina Louf could make any contribution whatsoever to these investigations" and closed the related files, except the main file before Langlois. A criminal inquiry into De Baets and Bille was dropped and a gendarmerie disciplinary inquiry acquitted them; they filed more than eighty complaints alleging falsified reports, but were kept from judicial police work. In October 2000 Senator Frans Lozie proposed a parliamentary inquiry into their removal.[^1]
At the Arlon trial in 2004, which ended with Nihoul's acquittal on the charges concerning the children, the investigating judge Langlois presented a case without a "grand complot."[^3] The Van Hees case was closed unsolved in 2014 under the statute of limitations.[^4]
At the Arlon trial in 2004, which ended with Nihoul's acquittal on the charges concerning the children, the investigating judge Langlois presented a case without a "grand complot."[^3]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Sénat de Belgique. Proposition visant à instituer une commission d'enquête parlementaire chargée d'enquêter sur l'éloignement de deux enquêteurs de la cellule d'enquête bruxelloise « Neufchâteau », déposée par M. Frans Lozie, Doc. 2-563/1, October 9, 2000, développements.
[^2]: Dovey, S. *Eye of the Chickenhawk.* Thehotstar, 2023. Sole source for the passages so cited; the witness accounts derive from Bulté, Annemie, Douglas De Coninck and Marie-Jeanne Van Heeswyck, *De X-dossiers: wat België niet mocht weten over de zaak-Dutroux* (Houtekiet, 1999), which was not seen.
[^3]: "Arlon, 22 juin 2004, l'épilogue." *La Libre Belgique,* June 22, 2005.
[^4]: "On ne percera pas le mystère de la champignonnière." *La Libre Belgique,* January 30, 2014 (not examined; reported in search summaries of the article).

2
40 - EVENTS/DIPLOMACY/Oslo Accords.md
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@ -147,6 +147,6 @@ Nettavisen reported on September 29, 2026 that Økokrim found documents relating
[^16]: Email, Brad Wechsler to Jeffrey E., May 12, 2015, 16:13 UTC, EFTA00662431, DOJ Epstein Library, Data Set 9. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00662431.pdf
[^17]: Email, Susan Waugh (International Peace Institute) to Ms. Groff, "Larry Summers's W9," May 6, 2014, EFTA00369962, DOJ Epstein Library, Data Set 9. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00369962.pdf
[^18]: "Økokrim åpner etterforsking av Mona Juul og Terje Rød-Larsen," *NRK*, February 9, 2026 (updated February 12, 2026). https://www.nrk.no/norge/okokrim-apner-etterforsking-av-mona-juul-og-terje-rod-larsen-1.17761823
[^19]: "Dette er Epstein-siktelsene Økokrim ville holde hemmelig," *VG*, February 27, 2026; "Etterforsker visumbistand: 'Skriv ut dette anbefalingsbrevet,'" *VG*, March 4, 2026 (standfirst only; article behind a subscription wall). https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/vree75/dette-er-epstein-siktelsene-oekokrim-ville-holde-hemmelig ; https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/GxMwwl/epstein-saken-oekokrim-etterforsker-visumbistand
[^19]: "Dette er Epstein-siktelsene Økokrim ville holde hemmelig," *VG*, February 27, 2026; "Etterforsker visumbistand: 'Skriv ut dette anbefalingsbrevet,'" *VG*, March 4, 2026. https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/vree75/dette-er-epstein-siktelsene-oekokrim-ville-holde-hemmelig ; https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/GxMwwl/epstein-saken-oekokrim-etterforsker-visumbistand
[^20]: "Leiligheten til korrupsjonssiktede Mona Juul og Terje Rød-Larsen får politiet til å klø seg i hodet," *NRK*, September 26, 2026, by Bjørn Olav Nordahl and others. https://www.nrk.no/dokumentar/xl/okokrim-etterforsker-epsteins-overforinger-til-rod-larsen-1.18001797
[^21]: Thomas Paust, "UD vil frigjøre dokumenter funnet i Rød-Larsens kjeller," *Nettavisen*, September 29, 2026. https://www.nettavisen.no/epstein-horingen/okokrim/terje-rod-larsen/ud-vil-frigjore-flere-oslo-dokumenter-funnet-i-kjellerboden-til-mona-juul-og-terje-rod-larsen/s/80-95-117074

2
40 - EVENTS/HISTORICAL_PHENOMENA/Queen's Accident.md
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@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ The writer [[Cheri Seymour]] wrote that Sinclair had been receiving large daily
[^1]: *LaBarge v. County of Mariposa,* 798 F.2d 364 (9th Cir. 1986). The caption spells the sergeant's name Roderic B. Sinclair; the opinion, Roderick.
[^2]: "Highway Patrol's Crash investigation questioned." United Press International, September 25, 1983. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/09/25/Highway-Patrols-Crash-investigation-questioned/7300433310400/
[^3]: Reagan, Ronald. "Statement on the Death of Three Secret Service Agents in California," March 5, 1983. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-death-three-secret-service-agents-california
[^4]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal.* TrineDay, 2010. Sole source for the passages so cited. It describes Judge Coyle as ordering Mariposa County to pay 70 percent of the claim and Eckerson as appointed to write a replacement report; the court record places the 70 percent finding in the county's contribution suit against the United States, which was reversed, and contemporaneous reporting shows Eckerson as the elected district attorney resisting the CHP's call for prosecution.
[^4]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal.* TrineDay, 2010. It describes Judge Coyle as ordering Mariposa County to pay 70 percent of the claim and Eckerson as appointed to write a replacement report; the court record places the 70 percent finding in the county's contribution suit against the United States, which was reversed, and contemporaneous reporting shows Eckerson as the elected district attorney resisting the CHP's call for prosecution. Sole source for the passages so cited.

2
40 - EVENTS/INTELLIGENCE_SCANDALS/Grill Flame Scientific Evaluation Committee.md
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@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ On August 3, 1979, Puthoff wrote to Gale on the committee's visit of July 24 and
[^2]: Defense Intelligence Agency, "Minutes of the DoD Grill Flame Committee Meeting, 27 November 1979," S-1168/DT-1, CIA-RDP96-00788R002000130015-1, and "Minutes of the DoD Grill Flame Committee Meeting, 10 January 1980," S-1008/DT-1, CIA-RDP96-00788R002000100009-1, both signed Jack Vorona, chairman. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. US Army Intelligence and Security Command, "List of Events from September 1977 to January 1986," CIA-RDP96-00788R001100020001-8; the scan's table columns are reflowed by OCR and some dates are uncertain.
[^3]: Vorona, J., Chairman, Grill Flame Working Group, "Comments on 'Report By: The GRILLFLAME Scientific Evaluation Committee,'" undated, CIA-RDP96-00788R001300060001-2, read in two OCR passes; the addressee line is illegible. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^4]: Stoner, William L., Major, GS, "Memorandum of Conversation, Subject: Gale Briefing to ZA, Science Evaluation Group Final Report on GRILL FLAME, 14 Jan 80," CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230017-7. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^5]: Gale, M., "Distribution of GRILL FLAME Reports," memorandum for Major Stoner, ACSI, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, January 25, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230023-0; three CIA Reading Room items of February 13, 1980, are titled "Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) Grill Flame Report, Dated November 1979" (CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250025-7, R001100080007-6, R001200230026-7), not read. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^5]: Gale, M., "Distribution of GRILL FLAME Reports," memorandum for Major Stoner, ACSI, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, January 25, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230023-0; three CIA Reading Room items of February 13, 1980, are titled "Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) Grill Flame Report, Dated November 1979" (CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250025-7, R001100080007-6, R001200230026-7). Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^6]: "Grill Flame Review Panel Members," undated roster, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230008-7; Office of the Under Secretary of the Army, memorandum for Mr. Manny Gale, July 17, 1979, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230004-1; K. Lytle, Major, Military Assistant, memorandum for Mr. Gale, Advisor for RDA Analysis, ODCSRDA, "Briefing for Dr. Ruth Davis and Mr. Nealsen," August 8, 1979, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230013-1; Snyder to Gale, undated (catalogued May 11, 1979, but referring to October and a visit of September 28), CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230038-4, and November 19, 1979, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230042-9; "Findings," "Recommendations," "Estimated Costs," unsigned, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230043-8; SSO Meade to SSO ACSI DA, "Grill Flame DoD Science Evaluation Team Report," LTC Watt, November 1979, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230047-4. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^6]: Puthoff, H. E., to Manfred Gale, "SRI/Gale Committee Meeting of 24-25 July," August 3, 1979, with the enclosure "Standard Remote Viewing (RV) Procedures: Local Sites," by H. E. Puthoff, R. Targ and E. C. May, August 1979, CIA-RDP96-00787R000100060001-6 (memorandum alone at CIA-RDP96-00788R002000240028-5). Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. Cartwright, Frank, Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, to the Chairman, Grill Flame Committee, "Comments on RV and PK Investigations," October 2, 1979, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230034-8. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^7]: Kramar, John W., AMSAA Grill Flame Project Officer, memorandum for record, "Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) GRILL FLAME Report, Dated November 1979," February 13, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230026-7 (copies at R002000250025-7 and R001100080007-6). Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. Watt, Murray B., "Comments Concerning 'GRILL FLAME SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION COMMITTEE REPORT,' dated December 1979," catalogued February 13, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R002000130025-0. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. White, Chad B., Colonel, ADCSOPS-HUMINT, memorandum for Brigadier General Thomas J. Flynn, "The GRILL FLAME Scientific Evaluation Committee Report," March 10, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230056-4; "Gale Committee Report," briefing slides, 1980, CIA-RDP96-00788R001300130001-4. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. Puthoff, H. E., R. Targ and E. C. May, Radio Physics Laboratory, SRI International, to Walter B. LaBerge, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, March 19, 1980, SRI 0-4132, CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230031-1. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.

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@ -121,4 +121,4 @@ Recent UAP encounters, domestic incidents, and contemporary events.
| Terrorism | 4 |
| Contra War | 3 |
[^1]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/ Politico reported in 2021 that Washington Headquarters Services approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^1]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/ Politico reported in 2021 that Washington Headquarters Services approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900 The Office of the Secretary of Defense file released to The Black Vault in August 2019 (case 18-F-0644, https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/18-F-0644.pdf) contains an August 23, 2017 email in which Luis Elizondo asked the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review to "consider our request for unrestricted release" and a DD Form 1910 whose publication-data block reads "Not Applicable. Not for publication. Research and analysis ONLY and info sharing with other USG and industry partners for the purposes of developing a database to help identify, analyze and ultimately defeat UAS threats" (text as transcribed from a poorly legible scan); Navy spokesman Joseph Gradisher said in 2019 that neither the Navy offices nor that review office had a record of correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release in 2017 (The Black Vault, September 2019, https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/).

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40 - EVENTS/MODERN_INCIDENTS/December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report.md
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@ -41,25 +41,25 @@ On June 1, 2019 Pentagon spokesperson [[Christopher Sherwood]] told Keith Kloor
### The placement, in sequence
In 2016 [[Tom DeLonge]] cold-called [[Christopher Mellon]], who told Bender in 2021: "Tom called me up out of the blue and then through him I met Jim and Hal," meaning [[Jim Semivan]] and Puthoff. Mellon, who had kept his security clearance, then met Elizondo at a Pentagon briefing.[^6] In an email from August 2017, reviewed by Politico, Elizondo described a plan for an unclassified "community of interest" database of unidentified aerial phenomena reports. Politico reported that the [[Washington Headquarters Services]] declassification division approved three Navy videos "for unlimited distribution" within the government, and that Mellon, Elizondo and "others now in DeLonge's orbit" concluded that this was not enough and "needed to kick up a media firestorm."[^6]
In 2016 [[Tom DeLonge]] cold-called [[Christopher Mellon]], who told Bender in 2021: "Tom called me up out of the blue and then through him I met Jim and Hal," meaning [[Jim Semivan]] and Puthoff. Mellon, who had kept his security clearance, then met Elizondo at a Pentagon briefing.[^6] In an email from August 2017, reviewed by Politico, Elizondo described a plan for an unclassified "community of interest" database of unidentified aerial phenomena reports. Politico reported that the [[Washington Headquarters Services]] declassification division approved three Navy videos "for unlimited distribution" within the government, and that Mellon, Elizondo and "others now in DeLonge's orbit" concluded that this was not enough and "needed to kick up a media firestorm."[^6] The Office of the Secretary of Defense file released to [[The Black Vault]] under the Freedom of Information Act in August 2019 contains an August 23, 2017 email in which [[Luis Elizondo]] asked Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review to "consider our request for unrestricted release"; an August 24, 2017 reply from Russo that if the service-level classification authority verified that removing the metadata made the videos unclassified, "please feel free to move forward with release"; and a DD Form 1910 whose publication-data block reads "Not Applicable. Not for publication. Research and analysis ONLY and info sharing with other USG and industry partners for the purposes of developing a database to help identify, analyze and ultimately defeat UAS threats." Joseph Gradisher, a Navy spokesman, said in 2019 that neither the cognizant Navy offices nor the review office had a record of correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release of the videos in 2017.[^7]
Elizondo resigned from the [[Department of Defense]] effective October 4, 2017 per the Pentagon; his resignation letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis cited "bureaucratic challenges and inflexible mindsets" (Kloor, 2019), and *The Intercept* noted the letter does not mention AATIP or Elizondo's role as its director.[^2][^7] On October 4, 2017, at Mellon's request, Kean was called to a meeting in the bar of a hotel near the Pentagon, where Puthoff and Semivan introduced her to Elizondo, whose last day at the Pentagon had been the previous day, according to the account Kean gave [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] of *[[The New Yorker]]*. Over three hours she was taken through documents. Lewis-Kraus wrote that Kean "was told that she could have the videos, along with chain-of-custody documentation, if she could place a story in the Times."[^4] Kean later gave "all the credit to Elizondo and Mellon for coming forward."[^4]
Elizondo resigned from the [[Department of Defense]] effective October 4, 2017 per the Pentagon; his resignation letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis cited "bureaucratic challenges and inflexible mindsets" (Kloor, 2019), and *The Intercept* noted the letter does not mention AATIP or Elizondo's role as its director.[^2][^8] On October 4, 2017, at Mellon's request, Kean was called to a meeting in the bar of a hotel near the Pentagon, where Puthoff and Semivan introduced her to Elizondo, whose last day at the Pentagon had been the previous day, according to the account Kean gave [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] of *[[The New Yorker]]*. Over three hours she was taken through documents. Lewis-Kraus wrote that Kean "was told that she could have the videos, along with chain-of-custody documentation, if she could place a story in the Times."[^4] Kean later gave "all the credit to Elizondo and Mellon for coming forward."[^4]
After Elizondo left the Pentagon he and the other AATIP participants named above joined [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]]. At the company's launch event in October 2017 (reported as October 11) DeLonge invited Elizondo onstage and Elizondo announced that the group was "planning to provide never-before-released footage from real [[U.S. government]] systems."[^4][^8]
After Elizondo left the Pentagon he and the other AATIP participants named above joined [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]]. At the company's launch event in October 2017 (reported as October 11) DeLonge invited Elizondo onstage and Elizondo announced that the group was "planning to provide never-before-released footage from real [[U.S. government]] systems."[^4][^9]
Kean telephoned Blumenthal, an old friend and former Times staffer then at work on a biography of the [[Harvard University|Harvard]] psychiatrist [[John E. Mack]]. Blumenthal e-mailed executive editor [[Dean Baquet]] to say they wanted to pitch "a sensational and highly confidential time-sensitive story" in which a "senior U.S. intelligence official who abruptly quit last month" had decided to expose "a deeply secret program, long mythologized but now confirmed." After a meeting with representatives of the Times's Washington bureau, the paper agreed and assigned Cooper, its Pentagon correspondent.[^4] Bender wrote in 2021 that Mellon, "by then also a paid adviser to DeLonge's TTSA," acted as Elizondo's "unofficial public relations manager" and "started dangling the story to the New York Times, POLITICO and several other mainstream outlets," over several months; that reporters were shown the videos and unclassified documents on Bigelow's contracts; that the Times "was granted permission to broadcast the videos"; and that Politico "was shown the videos but not provided copies."[^6]
### The videos
The Times article carried two videos, "FLIR1" and "[[GIMBAL]]," captioned "U.S. Department of Defense" and described as "released by the Defense Department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program"; the third, "GOFAST," was published in March 2018, according to The Black Vault.[^4][^9] In a 2020 interview for the documentary *[[The Phenomenon (2020 film)|The Phenomenon]]*, Mellon said: "I received the videos, the now famous videos in the Pentagon parking lot from a Defense Department official. I still have the packaging." He added that "somebody bent the rules a little bit, and they did so for the larger good." *[[Vice]]* reported it could not independently verify the account.[^10]
The Times article carried two videos, "FLIR1" and "[[GIMBAL]]," captioned "U.S. Department of Defense" and described as "released by the Defense Department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program"; the third, "GOFAST," was published in March 2018, according to The Black Vault.[^4][^10] In a 2020 interview for the documentary *[[The Phenomenon (2020 film)|The Phenomenon]]*, Mellon said: "I received the videos, the now famous videos in the Pentagon parking lot from a Defense Department official. I still have the packaging." He added that "somebody bent the rules a little bit, and they did so for the larger good." *[[Vice]]* reported it could not independently verify the account.[^11]
Bender wrote in 2021 that reporters "were shown the declassified videos," and quoted Mellon: "A huge breakthrough occurred because the Navy was confirming the videos were authentic and declassified on the Hill."[^6]
The Navy's formal position on release changed twice. Sherwood told Kloor in 2019 that the videos were released "for research purposes ... and not for general public release."[^2] On April 27, 2020 the Department of Defense issued a "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," which read that the department "has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," and that the aerial phenomena "remain characterized as 'unidentified.'"[^9] A [[Galileo Project]] announcement of October 30, 2021 credited Mellon and Elizondo with being "pivotal in bringing about the Pentagon's release and confirmation" of the three videos.[^11]
The Navy's formal position on release changed twice. Sherwood told Kloor in 2019 that the videos were released "for research purposes ... and not for general public release."[^2] On April 27, 2020 the Department of Defense issued a "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," which read that the department "has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," and that the aerial phenomena "remain characterized as 'unidentified.'"[^10] A [[Galileo Project]] announcement of October 30, 2021 credited Mellon and Elizondo with being "pivotal in bringing about the Pentagon's release and confirmation" of the three videos.[^12]
### Later correction and follow-on reporting
In July 2020 Kean and Blumenthal wrote in the Times that Reid "believed that crashes of vehicles from other worlds had occurred and that retrieved materials had been studied secretly for decades, often by aerospace companies under government contracts"; the Times appended a correction the next day, and Reid told Lewis-Kraus he "had never seen proof of any remnants" but "was told for decades that [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed]] had some of these retrieved materials."[^4] In June 2023 Kean and Blumenthal published the first account of the claims of [[David Grusch]] on the website [[The Debrief]], according to *[[New York Magazine]]*.[^12]
In July 2020 Kean and Blumenthal wrote in the Times that Reid "believed that crashes of vehicles from other worlds had occurred and that retrieved materials had been studied secretly for decades, often by aerospace companies under government contracts"; the Times appended a correction the next day, and Reid told Lewis-Kraus he "had never seen proof of any remnants" but "was told for decades that [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed]] had some of these retrieved materials."[^4] In June 2023 Kean and Blumenthal published the first account of the claims of [[David Grusch]] on the website [[The Debrief]], according to *[[New York Magazine]]*.[^13]
### Footnotes
@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ In July 2020 Kean and Blumenthal wrote in the Times that Reid "believed that cra
[^4]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously. The October 4, 2017 meeting, the offer of the videos for a Times placement, the Blumenthal to Baquet e-mail and the Reid correction are as reported by Lewis-Kraus from interviews with Kean, Reid and others.
[^5]: Greenewald, John, Jr. "Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had 'No Responsibilities' on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing." The Black Vault, June 14, 2019. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/pentagon-reinforces-mr-luis-elizondo-had-no-responsibilities-on-aatip-senator-harry-reids-2009-memo-changes-nothing
[^6]: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs" (web title "How Harry Reid, a Terrorist Interrogator and the Singer From Blink-182 Took UFOs Mainstream"). *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900 (read via Internet Archive copy). Mellon and Elizondo quotations are as given to Bender; the WHS approval is stated from "documents obtained by POLITICO" that are not reproduced.
[^7]: Kloor, Keith. "UFOs Won't Go Away." *Issues in Science and Technology,* March 1, 2019. https://issues.org/ufos-wont-go-away/
[^8]: The October 11, 2017 date of the Seattle launch event is from a secondary summary and the coordinator's brief; the New Yorker gives only "later that month." Original press materials not yet opened.
[^9]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/); Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^10]: Banias, MJ. "Ex Intel Official Says He Was the Source of the Pentagon's UFO Videos." *Vice,* October 20, 2020. https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-says-he-was-the-source-of-the-pentagons-ufo-videos/. Sole source for the passages so cited: Mellon's on-camera statement to filmmaker James Fox in *The Phenomenon* (2020).
[^11]: The Galileo Project. "The Galileo Project Welcomes Christopher Mellon and Luis Elizondo as Research Affiliates," October 30, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/mellon-elizondo_announcement_final_2.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^12]: Baker, Nicholson. "How We Lost Our Minds About UFOs." *New York Magazine,* January 31, 2024. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/leslie-kean-ufo-sightings-aliens.html
[^7]: [[The Black Vault]], FOIA release of Office of the Secretary of Defense case 18-F-0644, August 2019 (emails of August 23 and 24, 2017 between Luis Elizondo and Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, with the DD Form 1910; the form's text is poorly legible in the scan and is quoted as transcribed in the research notes), https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/18-F-0644.pdf ; Joseph Gradisher quoted in "U.S. Navy Confirms Videos Depict Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Not Cleared for Public Release," The Black Vault, September 2019, https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/
[^8]: Kloor, Keith. "UFOs Won't Go Away." *Issues in Science and Technology,* March 1, 2019. https://issues.org/ufos-wont-go-away/
[^9]: The October 11, 2017 date of the Seattle launch event is from a secondary summary and the coordinator's brief; the New Yorker gives only "later that month." Original press materials not yet opened.
[^10]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/); Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^11]: Banias, MJ. "Ex Intel Official Says He Was the Source of the Pentagon's UFO Videos." *Vice,* October 20, 2020. https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-says-he-was-the-source-of-the-pentagons-ufo-videos/. Sole source for the passages so cited: Mellon's on-camera statement to filmmaker James Fox in *The Phenomenon* (2020).
[^12]: The Galileo Project. "The Galileo Project Welcomes Christopher Mellon and Luis Elizondo as Research Affiliates," October 30, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/mellon-elizondo_announcement_final_2.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^13]: Baker, Nicholson. "How We Lost Our Minds About UFOs." *New York Magazine,* January 31, 2024. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/leslie-kean-ufo-sightings-aliens.html

14
40 - EVENTS/MODERN_INCIDENTS/GIMBAL.md
View file

@ -3,23 +3,25 @@ category: "Modern Incident"
summary: "Unclassified Navy video of an F/A-18 Super Hornet crew's encounter with an object rotating against the wind, published in December 2017 and authorized for release by the Pentagon on April 27, 2020."
date: 2015-01-21
location: "Atlantic Ocean, off East Coast of the United States"
updated: 2026-10-03
---
The [[GIMBAL]] is one of three unclassified Navy [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] videos; the [[New York Times]] published it in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^1] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^1][^2] The video, which was captured by the crew of an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the [[USS Roosevelt]] Carrier Strike Group in 2015, shows a UAP exhibiting flight characteristics that are not possible with any known aircraft.[^3]
The [[GIMBAL]] is one of three unclassified Navy [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] videos; the [[New York Times]] published it in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^1] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^1][^2] The Office of the Secretary of Defense file released to [[The Black Vault]] under the Freedom of Information Act in August 2019 contains an August 23, 2017 email in which [[Luis Elizondo]] asked Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review to "consider our request for unrestricted release"; an August 24, 2017 reply from Russo that if the service-level classification authority verified that removing the metadata made the videos unclassified, "please feel free to move forward with release"; and a DD Form 1910 whose publication-data block reads "Not Applicable. Not for publication. Research and analysis ONLY and info sharing with other USG and industry partners for the purposes of developing a database to help identify, analyze and ultimately defeat UAS threats." Joseph Gradisher, a Navy spokesman, said in 2019 that neither the cognizant Navy offices nor the review office had a record of correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release of the videos in 2017.[^3] The video, which was captured by the crew of an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the [[USS Roosevelt]] Carrier Strike Group in 2015, shows a UAP exhibiting flight characteristics that are not possible with any known aircraft.[^4]
### The Sighting
The GIMBAL video was recorded during a series of encounters between the USS Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and multiple UAP off the coast of the Southeastern [[United States]]. In the video, the pilots track a single object from a fleet of five. The object is described as a white, elongated shape, but when the camera mode is switched, it appears as a black, lenticular, or "flying saucer" shape with a bulge on its top and bottom.[^3]
The GIMBAL video was recorded during a series of encounters between the USS Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and multiple UAP off the coast of the Southeastern [[United States]]. In the video, the pilots track a single object from a fleet of five. The object is described as a white, elongated shape, but when the camera mode is switched, it appears as a black, lenticular, or "flying saucer" shape with a bulge on its top and bottom.[^4]
The most remarkable aspect of the video is the object's ability to rotate in mid-air against a 120-knot headwind without losing altitude. The object slows, parks itself in the air, and then rotates, or "gimbals," in a way that defies the known laws of aerodynamics. The pilots can be heard expressing their astonishment and disbelief at the object's performance.[^3]
The most remarkable aspect of the video is the object's ability to rotate in mid-air against a 120-knot headwind without losing altitude. The object slows, parks itself in the air, and then rotates, or "gimbals," in a way that defies the known laws of aerodynamics. The pilots can be heard expressing their astonishment and disbelief at the object's performance.[^4]
### Analysis and Significance
The GIMBAL video is significant because it provides clear, high-fidelity evidence of a UAP exhibiting several of [[The Five Observables]], including low observability (no heat signature), antigravity (hovering against a strong headwind), and instantaneous acceleration. The object's ability to rotate without any apparent means of propulsion or control surfaces is a key piece of evidence that it is not a conventional aircraft.[^3]
The GIMBAL video is significant because it provides clear, high-fidelity evidence of a UAP exhibiting several of [[The Five Observables]], including low observability (no heat signature), antigravity (hovering against a strong headwind), and instantaneous acceleration. The object's ability to rotate without any apparent means of propulsion or control surfaces is a key piece of evidence that it is not a conventional aircraft.[^4]
The release of the GIMBAL video, along with the [[Tic Tac]] and [[GoFast]] videos, was a watershed moment in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided the public and Congress with undeniable evidence that the U.S. military was encountering objects with capabilities far beyond our own, and it helped to legitimize the UAP issue as a serious national security concern.[^3]
The release of the GIMBAL video, along with the [[Tic Tac]] and [[GoFast]] videos, was a watershed moment in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided the public and Congress with undeniable evidence that the U.S. military was encountering objects with capabilities far beyond our own, and it helped to legitimize the UAP issue as a serious national security concern.[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^2]: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^3]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^3]: [[The Black Vault]], FOIA release of Office of the Secretary of Defense case 18-F-0644, August 2019 (emails of August 23 and 24, 2017 between Luis Elizondo and Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, with the DD Form 1910; the form's text is poorly legible in the scan and is quoted as transcribed in the research notes), https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/18-F-0644.pdf ; Joseph Gradisher quoted in "U.S. Navy Confirms Videos Depict Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Not Cleared for Public Release," The Black Vault, September 2019, https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/
[^4]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.

12
40 - EVENTS/MODERN_INCIDENTS/GoFast.md
View file

@ -9,21 +9,23 @@ category: "Modern Incident"
summary: "Unclassified Navy video of an F/A-18 Super Hornet crew's encounter with an object moving at extreme speed low over the ocean, first published in March 2018 and authorized for release April 27, 2020."
date: 2015-01-21
location: "Atlantic Ocean, off East Coast of the United States"
updated: 2026-10-03
---
The [[GoFast]] is one of three unclassified Navy [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] videos; it appeared in March 2018, after the two videos the [[New York Times]] published in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^1] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^1][^2] The video, which was captured by the crew of an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the [[USS Roosevelt]] Carrier Strike Group in 2015, shows a small, fast-moving object that appears to be traveling at an incredible speed just above the surface of the water.[^3]
The [[GoFast]] is one of three unclassified Navy [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] videos; it appeared in March 2018, after the two videos the [[New York Times]] published in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^1] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^1][^2] The Office of the Secretary of Defense file released to [[The Black Vault]] under the Freedom of Information Act in August 2019 contains an August 23, 2017 email in which [[Luis Elizondo]] asked Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review to "consider our request for unrestricted release"; an August 24, 2017 reply from Russo that if the service-level classification authority verified that removing the metadata made the videos unclassified, "please feel free to move forward with release"; and a DD Form 1910 whose publication-data block reads "Not Applicable. Not for publication. Research and analysis ONLY and info sharing with other USG and industry partners for the purposes of developing a database to help identify, analyze and ultimately defeat UAS threats." Joseph Gradisher, a Navy spokesman, said in 2019 that neither the cognizant Navy offices nor the review office had a record of correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release of the videos in 2017.[^3] The video, which was captured by the crew of an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the [[USS Roosevelt]] Carrier Strike Group in 2015, shows a small, fast-moving object that appears to be traveling at an incredible speed just above the surface of the water.[^4]
### The Sighting
The GoFast video was recorded during the same series of encounters as the [[GIMBAL Video]], which took place off the coast of the Southeastern [[United States]]. The video shows a small, round object that is being tracked by the aircraft's targeting pod. The pilots can be heard expressing their astonishment at the object's speed, with one exclaiming, "Whoa, got it! Whoo-hoooo! What the f--- is that thing?"[^3]
The GoFast video was recorded during the same series of encounters as the [[GIMBAL Video]], which took place off the coast of the Southeastern [[United States]]. The video shows a small, round object that is being tracked by the aircraft's targeting pod. The pilots can be heard expressing their astonishment at the object's speed, with one exclaiming, "Whoa, got it! Whoo-hoooo! What the f--- is that thing?"[^4]
### Analysis and Significance
The GoFast video is significant because it appears to show a UAP exhibiting hypersonic velocity at a very low altitude, a feat that is not possible with any known conventional aircraft. While some analysts have suggested that the object's speed may be an illusion caused by a parallax effect, the pilots who witnessed the event were clearly impressed by its velocity.[^3]
The GoFast video is significant because it appears to show a UAP exhibiting hypersonic velocity at a very low altitude, a feat that is not possible with any known conventional aircraft. While some analysts have suggested that the object's speed may be an illusion caused by a parallax effect, the pilots who witnessed the event were clearly impressed by its velocity.[^4]
The release of the GoFast video, along with the [[Tic Tac]] and [[GIMBAL]] videos, was a crucial moment in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided another piece of credible evidence that the U.S. military was encountering objects with extraordinary capabilities, and it helped to fuel the public and congressional demand for greater transparency on the UAP issue.[^3]
The release of the GoFast video, along with the [[Tic Tac]] and [[GIMBAL]] videos, was a crucial moment in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided another piece of credible evidence that the U.S. military was encountering objects with extraordinary capabilities, and it helped to fuel the public and congressional demand for greater transparency on the UAP issue.[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^2]: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^3]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^3]: [[The Black Vault]], FOIA release of Office of the Secretary of Defense case 18-F-0644, August 2019 (emails of August 23 and 24, 2017 between Luis Elizondo and Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, with the DD Form 1910; the form's text is poorly legible in the scan and is quoted as transcribed in the research notes), https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/18-F-0644.pdf ; Joseph Gradisher quoted in "U.S. Navy Confirms Videos Depict Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Not Cleared for Public Release," The Black Vault, September 2019, https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/
[^4]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.

4
40 - EVENTS/MODERN_INCIDENTS/Tic Tac.md
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@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ category: "Modern Incident"
summary: "UAP encountered by the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in November 2004 and captured on video as 'Tic Tac'; the FLIR1 video was published in December 2017 and authorized for release April 27, 2020."
date: 2004-11-14
location: "Pacific Ocean, off San Diego, California"
updated: 2026-10-03
---
The [[Tic Tac]] refers to a specific [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] encountered by the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group in November 2004. The object was designated the "Tic Tac" by the pilots and crew due to its resemblance to the white, oblong candy. The series of encounters is considered a cornerstone case in modern UAP investigation due to the high-fidelity data collected by multiple military sensor platforms and the corroborating testimony from numerous highly credible and trained observers.[^1]
@ -24,10 +25,11 @@ Later that day, a second flight, piloted by Lieutenant Chad Underwood, was launc
The incident was investigated by [[Jay Stratton]] for the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP). The analysis concluded that the Tic Tac exhibited performance characteristics well beyond any known technology, including hypersonic velocity and instantaneous acceleration, which would subject a conventional craft to thousands of G-forces. The lack of official follow-up at the time of the incident, and the subsequent dismissal by some in the chain of command, highlighted the deep-seated stigma surrounding the UAP topic within the military.[^1]
The "FLIR1" (Tic Tac) video was one of two published by the [[New York Times]] in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^2] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^2][^3] The publication of the video, along with the testimony of Commander Fravor and Lieutenant Dietrich, was a seminal event in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided credible, verifiable evidence that forced a public and congressional conversation about the reality of UAP and the potential national security threat they represent.[^1]
The "FLIR1" (Tic Tac) video was one of two published by the [[New York Times]] in December 2017 ([[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]).[^2] Politico reported in 2021 that [[Washington Headquarters Services]] had approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government, and the [[Pentagon]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos "circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^2][^3] The Office of the Secretary of Defense file released to [[The Black Vault]] under the Freedom of Information Act in August 2019 contains an August 23, 2017 email in which [[Luis Elizondo]] asked Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review to "consider our request for unrestricted release"; an August 24, 2017 reply from Russo that if the service-level classification authority verified that removing the metadata made the videos unclassified, "please feel free to move forward with release"; and a DD Form 1910 whose publication-data block reads "Not Applicable. Not for publication. Research and analysis ONLY and info sharing with other USG and industry partners for the purposes of developing a database to help identify, analyze and ultimately defeat UAS threats." Joseph Gradisher, a Navy spokesman, said in 2019 that neither the cognizant Navy offices nor the review office had a record of correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release of the videos in 2017.[^4] The publication of the video, along with the testimony of Commander Fravor and Lieutenant Dietrich, was a seminal event in the UAP disclosure movement. It provided credible, verifiable evidence that forced a public and congressional conversation about the reality of UAP and the potential national security threat they represent.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^3]: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^4]: [[The Black Vault]], FOIA release of Office of the Secretary of Defense case 18-F-0644, August 2019 (emails of August 23 and 24, 2017 between Luis Elizondo and Michael Russo of the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, with the DD Form 1910; the form's text is poorly legible in the scan and is quoted as transcribed in the research notes), https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/18-F-0644.pdf ; Joseph Gradisher quoted in "U.S. Navy Confirms Videos Depict Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Not Cleared for Public Release," The Black Vault, September 2019, https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/