(2006-0474-F) Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO)

The materials in 2006-0474-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA request 2006-0474-F consists of records pertaining to UFO’s. These records consist of letters, routine correspondence tracking forms, memos, reports, emails and cables relating to UFO’s or extraterrestrial beings. The WHORM Subject Files contain correspondence from the White House, the National Archives and Records Administration, a Member of Congress, and the Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library each pertaining to a request for information relating to UFO’s, extraterrestrial intelligence, or the alleged Roswell incident. In addition to the actual correspondence, the files contain White House correspondence tracking sheets. The White House Staff and Office Files contain a large portion of the material, which is responsive to this FOIA request, and consists of documents which were sent to the White House by Steven M. Greer, the head of a nongovernmental organization called the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI). CSETI’s stated goal was to present compelling evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence to Members of Congress and other senior government officials in order to elicit further investigation and the full disclosure of information by the government. Some of the purportedly official documents, presented as evidence by CSETI, have been in the public domain for several years and are widely disputed with regard to their origin and authenticity. Also, within the Agency Liaison Files, are letters from individuals to the White House, or directly to the President, which were referred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for reply. Included, with one of NASA’s reply letters, is a 3-page enclosure explaining the history of government activity in UFO investigations. Records responsive to this FOIA were also found in the NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. The cables contain translated text of foreign news reports related to sightings of UFO’s. The emails contain transcripts of press briefings and remarks by President Clinton at various functions where UFO’s were mentioned. Documents found from NSC Records Management consist of letters to the White House from Steven Greer with enclosures similar to (or in some cases the same as) those found in the White House Staff and Office Files. Records responsive to this FOIA were found within the Automated Records Management and Tape Restoration Project systems. Responsive email from these collections may best be described as news transcripts and correspondence concerning reported UFO sightings.