The Pentagon created a murky atmosphere around its responsibilities to get to the bottom of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), and the result was more questions than answers. That was the conclusion one would reach while watching testimony before the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee (HOAC) on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
UAP Secrecy Isn’t Helping
What is particularly incendiary in the conversation concerning UAP and other unexplained airborne events is not just the secrecy surrounding the subject but what appears to be apathy among cognizant government agencies in discussing the sightings. There was hope that the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, would proactively share information. However, even AARO hides behind a bureaucratic bulwark, providing reports only when required by law. If it were not for the House Oversight Committee, it’s doubtful whether any light would be shed on the subject.
The Wednesday hearing was different from previous committee meetings. All four of the witnesses were articulate and not prone to conspiracy theories. The four witnesses were retired Rear Admiral Dr. Tim Gallaudet; author and former Defense Department official Luis Elizondo; Michael Shellenberger, author, journalist, and founder of the Substack publication Public; and Michael Gold, former NASA Associate Administrator and Member of NASA UAP Independent Study Team.
One of the most recent occurrences of the inexplicable was the drone sightings over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI) was curious whether the panel members believed military installations were more vulnerable to UAP sightings. Mr. Elizondo asserted:
“There is definitely enough data to suggest there is some sort of relationship between sensitive US military installations, also some of our nuclear equities, also some of our Department of Energy sites. There is a long historical record that some of your colleagues may have, documentation, that demonstrates this. This is not a new trend.”
Early during the hearing, Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) asked a fundamental question that UAP skeptics ask. “Why? Why is it so hard? Why are people, anytime they ask, why are people always thwarted? Why are they always judged? If it [UAP] doesn’t exist, why is it such a problem?” Mr. Gold explained, “It is always difficult for breakthroughs and new information, regardless of whether it’s UAP or any other kind of discovery. When you break with orthodoxy of what is believed … the more extraordinary those new beliefs, the more difficult.” Though Gold’s explanation may have some historical validity, the AARO charged with understanding UAP is staffed with scientists. These are people steeped in exploring what is unknown through an objective lens.
Dr. Gallaudet offered a more plausible, pragmatic explanation of why the Pentagon and the intelligence community (IC) want to avoid going into detail regarding UAP sightings. “I will speculate that they don’t want to share that kind of information because it reveals weaknesses in our ability to monitor and protect our airspace,” Gallaudet told the committee. This is precisely the ostrich-like attitude that ensures the Defense Department will never be able to understand UAP. Opening the aperture on the UAP discussion brings a broader variety of minds to bear. With more eyes and brains on the problem, there is a better chance for clarity in understanding what the US and other countries are up against.
Witness Stuns Committee Hearing
Of all the testimony, Michael Shellenberger’s was probably the most intriguing. He offered a 214-page tome of well-researched written testimony for the record. His statement asserted that the Defense and IC were intentionally withholding information about UAP from Congress. He revealed that during a conversation with a “whistleblower” on UAP:
“The whistleblower alleges that the DOD [Department of Defense] created the USAP [Unacknowledged Special Access Program], called ‘Immaculate Constellation,’ in 2017 after The New York Times published an article describing an informal Pentagon UAP program called ‘Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, ‘ or AATIP.”
The unnamed whistleblower also revealed that Immaculate Constellation is an effort to consolidate all UAP observations containing detailed sensor information. It is controlled by the White House but is run out of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Shellenberger’s written testimony asserts, “A Source warned that simply printing the name ‘Immaculate Constellation’ could trigger government surveillance,” of Shellenberger. Unfortunately, this kind of “X-Filesesque” rhetoric causes eyes to roll, and the suspension of disbelief fails.
Despite the compelling discourse, one is still doubtful after listening to the four witnesses and the committee discussion. Nonetheless, the HOAC can be applauded for its steadfastness in getting to the bottom of the UAP mystery. The truth may be out there. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been revealed yet.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.
