Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Correspondence regarding the declassification of the Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects
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AI-Generated Summary
This 1956 memorandum from the Office of Scientific Intelligence denies the declassification of the original 'Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects.' It authorizes an edited, unclassified version while strictly prohibiting the disclosure of CIA sponsorship or the names of participating personnel.
This memorandum, dated August 15, 1956, is addressed to Colonel Gerald E. Jorgensen of the Department of the Air Force's Office of Information. It serves as a formal response to a request made on July 27, 1956, regarding the declassification of the 'Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects.' The Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) explicitly denies the request to downgrade the original report. As an alternative, the OSI proposes the release of an unclassified, edited version of the document. This version would be sanitized to remove the names of specific personnel and participating organizations. The memorandum emphasizes that permission for this release has not been obtained from the involved parties, noting that they had only agreed to the release of the edited summary and conclusions as outlined in a memorandum from P. G. Strong dated December 20, 1957. Furthermore, the OSI expresses a strong desire to prevent any public disclosure regarding the fact that the panel was sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency. The document concludes by stating that the OSI cannot authorize the inclusion of names of personnel who participated in the discussions in any unclassified release.
We are most anxious that further publicity not be given to the information that the panel was sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency.
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Official Assessment
The Office of Scientific Intelligence refused to downgrade the original report, offering instead an unclassified version with names of personnel and participating organizations removed.
The Office of Scientific Intelligence determined that the original report could not be downgraded. They authorized the release of an edited, unclassified version, provided that the involvement of the Central Intelligence Agency and the names of participating personnel were not publicized.
Key Persons
- Gerald E. JorgensenColonel, Chief, Community Relations Division, Office of Information, Department of the Air Force
- P. G. StrongIndividual whose 20 December 1957 memorandum to AFCIN is referenced