Jacques Vallee and the 'Secret Onion'

This document is a blog post by Keith Basterfield, dated December 21, 2016, which examines the 'Advanced Theoretical Physics Project' (ATP) and a related, informal initiative referred to as the 'Secret Onion.' The text draws heavily from the books 'UFOs: Myths; Conspiracies and Realities' by John B. Alexander and 'Forbidden Science: Volume Three' by Jacques Vallee. The 'Secret Onion' was a nickname given by Vallee to a high-level, multi-layered project involving US government employees and private enterprise, aimed at investigating UAP in the 1980s. The project was characterized by extreme secrecy, with layers of access, and was intended to gain official status and funding, potentially through the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) led by Lieutenant General Jim Abrahamson. The document chronicles the project's struggles, including the premature leaking of information by individuals like Jack Houck, the difficulty in securing official funding, and the eventual reassignment of John Alexander to Los Alamos, which effectively ended the project's momentum. The text also highlights the involvement of various figures, including Hal Puthoff, Dick Haines, and members of the Army Science Board. Despite multiple attempts to revive the project and secure briefings with high-level officials, the initiative ultimately failed to achieve its goals, with Vallee noting that the project was doomed by its own structure and the inability to maintain confidentiality. The document concludes with comments from the author and a reader, providing additional context on the security and personnel involved in the BDM HQ during the mid-1980s.