AFFIDAVIT IN CAMERA OF EUGENE F. YEATES

This document is an in camera affidavit submitted by Eugene F. Yeates, Chief of the Office of Policy at the National Security Agency (NSA), to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The affidavit was prepared in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the organization 'Citizens Against Unidentified Flying Objects Secrecy' (Civil Action No. 80-1562). The primary purpose of the affidavit is to justify the NSA's decision to withhold 156 communications intelligence (COMINT) reports related to UFOs or UAP. Yeates explains that the NSA located 239 documents in total, but many were referred to other agencies or withheld based on national security exemptions. The affidavit details the classification system used by the NSA, specifically noting the 'UMBRA' codeword for Category III COMINT. Yeates argues that the withheld documents contain sensitive information regarding signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations, including the interception of foreign government communications. He asserts that disclosing these reports would reveal the NSA's capability to target specific communications systems, thereby compromising intelligence sources and methods. The document discusses specific examples of withheld records, including reports of radar operators tracking unidentified objects, and explains that some of these reports are considered fictitious by NSA analysts. Yeates emphasizes that the protection of intelligence sources and methods is paramount and that the information is exempt from disclosure under various statutes, including 5 U.S.C. §552(b)(1), (3), and (5), as well as 18 U.S.C. §798 and 50 U.S.C. §403(d)(3). The affidavit concludes with a request for the Court to maintain the security of the document and return it to the Department of Justice.