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NARRATOR:
Classified military videos
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00:00:03,921 --> 00:00:05,881
leaked to the public.
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00:00:06,006 --> 00:00:07,666
JEREMY CORBELL:
You can actually hear
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00:00:07,758 --> 00:00:08,758
the shock and the awe
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as people saw this
going into the water.
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NARRATOR:
Top secret Pentagon projects
suddenly exposed.
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It was huge.
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It was a monumental sea change
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in the federal government’s
acknowledgment
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of these aerial phenomena
that are unexplained.
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NARRATOR:
And a shocking admission
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about unidentified
flying objects.
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STEVEN GREENSTREET:
Our current science,
our current tech
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can’t understand some of these.
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The government said that. Wow.
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ANDRE CARSON:
What is clear is that
these sightings
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simply cannot be explained.
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So the question becomes
"What are we dealing with?"
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NARRATOR:
Are we on the brink of
full government disclosure
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about the strange objects
witnessed in our skies?
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And if so, will we soon discover
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that they are, in fact,
of extraterrestrial origin?
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GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
Something is going on,
and for the first time ever,
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the government admitted to this.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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in the universe.
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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands
we question everything
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we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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The future is
right before our eyes.
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We are not alone.
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We have never been alone.
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NARRATOR: Washington, DC.,
the Oval Office,
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December 27, 2020.
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All right, thank you all.
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NARRATOR:
President Donald Trump
signs a massive
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$2.3 trillion spending
and relief package
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to stimulate economic recovery
from the ravages of COVID‐19.
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But the bill serves another,
highly unexpected purpose,
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detailed in its
"Committee Comments" section,
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beneath the heading
"Advanced Aerial Threats."
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The stipulation mandates
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that the Director
of National Intelligence
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work with the Secretary
of Defense on a report
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revealing everything
the government knows
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about "unidentified
aerial phenomena," or U.A.P.
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Because of public pressure,
public scrutiny,
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members of Congress,
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specifically on the Senate
Intelligence Committee,
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inserted language
that the government release
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a report to the public on UFOs.
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And they had 180 days to do it.
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This was jaw‐dropping.
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NICK POPE:
And a lot of people said, "What,
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UFOs and COVID?
What’s going on?"
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The original requirement
for a UFO report
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had come from the Senate
Intelligence Committee,
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and they’d articulated it in the
Intelligence Authorization Act
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for Fiscal Year 2021.
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But for a number of reasons,
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that bill wasn’t
going to get through.
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So, what they did
is they attached
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that part of the bill
to something they knew
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that would get through,
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and that was
the COVID‐19 relief bill.
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NARRATOR:
To researchers of UFOs‐‐
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or U.A.P.s, as government
agencies now call them‐‐
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it is a watershed moment.
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It is even applauded by many
in Washington,
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who believe the Pentagon
has been overly secretive
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about this phenomenon.
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CARSON:
I’m comforted in knowing
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that we have good folks
in the intelligence community
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who are protecting
our national security.
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At the same time, I think that
not just the American people
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but the global community
really want to know
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what’s going on up in our skies.
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JOHN PODESTA:
I was prompted to ask myself,
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"Where have you been?"
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Why did it take so much
prodding by the public,
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by members of Congress,
over decades, really,
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uh, before you took
this threat seriously?
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RALPH BLUMENTHAL:
There are people
in the government
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who are very hostile
to UFO information.
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The government had
plenty of time and reason
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to investigate these things,
but only seriously
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started compiling data in 2019,
which is totally insane.
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I mean, this information was
available for decades before.
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POPE:
The UFO community
went into overdrive.
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Some of them were actively
predicting disclosure.
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The mainstream media, as well,
were fully engaged on this.
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And there was
intense speculation.
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LINDA MOULTON HOWE: I remember,
after Trump had signed
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the COVID relief bill,
and I had to see it.
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So I called up somebody
and I got a link,
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and I went and went down
through all of that bill.
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And, of course,
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there was tremendous amounts
of speculation.
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"Well, are they now
going to tell us
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that we’re not alone
in the universe?"
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TSOUKALOS:
The government
of the United States
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is openly investigating UFOs.
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And I think that this speaks
volumes
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how the paradigm has shifted.
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NARRATOR:
But how did the U.S. government
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go from decades
of denying any interest in UFOs
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to passing a bipartisan bill
demanding an official report
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on unidentified
aerial phenomena?
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It’s a sea change in policy
with roots that trace back
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to a series of secret meetings
more than two decades earlier.
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Las Vegas, 1995.
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Local TV news reporter
George Knapp,
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famous in Nevada
for his investigation
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of the top secret
Air Force facility Area 51,
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has spent years discussing UFOs
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with Nevada’s powerful senator
Harry Reid.
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GEORGE KNAPP: Senator Reid
has a lot of interest
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in national security issues,
Nellis, Area 51.
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So I told him, "I think
there’s a legitimate issue here.
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This is real."
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And so we had
a secret conversation
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that lasted 30 years,
about UFOs.
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NARRATOR:
In 1995, Knapp invited Reid
to attend a meeting
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hosted by another
powerful Nevada resident
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with a longtime interest
in the topic,
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hotel magnate and aerospace
billionaire Robert Bigelow.
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Bigelow had recently founded
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00:06:47,282 --> 00:06:49,702
the National Institute
for Discovery Science,
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a privately financed
research organization
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created to investigate fringe
science and UFO phenomenon.
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KNAPP:
I told Reid,
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"I think you should go
check this out."
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He goes to the next board
meeting later in the year
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and is blown away.
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He’s hooked.
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But the bond that he formed
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with Bigelow at that point
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became critical to everything
that would unfold later.
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NARRATOR:
In 2007, with Reid’s help,
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Bigelow secured $22 million
from the Department of Defense
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to fund the Advanced Aerial
Threat Identification Program,
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or AATIP, an initiative
that would investigate reports
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of "anomalous aerial vehicles."
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They managed to create
this program in the Pentagon.
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Which was a classified program,
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a sort of black program,
as they say.
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And so, they were able
to get the funds,
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the Pentagon was able to get
up and running with that,
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and I think
that was a game changer.
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NARRATOR:
Pentagon officials
select former U.S. Army
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Counterintelligence
Special Agent Luis Elizondo
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to run the secret AATIP program.
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Lou Elizondo
was put in charge that.
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He was overseeing
this little group of people
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in different parts
of the Pentagon.
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They would exchange information,
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do what they could and try
to keep a very low profile.
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some people in the Pentagon
knew what they were doing,
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but others did not.
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HOWE:
Elizondo ran AATIP
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for those approximately
seven years
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with funding from Senator
Harry Reid in Nevada.
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And none of us knew
anything about it.
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NARRATOR:
As Elizondo delved into
the government’s secret files,
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he became convinced
that UFOs could pose
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a major national security
threat.
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But, to his growing frustration,
he struggled
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00:08:41,938 --> 00:08:44,398
to get anyone to listen to him.
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Lou figured out that forces
within the Pentagon
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weren’t taking this seriously,
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and were perhaps
dismissing and covering up
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and suppressing UFO information
for various reasons.
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And Lou couldn’t stand
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00:09:02,625 --> 00:09:05,205
the fact that, within the halls
of the Pentagon,
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it wasn’t being taken seriously.
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NARRATOR:
In October 2017,
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00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,340
Luis Elizondo resigned
from AATIP
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00:09:13,428 --> 00:09:17,058
after Pentagon officials
refused to present his findings
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00:09:17,140 --> 00:09:19,730
to Defense Secretary
James Mattis.
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LUIS ELIZONDO:
I‐I’ve seen too much.
I’ve talked to too many people.
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I have too many reports.
I‐I know it’s real.
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I‐I can’t in good conscience
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just keep my head
buried in the sand.
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I had to leave the very job
that I love
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to get my point across.
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NARRATOR:
Just as Elizondo
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was leaving his position
at the Pentagon,
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Tom DeLonge, co‐founder
of the rock band Blink‐182,
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was forming a group
called To the Stars Academy
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to collect and study information
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on unidentified
aerial phenomena.
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POPE:
Tom DeLonge gathered around him
an extraordinary team
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of insiders with backgrounds
in the government,
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intelligence community,
the aerospace community‐‐
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particularly
cutting‐edge technologies.
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RYAN SPRAGUE:
Elizondo almost immediately
went to work for Tom DeLonge,
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00:10:12,529 --> 00:10:15,159
and his new company
To the Stars,
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00:10:15,281 --> 00:10:19,541
a company that was dedicated
to working to try
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00:10:19,661 --> 00:10:23,121
to uncover the answers
about the UFO phenomena,
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which just seemed like
a perfect stroke of luck.
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NARRATOR:
With the addition of Elizondo,
To The Stars Academy
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00:10:31,256 --> 00:10:33,666
now had unprecedented access
to government intel
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on unidentified
aerial phenomena.
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And unbeknownst to Elizondo’s
former bosses in the military,
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he hadn’t left government
service empty‐handed.
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00:10:44,561 --> 00:10:46,151
He brought with him
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extraordinary video evidence
of UFOs.
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00:11:01,077 --> 00:11:04,957
NARRATOR:
After Luis Elizondo resigns
from his position with AATIP
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00:11:05,039 --> 00:11:07,379
and leaves the Pentagon,
he shares
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00:11:07,458 --> 00:11:10,708
three declassified videos
recorded by Navy pilots
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00:11:10,795 --> 00:11:14,465
with his new colleagues
at To The Stars Academy.
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00:11:16,259 --> 00:11:18,719
The first object,
known as Tic Tac,
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00:11:18,803 --> 00:11:23,103
was caught on radar in 2004
off the USS Nimitz
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00:11:23,224 --> 00:11:26,064
at an altitude of 80,000 feet.
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00:11:26,186 --> 00:11:29,976
As Navy F‐18s
approached the object,
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00:11:30,064 --> 00:11:34,244
it descended to within one foot
of the water in seconds.
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00:11:34,319 --> 00:11:39,739
We don’t have this capability
of dropping 80,000 feet
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00:11:39,824 --> 00:11:44,754
within a matter of seconds,
hitting a velocity of Mach 20.
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00:11:44,829 --> 00:11:49,629
So, we now know that there’s
some kind of propulsion system
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00:11:49,751 --> 00:11:54,461
that exceeds the capability
of our own rockets.
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NARRATOR:
Naval aviator
Lieutenant Chad Underwood
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00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:00,676
was ordered to pursue the object
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00:12:00,762 --> 00:12:03,102
in an F‐18 equipped
with a sophisticated
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00:12:03,181 --> 00:12:04,561
FLIR video system.
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00:12:04,641 --> 00:12:07,311
UNDERWOOD:
The object looked featureless,
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00:12:07,435 --> 00:12:10,515
and that’s why I called it
the Tic Tac.
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It looked like a Tic Tac.
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00:12:12,273 --> 00:12:15,153
It had no wings,
no method of propulsion
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and on your forward‐looking
infrared pod,
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00:12:17,570 --> 00:12:19,570
all it is is tracking heat.
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00:12:19,656 --> 00:12:22,946
So you would typically see
engine exhaust
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00:12:23,076 --> 00:12:25,616
coming out of one of the ends
of the aircraft.
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00:12:25,745 --> 00:12:27,535
Not seeing any of it.
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The object was changing
altitude, air speed,
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things that my FLIR and my radar
were having difficulty tracking.
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00:12:35,922 --> 00:12:37,672
And then at the end
of the encounter
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00:12:37,799 --> 00:12:42,139
is when you see it dart off
to my left on the FLIR pod,
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00:12:42,220 --> 00:12:46,560
and that’s when I was like,
"Whoa. What just happened?"
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NARRATOR:
The other two videos Elizondo
brought to his colleagues
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00:12:50,478 --> 00:12:53,808
at To the Stars Academy
were equally groundbreaking.
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00:12:53,898 --> 00:12:56,478
Known as "Gimbal" and "GoFast,"
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00:12:56,567 --> 00:12:58,817
both videos were taken
by Navy jets
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00:12:58,903 --> 00:13:04,163
from the USS Theodore Roosevelt
near the Florida coast in 2015.
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00:13:04,284 --> 00:13:08,164
All three videos
show objects moving in ways
246
00:13:08,288 --> 00:13:11,668
that defy the known
laws of physics.
247
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,380
KAKU:
These objects can
zigzag effortlessly,
248
00:13:17,505 --> 00:13:20,085
defying the known laws
of aerodynamics.
249
00:13:20,174 --> 00:13:23,514
These objects can
effortlessly accelerate
250
00:13:23,594 --> 00:13:25,644
up to 20 times
the speed of sound.
251
00:13:25,722 --> 00:13:28,522
They have no visible
means of propulsion.
252
00:13:28,641 --> 00:13:30,981
So what could it be?
253
00:13:31,060 --> 00:13:34,440
Well, the short answer is,
we don’t know.
254
00:13:34,522 --> 00:13:36,692
PODESTA:
The phenomena had
255
00:13:36,774 --> 00:13:38,694
unusual flight characteristics,
256
00:13:38,776 --> 00:13:43,776
unusual vectors, speed,
being able to hover and move.
257
00:13:46,784 --> 00:13:50,044
PODESTA:
The fact that the Chinese
or the Russians
258
00:13:50,121 --> 00:13:53,371
or anyone else would have
that kind of capability
259
00:13:53,499 --> 00:13:57,549
and we wouldn’t know about it
is pretty slim.
260
00:13:57,628 --> 00:13:59,378
NARRATOR:
As head of AATIP,
261
00:13:59,464 --> 00:14:02,634
Elizondo was able to have
the videos declassified,
262
00:14:02,717 --> 00:14:04,887
but they had never
been made public.
263
00:14:05,011 --> 00:14:07,391
His involvement
in To the Stars Academy
264
00:14:07,472 --> 00:14:10,522
offered a new opportunity to
share the remarkable information
265
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,310
collected at the Pentagon.
266
00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:16,807
To The Stars‐‐ their goal was
267
00:14:16,898 --> 00:14:18,728
that they were
gonna crack it all open,
268
00:14:18,858 --> 00:14:21,738
and they were going
to open up the truth
269
00:14:21,861 --> 00:14:24,071
that the government knows about
270
00:14:24,155 --> 00:14:26,165
these unidentified
aerial phenomena
271
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,240
that have a technology
that does not exist
272
00:14:30,328 --> 00:14:32,618
in terms of human production.
273
00:14:32,747 --> 00:14:35,917
WILLIAM HENRY:
To The Stars Academy,
to their credit,
274
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,630
brought Lou Elizondo
together with Chris Mellon,
275
00:14:38,753 --> 00:14:43,423
Department of Defense official,
Senate Intelligence insider.
276
00:14:43,549 --> 00:14:45,259
And then they go
to The New York Times
277
00:14:45,343 --> 00:14:47,433
with this blockbuster story
278
00:14:47,512 --> 00:14:50,972
about the U.S. government’s
interest in investigating UFOs.
279
00:14:51,099 --> 00:14:54,019
NARRATOR:
Chris Mellon arranged a meeting
with Leslie Kean,
280
00:14:54,102 --> 00:14:56,442
a best‐selling author
who had spent years
281
00:14:56,521 --> 00:15:00,111
trying to draw mainstream media
attention to UFOs.
282
00:15:00,233 --> 00:15:03,863
Mellon and Elizondo
revealed to Kean the existence
283
00:15:03,945 --> 00:15:06,165
of the secret AATIP program
284
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,120
and promised her access
to the videos
285
00:15:08,199 --> 00:15:11,989
if she could place the story
with The New York Times.
286
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,620
Leslie Kean is very
well‐connected, politically.
287
00:15:15,748 --> 00:15:18,958
Her uncle Thomas Kean
was the former governor
288
00:15:19,043 --> 00:15:22,593
of New Jersey and headed up
the 9/11 Commission.
289
00:15:22,672 --> 00:15:26,432
This gives you an idea
of, uh, just how plugged in
290
00:15:26,509 --> 00:15:29,969
to the political network
Leslie is.
291
00:15:30,054 --> 00:15:32,894
So when Leslie was contacted
292
00:15:32,974 --> 00:15:35,564
by Lou Elizondo
and Chris Mellon,
293
00:15:35,643 --> 00:15:38,153
she then teamed up
with Ralph Blumenthal,
294
00:15:38,271 --> 00:15:40,731
veteran New York Times reporter,
295
00:15:40,815 --> 00:15:43,695
and Helene Cooper,
again from the Times.
296
00:15:43,818 --> 00:15:46,818
NARRATOR:
Ralph Blumenthal came to know
Leslie Kean
297
00:15:46,904 --> 00:15:49,664
while working on his book
The Believer, a biography
298
00:15:49,740 --> 00:15:53,830
about alien abductions
researcher Dr. John Mack.
299
00:15:53,911 --> 00:15:56,501
When he heard about
the government’s AATIP program,
300
00:15:56,581 --> 00:16:00,081
he was eager to help
break the story.
301
00:16:00,168 --> 00:16:03,338
Well, it was clearly a great
story for The New York Times.
302
00:16:03,463 --> 00:16:06,763
A‐A secret Pentagon unit
investigating UFOs
303
00:16:06,841 --> 00:16:10,011
after, uh, the government
was supposed to be out
304
00:16:10,136 --> 00:16:12,466
of the UFO business,
but of course, never really was.
305
00:16:12,555 --> 00:16:15,475
NARRATOR:
Blumenthal pitched
the story directly
306
00:16:15,558 --> 00:16:19,348
to the New York Times
managing editor Dean Baquet.
307
00:16:19,437 --> 00:16:23,517
And on December 16th, 2017,
308
00:16:23,608 --> 00:16:26,358
Leslie Kean, Ralph Blumenthal,
309
00:16:26,444 --> 00:16:28,784
and Helene Cooper’s
groundbreaking report
310
00:16:28,863 --> 00:16:31,823
about the Pentagon’s
mysterious UFO program
311
00:16:31,908 --> 00:16:36,328
made the front page of The
New York Times online edition.
312
00:16:36,412 --> 00:16:39,002
BLUMENTHAL: We had it
nailed down chapter and verse,
313
00:16:39,081 --> 00:16:40,371
the people involved it in
on the...
314
00:16:40,458 --> 00:16:42,078
everything on the record,
the documents,
315
00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:45,800
so this hit all the benchmarks.
316
00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,760
We had the Navy videos,
317
00:16:47,882 --> 00:16:50,882
which we were able to put
on the Times website
318
00:16:50,968 --> 00:16:52,638
and they garnered more views
319
00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,560
than almost anything
in Times history.
320
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,890
DAVID CHILDRESS:
This was a real turning point
321
00:16:56,974 --> 00:16:58,064
in the United States,
322
00:16:58,142 --> 00:17:02,062
because The New York Times
has always said that
323
00:17:02,188 --> 00:17:04,188
they are the guardians
of the truth.
324
00:17:04,273 --> 00:17:08,863
Suddenly, The New York Times
is actually reporting on UFOs.
325
00:17:08,945 --> 00:17:13,495
This really shows that UFOs
and the study of UFOs
326
00:17:13,574 --> 00:17:16,914
and the investigation
has entered the mainstream.
327
00:17:17,036 --> 00:17:20,536
TSOUKALOS:
All of a sudden, since 2017,
328
00:17:20,623 --> 00:17:25,253
these stories
have become front‐page news
329
00:17:25,336 --> 00:17:28,586
on worldwide newspapers.
330
00:17:28,673 --> 00:17:33,223
And it clearly shows that there
was a type of a paradigm shift
331
00:17:33,302 --> 00:17:36,262
that’s happened
over the past 25 years.
332
00:17:36,347 --> 00:17:39,927
And for someone like me,
it’s‐it’s incredible.
333
00:17:40,017 --> 00:17:44,767
NARRATOR:
Astonished by the AATIP
revelations and leaked videos,
334
00:17:44,855 --> 00:17:46,815
Congress demanded briefings,
335
00:17:46,941 --> 00:17:51,201
forcing the intelligence
communities to respond.
336
00:17:51,279 --> 00:17:52,399
KNAPP:
Suddenly,
337
00:17:52,488 --> 00:17:55,778
UFO briefings become the hottest
ticket on Capitol Hill.
338
00:17:55,866 --> 00:17:58,786
Briefings for the Armed Services
Committee,
339
00:17:58,911 --> 00:18:01,081
the Intelligence Committee,
everybody wants in.
340
00:18:01,163 --> 00:18:03,333
Congress takes it serious.
341
00:18:03,457 --> 00:18:06,337
The media give them
political coverage
342
00:18:06,460 --> 00:18:07,630
by saying this
is a legitimate story.
343
00:18:07,712 --> 00:18:11,472
So you have people like
Marco Rubio and Senator Warner
344
00:18:11,549 --> 00:18:14,679
who can tell, uh, reporters,
"Yeah, we’re looking into this.
345
00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:16,262
This is a‐a legitimate mystery."
346
00:18:16,345 --> 00:18:18,465
We have things flying
over military installations,
347
00:18:18,556 --> 00:18:20,966
over military exercises,
and other places,
348
00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:22,980
and we don’t know what it is.
349
00:18:23,060 --> 00:18:26,480
If there are objects flying
over military installations,
350
00:18:26,564 --> 00:18:28,774
that could pose
a security threat.
351
00:18:28,858 --> 00:18:32,608
CARSON:
I think we’re gonna
have more hearings.
352
00:18:32,695 --> 00:18:35,865
And I think
that we’re seeing we can
353
00:18:35,990 --> 00:18:39,080
have these conversations
publicly, in a way
354
00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,410
that doesn’t warrant mockery
or scorn or ridicule.
355
00:18:42,496 --> 00:18:44,156
I think
it’s critically important.
356
00:18:45,583 --> 00:18:47,633
NARRATOR:
After 70 years of taboo
357
00:18:47,710 --> 00:18:52,510
going back to the 1947 incident
at Roswell, New Mexico,
358
00:18:52,632 --> 00:18:57,302
the study of UFOs had finally
gained mainstream acceptance.
359
00:18:57,386 --> 00:19:02,306
But is the U.S. military
ready to share all it knows?
360
00:19:02,391 --> 00:19:05,641
Or are there still forces
within the Pentagon
361
00:19:05,728 --> 00:19:09,438
that will go to any length
to protect its secrets?
362
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,290
NARRATOR:
In the wake of the
New York Times revelations
363
00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:25,410
about AATIP and the explosive
Navy videos,
364
00:19:25,539 --> 00:19:28,539
the House and Senate
Armed Services Committees
365
00:19:28,668 --> 00:19:30,458
begin interviewing Navy pilots
366
00:19:30,544 --> 00:19:32,924
who claim to have
witnessed U.A.P.s
367
00:19:33,047 --> 00:19:35,047
while on training missions.
368
00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:37,052
KNAPP:
It started
with closed‐door briefings
369
00:19:37,176 --> 00:19:38,836
of senior staff members.
370
00:19:38,928 --> 00:19:41,428
These pilots, David Fravor
and Alex Dietrich,
371
00:19:41,555 --> 00:19:42,845
and, uh, people like that‐‐
372
00:19:42,932 --> 00:19:45,272
Chad Underwood, uh, Ryan Graves,
373
00:19:45,393 --> 00:19:47,023
start being led up
to Capitol Hill.
374
00:19:47,103 --> 00:19:48,023
They tell their stories.
375
00:19:48,104 --> 00:19:49,734
This thing would go
instantaneous
376
00:19:49,814 --> 00:19:51,024
from one way to another.
377
00:19:51,107 --> 00:19:52,687
And just rapidly accelerates
378
00:19:52,775 --> 00:19:54,365
beyond anything
that I’ve ever seen.
379
00:19:54,443 --> 00:19:56,993
KNAPP:
They are incredibly believable.
380
00:19:57,071 --> 00:20:00,491
They have gravitas.
They’re not UFO nuts.
381
00:20:00,574 --> 00:20:05,084
We were able to then visually
pick up, uh, what we describe
382
00:20:05,204 --> 00:20:07,504
as a Tic Tac
that was moving very fast.
383
00:20:07,581 --> 00:20:10,211
They’re telling stories about
encounters with strange craft
384
00:20:10,292 --> 00:20:12,712
that are way beyond
any technology we have.
385
00:20:12,795 --> 00:20:15,515
We do workups along
the, uh, Eastern Seaboard
386
00:20:15,589 --> 00:20:17,669
and these objects
kind of came with us.
387
00:20:17,758 --> 00:20:19,888
The fact that he would
just get himself on his wing tip
388
00:20:19,969 --> 00:20:22,889
with no turn
isn’t how aircraft work.
389
00:20:22,972 --> 00:20:24,812
KNAPP:
The senior staff members
are impressed.
390
00:20:24,932 --> 00:20:26,432
They tell the elected members
of Congress.
391
00:20:26,517 --> 00:20:27,597
It changed everything.
392
00:20:27,685 --> 00:20:29,905
I never thought
I would see it in my lifetime,
393
00:20:29,979 --> 00:20:31,859
and here it is,
unfolding right before our eyes.
394
00:20:31,939 --> 00:20:33,359
Still unfolding.
395
00:20:33,441 --> 00:20:35,691
RICHARD DOLAN:
The Pentagon has had to respond.
396
00:20:35,776 --> 00:20:37,436
It might just be difficult
397
00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:40,068
for the Pentagon to completely
do a blanket denial
398
00:20:40,156 --> 00:20:41,776
the way they used to.
399
00:20:43,367 --> 00:20:45,907
NARRATOR:
In August 2020,
400
00:20:45,995 --> 00:20:48,415
in a rare instance
of transparency,
401
00:20:48,497 --> 00:20:52,077
the U.S. Department of Defense
announces that the work
402
00:20:52,168 --> 00:20:54,378
Luis Elizondo oversaw
with AATIP‐‐
403
00:20:54,462 --> 00:20:57,422
analyzing and cataloging
U.A.P.s‐‐
404
00:20:57,506 --> 00:21:01,716
is still being carried on
under a new program
405
00:21:01,802 --> 00:21:05,762
called the Unidentified
Aerial Phenomena Task Force.
406
00:21:05,848 --> 00:21:07,928
That same summer,
407
00:21:08,017 --> 00:21:10,597
Senator Marco Rubio’s
Intelligence Committee
408
00:21:10,686 --> 00:21:14,266
drafts legislation giving
the Pentagon 180 days
409
00:21:14,356 --> 00:21:15,936
to publicly report
410
00:21:16,025 --> 00:21:19,615
what government agencies know
about U.A.P.s.
411
00:21:19,695 --> 00:21:21,735
The Senate Intelligence
Committee
412
00:21:21,822 --> 00:21:26,872
puts in a bill for 2021,
"We want a report on U.A.P."
413
00:21:26,994 --> 00:21:29,794
And so, the whole,
the whole momentum of this
414
00:21:29,872 --> 00:21:32,712
is this, is this theme of
"We need to do something,
415
00:21:32,833 --> 00:21:34,673
we need to get serious
about it."
416
00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:39,094
NARRATOR:
The legislation is passed
and signed by the president,
417
00:21:39,173 --> 00:21:42,933
and the 180‐day countdown
begins.
418
00:21:43,010 --> 00:21:46,140
But curiously,
even as this was happening,
419
00:21:46,222 --> 00:21:48,642
top Pentagon officials
were attacking
420
00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:50,684
Luis Elizondo’s credibility,
421
00:21:50,810 --> 00:21:54,350
and claiming that he had
nothing to do with AATIP.
422
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,480
HENRY:
The Pentagon had launched
a smear campaign
423
00:21:57,566 --> 00:22:00,986
against Elizondo,
calling him crazy.
424
00:22:01,070 --> 00:22:05,910
On May 3rd, 2021, Lou Elizondo
filed a 64‐page complaint
425
00:22:06,033 --> 00:22:07,243
with the inspector general.
426
00:22:07,368 --> 00:22:11,328
These are, like, the top cops
in the Department of Justice.
427
00:22:11,413 --> 00:22:13,873
ELIZONDO:
There is still pockets
of resistance in the Pentagon
428
00:22:13,999 --> 00:22:15,749
that is trying to muzzle
429
00:22:15,876 --> 00:22:18,496
or, if you will, stifle
this conversation.
430
00:22:18,587 --> 00:22:21,167
That must be corrected,
and, yes, I’d love it
431
00:22:21,257 --> 00:22:23,467
if they also corrected
the record about me,
432
00:22:23,551 --> 00:22:26,851
but that is less important
than not fixing the record
433
00:22:26,929 --> 00:22:28,759
about this overall conversation.
434
00:22:28,889 --> 00:22:31,729
DOLAN:
So now you have a movement
435
00:22:31,809 --> 00:22:33,349
after all these years to begin
436
00:22:33,435 --> 00:22:36,305
to crack that secrecy
even by a little bit.
437
00:22:36,397 --> 00:22:39,857
You’re clearly going to have
a very powerful faction
438
00:22:39,942 --> 00:22:42,902
of individuals who are going
to do everything possible
439
00:22:43,028 --> 00:22:44,698
to thwart that effort.
440
00:22:44,780 --> 00:22:46,910
And if that means
smearing good people
441
00:22:46,991 --> 00:22:50,701
with good reputations,
well, so be it, this is war.
442
00:22:50,786 --> 00:22:55,246
NARRATOR:
Researchers suggest efforts
to deny whistleblower testimony
443
00:22:55,374 --> 00:23:00,464
about the existence of UFOs have
persisted since World War II,
444
00:23:00,588 --> 00:23:04,758
citing government reactions to
numerous bombshell revelations.
445
00:23:04,842 --> 00:23:08,392
HOWE:
Whistleblowers, in many ways,
446
00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:12,390
are the most courageous heroes
of the 20th to the 21st century
447
00:23:12,474 --> 00:23:16,064
because they were
decent human beings
448
00:23:16,145 --> 00:23:19,735
who get hired to do science,
449
00:23:19,815 --> 00:23:24,605
and then what they find
themselves in are straitjackets.
450
00:23:24,695 --> 00:23:27,615
Straitjackets of political
policies,
451
00:23:27,740 --> 00:23:30,080
of Defense Department policies.
452
00:23:30,159 --> 00:23:35,079
Each of the different intel
agencies and military groups,
453
00:23:35,164 --> 00:23:39,254
they want to control
whatever is being let out.
454
00:23:39,335 --> 00:23:43,345
It’s been going on
since World War II to today.
455
00:23:43,464 --> 00:23:48,094
NARRATOR: In 1958, after
conducting research on UFOs
456
00:23:48,177 --> 00:23:50,967
with the help of his contacts
at the Pentagon,
457
00:23:51,055 --> 00:23:54,725
retired Marine Corps pilot
Major Donald Keyhoe
458
00:23:54,808 --> 00:23:56,938
went on a live
television program
459
00:23:57,019 --> 00:23:59,269
called
The Armstrong Circle Theatre
460
00:23:59,355 --> 00:24:01,525
to report his conclusion
461
00:24:01,649 --> 00:24:05,319
that extraterrestrials were,
in fact, visiting Earth.
462
00:24:05,402 --> 00:24:09,362
But mysteriously, just as he
was about to make this point,
463
00:24:09,490 --> 00:24:12,280
the sound cut out.
464
00:24:12,368 --> 00:24:14,948
If the hearings are held,
open hearings, I feel
465
00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:17,957
it will prove beyond a doubt
that the flying saucers are...
466
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,000
(speaking inaudibly)
467
00:24:24,755 --> 00:24:29,515
NARRATOR:
In 1989, when physicist
Bob Lazar claimed
468
00:24:29,593 --> 00:24:30,973
that he was hired
to reverse engineer
469
00:24:31,053 --> 00:24:32,643
an alien spacecraft
470
00:24:32,721 --> 00:24:36,311
at a top secret military base
called Area 51,
471
00:24:36,392 --> 00:24:41,192
government officials denied that
the base even existed at all,
472
00:24:41,313 --> 00:24:45,823
a falsehood that would be
exposed 14 years later.
473
00:24:45,901 --> 00:24:48,651
CORBELL:
You can hear Bob Lazar’s story,
474
00:24:48,737 --> 00:24:51,197
and it sounds so outlandish.
475
00:24:51,281 --> 00:24:53,991
Until you have people
within the Pentagon saying,
476
00:24:54,076 --> 00:24:56,156
"We do have recovered
materials and craft,"
477
00:24:56,245 --> 00:24:59,165
and then you have to look
back at Bob Lazar’s story
478
00:24:59,248 --> 00:25:01,328
and you see he’s telling you
the truth.
479
00:25:01,417 --> 00:25:07,627
NARRATOR:
In 1997, retired U.S. Army
Colonel Philip J. Corso
480
00:25:07,715 --> 00:25:11,515
published The Day After Roswell,
in which he confirms
481
00:25:11,593 --> 00:25:13,553
that an extraterrestrial craft
482
00:25:13,637 --> 00:25:17,557
did indeed crash
in the New Mexico desert.
483
00:25:17,641 --> 00:25:21,101
It was met with similar denials
from the Pentagon.
484
00:25:21,228 --> 00:25:23,478
HOWE:
Colonel Corso’s entire book
485
00:25:23,564 --> 00:25:26,654
is about the physical evidence,
where it went,
486
00:25:26,734 --> 00:25:32,114
the fact that there
were, uh, policies of denial.
487
00:25:32,239 --> 00:25:34,869
All of it was off‐limits.
488
00:25:34,950 --> 00:25:40,460
NARRATOR:
When the Pentagon tries
to discredit Elizondo in 2020,
489
00:25:40,581 --> 00:25:43,631
many fear it indicates
business as usual,
490
00:25:43,751 --> 00:25:46,671
and that the government
U.A.P. report will once again
491
00:25:46,754 --> 00:25:50,634
prove to be an effort to debunk
rather than disclose.
492
00:25:50,758 --> 00:25:52,838
But to the surprise of many,
493
00:25:52,926 --> 00:25:55,256
the inspector general
immediately agrees
494
00:25:55,387 --> 00:25:57,967
to investigate
Elizondo’s complaint.
495
00:25:58,098 --> 00:26:01,058
Ancient astronaut theorists
are hopeful
496
00:26:01,143 --> 00:26:03,563
this could lead
to an official reexamination
497
00:26:03,645 --> 00:26:06,105
of the high‐profile
UFO incidents
498
00:26:06,190 --> 00:26:09,230
that have been dismissed before.
499
00:26:09,318 --> 00:26:11,818
It’s possible the inspector
general could get in
500
00:26:11,945 --> 00:26:14,405
and find evidence about
what happened with Roswell,
501
00:26:14,490 --> 00:26:18,200
what happened with Major Keyhoe,
what happened with Bob Lazar.
502
00:26:18,285 --> 00:26:20,745
All of these questions
under oath
503
00:26:20,829 --> 00:26:22,539
would be asked
of Pentagon officials,
504
00:26:22,623 --> 00:26:25,833
and the public would
get to know about it as well.
505
00:26:27,211 --> 00:26:29,801
NARRATOR:
While the inspector general’s
investigation
506
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,220
was just getting started,
507
00:26:32,299 --> 00:26:34,589
the release of the government’s
U.A.P. report
508
00:26:34,676 --> 00:26:36,296
was only a month away.
509
00:26:36,428 --> 00:26:39,718
And as the anticipation
was growing,
510
00:26:39,807 --> 00:26:43,637
more explosive new evidence
came to light.
511
00:26:53,779 --> 00:26:57,319
NARRATOR:
With the government’s
much‐anticipated report on UFOs
512
00:26:57,407 --> 00:27:01,787
only weeks away,
veteran journalist George Knapp
513
00:27:01,870 --> 00:27:04,620
and documentary filmmaker
Jeremy Corbell
514
00:27:04,706 --> 00:27:06,666
drop yet another bombshell:
515
00:27:06,750 --> 00:27:10,420
new footage of U.S.
encounters with U.A.P.s
516
00:27:10,504 --> 00:27:13,014
from Navy combat ships.
517
00:27:15,175 --> 00:27:18,295
SPRAGUE:
These were leaked videos
and photos
518
00:27:18,387 --> 00:27:22,137
from the actual Pentagon
UFO task force.
519
00:27:22,224 --> 00:27:25,444
One of which showed
a pyramid‐shaped object
520
00:27:25,519 --> 00:27:29,979
floating above the USS Russell
off the West Coast.
521
00:27:30,065 --> 00:27:31,725
And it wasn’t just one pyramid.
522
00:27:31,859 --> 00:27:34,149
There were apparently swarms
of these things.
523
00:27:35,571 --> 00:27:39,241
They were triangular,
by angle of observation.
524
00:27:39,366 --> 00:27:44,116
But they were pyramid in shape,
in reality.
525
00:27:44,204 --> 00:27:49,214
NARRATOR:
Other leaked videos were
recorded aboard the USS Omaha,
526
00:27:49,293 --> 00:27:52,843
part of the same strike group
as the USS Russell.
527
00:27:52,921 --> 00:27:56,341
These included not only
a smartphone recording
528
00:27:56,425 --> 00:27:59,345
but also thermal imaging footage
529
00:27:59,428 --> 00:28:02,058
and video of the objects
caught on radar.
530
00:28:05,434 --> 00:28:07,354
You’ve got what’s known as FLIR,
531
00:28:07,436 --> 00:28:10,056
that is, forward‐looking
infrared, or thermal signatures.
532
00:28:11,273 --> 00:28:13,233
You have radar data as well.
533
00:28:13,317 --> 00:28:16,737
And there was actually video
that was shot by Navy personnel
534
00:28:16,820 --> 00:28:18,570
on the deck looking up
at these objects.
535
00:28:18,655 --> 00:28:21,275
So you have three
different types of things.
536
00:28:21,408 --> 00:28:24,908
NARRATOR:
One video appeared to show
a single round object
537
00:28:24,995 --> 00:28:27,835
flying above the water,
then hovering,
538
00:28:27,915 --> 00:28:31,585
before making a controlled
descent into the ocean.
539
00:28:31,668 --> 00:28:32,918
CORBELL:
You can actually hear
540
00:28:33,003 --> 00:28:36,553
in the CIC‐‐ which is
the Combat Information Center‐‐
541
00:28:36,632 --> 00:28:38,302
the shock and the awe...
542
00:28:40,427 --> 00:28:43,427
...as people saw this vehicle
going into the water.
543
00:28:47,768 --> 00:28:50,268
These objects can apparently fly
through the atmosphere
544
00:28:50,354 --> 00:28:52,364
at velocities that exceed
545
00:28:52,439 --> 00:28:55,069
the known velocities
of our projectiles.
546
00:28:55,150 --> 00:28:58,700
And they can go underwater,
547
00:28:58,779 --> 00:29:00,989
exceeding the pressure
that would normally rupture
548
00:29:01,114 --> 00:29:03,744
the hull of a projectile.
549
00:29:03,825 --> 00:29:05,945
In other words,
these objects have a capability
550
00:29:06,078 --> 00:29:10,208
exceeding that of ours because
they can go to outer space,
551
00:29:10,290 --> 00:29:13,000
through the atmosphere
and even the oceans.
552
00:29:15,003 --> 00:29:18,763
NARRATOR:
Skeptics rushed to claim
the videos were refracted light,
553
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:23,760
or errant weather balloons
or perhaps even fakes.
554
00:29:23,845 --> 00:29:26,385
But the debunkers
were dealt a blow
555
00:29:26,473 --> 00:29:28,433
when the Pentagon
quickly confirmed
556
00:29:28,517 --> 00:29:31,097
that the videos were authentic.
557
00:29:31,186 --> 00:29:34,186
KNAPP: In UFO world,
everything’s a conspiracy.
558
00:29:34,314 --> 00:29:36,784
So when we released
these images,
559
00:29:36,858 --> 00:29:38,988
we’re being fed disinformation
by the government.
560
00:29:39,069 --> 00:29:40,149
That’s the assumption.
561
00:29:40,279 --> 00:29:41,649
"These are phonies."
562
00:29:41,780 --> 00:29:43,660
The same kind of accusations
that were leveled
563
00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:46,582
at the images released
by Lou Elizondo,
564
00:29:46,660 --> 00:29:49,160
New York Times, back in 2017.
565
00:29:49,288 --> 00:29:51,038
Same kind of attacks
566
00:29:51,164 --> 00:29:53,674
from people who just
don’t want it to be true.
567
00:29:53,750 --> 00:29:55,840
They don’t want there
to be genuine unknowns.
568
00:29:55,919 --> 00:29:59,169
So we released them,
got them verified.
569
00:29:59,256 --> 00:30:02,176
And damned if the Pentagon
didn’t come out and say "Yep,
570
00:30:02,259 --> 00:30:04,299
they’re real, they’re legit."
571
00:30:04,386 --> 00:30:08,466
POPE:
One of the most fascinating
aspects of all this
572
00:30:08,557 --> 00:30:11,807
was how quick
the Department of Defense was
573
00:30:11,893 --> 00:30:14,983
to confirm the authenticity
of this material.
574
00:30:15,063 --> 00:30:17,653
In the normal course
of business,
575
00:30:17,733 --> 00:30:21,953
the policy is to either debunk
or refuse to comment at all.
576
00:30:22,029 --> 00:30:25,029
Which makes one wonder,
is this material coming out
577
00:30:25,115 --> 00:30:27,955
with the tacit approval
of someone in government,
578
00:30:28,035 --> 00:30:30,795
or at least a faction
within government,
579
00:30:30,871 --> 00:30:33,501
the military,
the intelligence community?
580
00:30:33,582 --> 00:30:37,962
SPRAGUE:
The reaction was huge
when it came to these.
581
00:30:38,045 --> 00:30:41,345
Mainstream media picked up
on it almost immediately.
582
00:30:41,423 --> 00:30:43,683
And it became a sensation,
583
00:30:43,759 --> 00:30:47,009
all leading up to the countdown
to this report.
584
00:30:47,095 --> 00:30:49,505
My personal intent
585
00:30:49,598 --> 00:30:53,348
was to stoke the fire, was to
provide new data and evidence‐‐
586
00:30:53,435 --> 00:30:56,355
corroborative data
and evidence‐‐
587
00:30:56,438 --> 00:30:59,858
that shows that we are
being engaged
588
00:30:59,941 --> 00:31:03,191
by a technology
of unknown origin,
589
00:31:03,278 --> 00:31:07,158
and behind that technology
is an intelligence.
590
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,910
Look, a little bit of pressure
is not the worst thing
591
00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:12,795
if, uh, you want the U.S.
government to come clean
592
00:31:12,913 --> 00:31:15,753
on a subject that it has
lied about, you know,
593
00:31:15,832 --> 00:31:17,832
for more than 70,
almost 80 years.
594
00:31:17,918 --> 00:31:20,708
NARRATOR:
With the deadline
now weeks away,
595
00:31:20,796 --> 00:31:23,876
the speculation
reached a fever pitch.
596
00:31:23,965 --> 00:31:27,045
Would the final report
be yet another cover‐up,
597
00:31:27,135 --> 00:31:30,215
as many in the UFO community
predicted?
598
00:31:30,305 --> 00:31:34,975
Or might it contain
shocking revelations?
599
00:31:46,196 --> 00:31:50,776
NARRATOR:
The Pentagon’s U.A.P. Task
Force, along with the Office
600
00:31:50,909 --> 00:31:53,199
of the Director
of National Intelligence,
601
00:31:53,286 --> 00:31:56,616
submits to Congress
its long‐awaited report.
602
00:31:56,748 --> 00:31:59,458
Entitled
"Preliminary Assessment:
603
00:31:59,584 --> 00:32:01,964
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,"
604
00:32:02,045 --> 00:32:06,125
the simple nine‐page report
represents the most direct
605
00:32:06,216 --> 00:32:09,256
and substantive U.S. government
account of U.A.P.s
606
00:32:09,344 --> 00:32:11,974
ever made public.
607
00:32:12,055 --> 00:32:16,305
The headline is that
out of 144 reported encounters,
608
00:32:16,393 --> 00:32:21,983
only one UAP was identified
as a large, deflating balloon.
609
00:32:22,065 --> 00:32:26,645
The other UAPs
remain unexplained.
610
00:32:26,736 --> 00:32:29,156
I thought that report
was tremendous.
611
00:32:29,239 --> 00:32:31,489
A tremendously important
step forward.
612
00:32:31,616 --> 00:32:34,156
’Cause to me, it says
two things: UFOs are real,
613
00:32:34,244 --> 00:32:36,004
and two, they’re not ours.
614
00:32:36,079 --> 00:32:37,499
I thought it was
an astonishing report.
615
00:32:37,581 --> 00:32:39,041
And it spoke volumes.
616
00:32:39,166 --> 00:32:42,956
We got 144 cases,
we can’t figure out 143 of them.
617
00:32:43,044 --> 00:32:44,634
It’s monumental.
618
00:32:44,713 --> 00:32:46,343
I mean,
it is a watershed moment.
619
00:32:46,465 --> 00:32:48,135
We’re giving cover
and relief for folks
620
00:32:48,216 --> 00:32:50,176
who are in the intelligence
community now
621
00:32:50,260 --> 00:32:53,050
and work for our government
and folks who have served
622
00:32:53,180 --> 00:32:56,060
and pilots who can now talk
about this thing.
623
00:32:56,183 --> 00:32:58,893
It’s only a preliminary
assessment.
624
00:32:59,019 --> 00:33:01,519
Some people in the UFO community
were a bit disappointed
625
00:33:01,605 --> 00:33:04,235
because it wasn’t disclosure.
626
00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,687
But what it did say was,
I think,
627
00:33:06,776 --> 00:33:08,526
very encouraging and important.
628
00:33:08,612 --> 00:33:13,162
It essentially said
that whatever UFOs are,
629
00:33:13,241 --> 00:33:18,871
some of these sightings
demonstrate advanced technology,
630
00:33:18,955 --> 00:33:23,035
and this, in one sense,
is a form of disclosure.
631
00:33:23,126 --> 00:33:26,376
It’s certainly
taking this further
632
00:33:26,505 --> 00:33:29,055
than it’s ever been taken
before within government.
633
00:33:29,132 --> 00:33:30,762
It’s quite an admission.
634
00:33:30,884 --> 00:33:34,224
NARRATOR:
Of the 144 reports
635
00:33:34,304 --> 00:33:36,724
that the U.A.P. Task Force
reviewed,
636
00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:42,898
the bulk of the sightings had
occurred between 2019 and 2021,
637
00:33:42,979 --> 00:33:46,899
after the Navy reporting
protocol was put into effect.
638
00:33:46,983 --> 00:33:51,993
But perhaps what is most
compelling is the revelation
639
00:33:52,072 --> 00:33:54,122
that out of the 144
reported UAP sightings,
640
00:33:54,241 --> 00:33:57,041
only one sighting
has been explained.
641
00:33:57,118 --> 00:34:00,578
Only one out of them
has been shown to be spurious.
642
00:34:00,664 --> 00:34:05,084
That indicates to me that
we’re sitting on a gold mine,
643
00:34:05,168 --> 00:34:08,918
a gold mine of incidences
that cannot be explained
644
00:34:09,047 --> 00:34:10,797
using the normal metrics.
645
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:15,090
KAKU:
We’re talking about incidences
646
00:34:15,178 --> 00:34:18,178
that are beyond the stretch
of our imagination,
647
00:34:18,265 --> 00:34:21,485
that indicate new laws
of physics opening up.
648
00:34:21,601 --> 00:34:25,231
And we physicists are just
dying to get access to it.
649
00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:27,443
NARRATOR:
The report established
650
00:34:27,524 --> 00:34:29,904
five potential
explanatory categories‐‐
651
00:34:29,985 --> 00:34:32,115
airborne clutter,
652
00:34:32,237 --> 00:34:34,157
natural atmospheric phenomena,
653
00:34:34,281 --> 00:34:38,791
U.S. government or American
industry developmental programs,
654
00:34:38,868 --> 00:34:40,948
foreign adversary systems,
655
00:34:41,037 --> 00:34:43,577
and a category
for U.A.P. reports
656
00:34:43,665 --> 00:34:49,305
that require additional
analysis, simply called "Other."
657
00:34:49,379 --> 00:34:54,299
"Other" simply means beyond
the known technologies of today,
658
00:34:54,384 --> 00:34:58,144
which could be extraterrestrial,
or who knows?
659
00:34:58,221 --> 00:35:00,811
But I think the military
is now admitting
660
00:35:00,890 --> 00:35:03,810
"other" could mean
extraterrestrial.
661
00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:05,975
NARRATOR: Although the word
"extraterrestrial"
662
00:35:06,104 --> 00:35:09,824
never appears in the report,
many observers believe
663
00:35:09,941 --> 00:35:13,151
it contains one
very profound statement.
664
00:35:13,236 --> 00:35:15,316
There’s a bombshell quote
in the report
665
00:35:15,405 --> 00:35:17,075
that a lot of people
have missed,
666
00:35:17,157 --> 00:35:19,157
and it says, essentially,
667
00:35:19,284 --> 00:35:22,124
that we may have
to fundamentally change
668
00:35:22,203 --> 00:35:24,503
our understanding
of the laws of physics
669
00:35:24,581 --> 00:35:26,501
to figure out
what’s going on here.
670
00:35:26,583 --> 00:35:30,843
"We may require additional
scientific knowledge
671
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,210
"to successfully collect on,
analyze
672
00:35:33,340 --> 00:35:34,840
"and characterize some of them.
673
00:35:34,924 --> 00:35:37,144
"Pending scientific advances
674
00:35:37,218 --> 00:35:40,048
that allowed us to better
understand them."
675
00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:43,350
This is not a sci‐fi novel,
this is a government report.
676
00:35:43,433 --> 00:35:47,853
That was the thing that most
stuck out to me as jaw‐dropping.
677
00:35:47,937 --> 00:35:49,557
"Our current science,
our current tech
678
00:35:49,689 --> 00:35:51,359
can’t understand some of these."
679
00:35:51,441 --> 00:35:53,691
The government said that. Wow.
680
00:35:53,777 --> 00:35:57,197
Additional scientific knowledge
could mean knowledge
681
00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:00,120
beyond the known laws
of physics.
682
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,580
In other words, a technology
683
00:36:02,702 --> 00:36:05,872
thousands of years
more advanced than ours.
684
00:36:05,997 --> 00:36:10,377
NARRATOR:
The U.A.P. Report received mixed
reactions from the public.
685
00:36:10,502 --> 00:36:13,712
Some were stunned
by the government’s admission
686
00:36:13,797 --> 00:36:16,837
that it couldn’t explain so many
of the unidentified objects
687
00:36:16,925 --> 00:36:18,685
seen in the sky,
688
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:23,060
while others felt it contained
nothing of substance.
689
00:36:23,139 --> 00:36:26,729
But for UFO investigators,
the report represented
690
00:36:26,810 --> 00:36:29,730
validation
that was long overdue.
691
00:36:29,813 --> 00:36:34,863
TSOUKALOS: The U.A.P. report
that came out in June 2021
692
00:36:34,943 --> 00:36:39,073
was revolutionary
for the world of UFOs,
693
00:36:39,155 --> 00:36:41,615
because for the first time
694
00:36:41,741 --> 00:36:44,411
in the history
of the United States,
695
00:36:44,536 --> 00:36:48,366
the government of the United
States has released a statement
696
00:36:48,456 --> 00:36:53,166
in which the whole UFO question
is addressed.
697
00:36:53,253 --> 00:36:58,263
And the bottom line is
that the U.S. government knows
698
00:36:58,341 --> 00:37:01,221
what our adversaries
are capable of.
699
00:37:01,302 --> 00:37:05,392
And in this report
it says it’s not them.
700
00:37:05,473 --> 00:37:08,603
HOWE:
I have more hope.
701
00:37:08,685 --> 00:37:12,905
It doesn’t change
the dangerous relationship
702
00:37:12,981 --> 00:37:15,441
that I have
with several whistleblowers
703
00:37:15,525 --> 00:37:20,455
who have, I am telling you,
substantial information.
704
00:37:20,530 --> 00:37:24,240
Not about just one type
of nonhuman.
705
00:37:24,325 --> 00:37:26,735
There are a lot.
706
00:37:26,828 --> 00:37:29,538
That’s the part that keeps
astonishing me.
707
00:37:29,622 --> 00:37:32,672
NARRATOR:
Now that the United States
government has confirmed
708
00:37:32,792 --> 00:37:36,092
that there are, in fact,
unidentified flying objects
709
00:37:36,171 --> 00:37:38,511
in our skies
that top scientists
710
00:37:38,631 --> 00:37:41,301
and military personnel
cannot explain,
711
00:37:41,384 --> 00:37:44,684
many are hopeful that these
objects will soon be revealed
712
00:37:44,804 --> 00:37:47,644
to be of
extraterrestrial origin.
713
00:37:47,724 --> 00:37:52,404
But if that happens,
what comes next?
714
00:38:02,197 --> 00:38:05,657
NARRATOR:
The publication of Unidentified
Aerial Phenomena report,
715
00:38:05,742 --> 00:38:10,162
along with the declassified
Navy videos,
716
00:38:10,246 --> 00:38:12,826
marks the largest public
disclosure of the possible
717
00:38:12,916 --> 00:38:14,786
existence of extraterrestrials
in U.S. history.
718
00:38:14,876 --> 00:38:19,456
In the wake of the report,
politicians like Marco Rubio,
719
00:38:19,547 --> 00:38:21,757
Mark Warner, Adam Schiff
720
00:38:21,841 --> 00:38:23,301
and André Carson
721
00:38:23,384 --> 00:38:27,564
have called for further funding
and study.
722
00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:29,470
There’s voluminous data
available,
723
00:38:29,557 --> 00:38:32,307
but the report really
just skimmed the surface.
724
00:38:32,393 --> 00:38:34,653
It just said, "We’re gonna need
more time to look into this."
725
00:38:34,729 --> 00:38:37,649
There’s a history
of this going back
726
00:38:37,732 --> 00:38:40,652
to the early years
of the 20th century, at least.
727
00:38:40,735 --> 00:38:43,195
Not even talking
about the sightings
728
00:38:43,321 --> 00:38:45,531
going back to the Bible.
729
00:38:45,615 --> 00:38:49,795
And literature of other cultures
going back thousands of years,
730
00:38:49,869 --> 00:38:52,999
talking about unexplained things
in the sky.
731
00:38:53,081 --> 00:38:55,331
But just in our era,
732
00:38:55,416 --> 00:38:57,286
there have been
many documented accounts
733
00:38:57,377 --> 00:38:59,707
which they chose
not to deal with,
734
00:38:59,796 --> 00:39:02,546
so they just took
a very narrow slice of this.
735
00:39:02,632 --> 00:39:04,132
We don’t want to trivialize
this matter.
736
00:39:04,217 --> 00:39:06,507
We want to make sure
we remove the stigma
737
00:39:06,594 --> 00:39:09,184
while engaging with some
of our civilian organizations
738
00:39:09,264 --> 00:39:10,644
who are seeing these things.
739
00:39:10,723 --> 00:39:13,563
And working with the government
in ensuring
740
00:39:13,643 --> 00:39:17,563
that if it is otherworldly,
we will have
741
00:39:17,689 --> 00:39:21,529
internal controls in place
to protect us, and to engage,
742
00:39:21,609 --> 00:39:24,699
in the event that that happens,
in a healthy and safe way.
743
00:39:24,779 --> 00:39:29,029
NARRATOR:
The majority of unidentified
aerial phenomena data
744
00:39:29,117 --> 00:39:30,577
came from the U.S. Navy.
745
00:39:32,287 --> 00:39:34,037
But efforts are underway
746
00:39:34,122 --> 00:39:36,122
to standardize
incident reporting
747
00:39:36,249 --> 00:39:39,209
across all government services
and agencies.
748
00:39:39,294 --> 00:39:42,514
The U.A.P. Task Force
plans to expand
749
00:39:42,589 --> 00:39:45,219
to include the Air Force
and the FAA,
750
00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:49,010
and use artificial intelligence
to analyze new data.
751
00:39:49,095 --> 00:39:51,635
KAKU: We’re talking about
a standardization
752
00:39:51,764 --> 00:39:56,104
by which pilots are now gonna be
opening up floodgates.
753
00:39:56,227 --> 00:39:59,727
Floodgates of these sightings
are now gonna be analyzed
754
00:39:59,814 --> 00:40:03,074
by physicists and by scientists.
755
00:40:03,151 --> 00:40:05,241
And I think that is a sea change
756
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,200
in the way we deal
with these things.
757
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,740
HOWE:
Let’s have a real
congressional hearing.
758
00:40:10,825 --> 00:40:14,365
Let’s hear from real
physicists and real scientists.
759
00:40:14,454 --> 00:40:16,624
That’s my personal dream.
760
00:40:16,748 --> 00:40:20,878
And I would like to be there
in the congressional hearing,
761
00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:23,420
standing by
with my evidentiary material
762
00:40:23,504 --> 00:40:26,594
as an investigative reporter,
to contribute,
763
00:40:26,674 --> 00:40:29,514
and hoping that there
would be so many others,
764
00:40:29,636 --> 00:40:32,176
and that we would
finally, finally,
765
00:40:32,305 --> 00:40:35,275
in a government of,
by and for the people,
766
00:40:35,350 --> 00:40:39,730
just finally have everybody
tell the truth.
767
00:40:39,812 --> 00:40:41,772
TSOUKALOS:
What’s really fascinating
768
00:40:41,856 --> 00:40:45,146
is that in the 1960s,
Erich von Daniken proposed
769
00:40:45,234 --> 00:40:47,284
in Chariots of the Gods?
770
00:40:47,362 --> 00:40:51,742
that aliens would show up
when Earth civilization
771
00:40:51,824 --> 00:40:55,834
would reach a certain level
of technology.
772
00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:59,334
And with everything
that’s going on right now,
773
00:40:59,457 --> 00:41:04,297
this may be the time
when we will make contact.
774
00:41:04,379 --> 00:41:07,169
ERICH VON DANIKEN:
Some thousands of years ago,
775
00:41:07,256 --> 00:41:11,506
the extraterrestrials promised
to return in a faraway future.
776
00:41:11,594 --> 00:41:16,184
And we have good reasons to
believe that now they are back.
777
00:41:16,307 --> 00:41:21,227
More and more of these proven
UFO cases appear to the public.
778
00:41:21,354 --> 00:41:23,654
Before, it was never
shown to the public.
779
00:41:23,731 --> 00:41:28,281
We know we are not alone,
we are under observation,
780
00:41:28,361 --> 00:41:30,071
and it must be
extraterrestrials,
781
00:41:30,196 --> 00:41:32,776
because they show a technology
which we do not have.
782
00:41:32,865 --> 00:41:35,825
NARRATOR: Could the recent
attention and reporting
783
00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:38,040
on unidentified flying objects
784
00:41:38,162 --> 00:41:40,542
signal that we are
rapidly approaching
785
00:41:40,665 --> 00:41:42,795
a far more profound disclosure?
786
00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:45,995
Will we soon discover,
once and for all,
787
00:41:46,087 --> 00:41:47,917
that we are not alone?
788
00:41:49,424 --> 00:41:52,014
NARRATOR: And that we have
never been alone?
789
00:41:53,886 --> 00:41:57,306
Perhaps the next disclosure
will not be orchestrated
790
00:41:57,390 --> 00:42:00,480
by any government
or military official,
791
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:05,020
but by otherworldly visitors
themselves.
792
00:42:05,106 --> 00:42:08,396
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