Unidentified aerial phenomena back in the news

NEWS AND OPINION:

Fleeting reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena — UAPs — have occurred for years.

Then along came the blockbuster reports from Navy pilots which revealed details of their own unexplainable encounters with a nimble “Tic-Tac”-shaped craft over the Pacific Ocean. There were videos. There were interviews. The world paid attention, and the narrative changed.

Now comes another report, this one showcased at the National Press Club in the nation’s capital on Tuesday. Four former Air Force officers offer evidence, they say, of “ongoing incursions by unidentified aerial objects at nuclear missile sites over several decades.”

The event was organized by former Air Force officer Robert Salas, who was the on-duty commander of an underground launch control facility at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana — currently the home of the 341st Missile Wing of the Air Force Global Strike Command.

Mr. Salas says he personally witnessed unusual incidents at the site decades ago and says he will substantiate his claim that “nuclear weapons were disabled during UAP encounters at launch control facilities” — this according to a press release. He also will present evidence of UAP “tampering.”

Mr. Salas believes the time is now right to revisit these events.

“Two recent developments were significant changes to previous official government statements with respect to UFOs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. First, the Navy released the ‘Tic-Tac’ video tapes showing UAP objects under intelligent control while exhibiting extraordinary aerial performance — then allowed the Navy pilots to come forward to openly discuss these incidents,” Mr. Salas told Inside the Beltway in a statement.

“Second, the Office of Director of National Intelligence recently released a preliminary report on the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon. The executive summary states: ‘Most of the UAP reported probably do represent physical objects given that the majority of UAP were registered across multiple sensors, to include radar, infrared, electro-optical weapon seekers, and visual observation.’ In addition, as of this date, the U.S. Air Force has not made a public statement about their long history of UAP incidents at nuclear weapons bases,” Mr. Salas said.

“I and other witnesses have spoken about these incidents for over 25 years. These circumstances present a unique opportunity to again present these and other similar incidents to the public,” he advised.

Convivial moments will follow Mr. Salas’ press conference.

Steven Bassett — a researcher, registered lobbyist and political activist who has long sought “government disclosure” about UAP activity — will host a private luncheon in the aftermath of Tuesday’s event.

Pollsters have been at work this year on the topic as well. Among them: A Hill-HarrisX poll conducted June 17-18 found that 70% of registered U.S. voters agreed that “the government is not telling the public everything when it comes to UAPs.”

A Pew Research Center poll of 10,417 U.S. adults also conducted in mid-June found that 65% said intelligent life exists “outside Earth” while 87% do not consider UAPs to be a threat. Four in 10 Americans now think “some UFOs that people have spotted have been alien spacecraft visiting Earth from other planets or galaxies,” Gallup noted in a July survey.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

A new Issues & Answers/TIPP poll has explored this question: ”Are we becoming the ‘Divided States of America’ under Biden?”

It found that 28% of the respondents said the U.S. was united; 68% said the nation was divided.

“Some 40% of those responding agreed that President Biden was “stoking partisanship and division,” while 37% said he was living up to his pledge to ‘unify’ the country. A sizable 23% said they were ‘not sure,’” said an analysis by Terry Jones, editor of Issues & Insights.

Just 16% of Democrats felt Mr. Biden had become a divisive president, compared with 73% of Republicans and 46% of independents. Meanwhile, 66% of Democrats said he was living up to his pledge to unify America, versus 10% of Republicans and 26% of independents.

The poll of 1,308 U.S. adults was conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and released Monday.

LIEBERMAN VS. THE PARTISAN MONSTER

Joe Lieberman has a new book arriving Tuesday of interest to those who fear U.S. unity is waning.

The former senator from Connecticut and 2000 Democratic vice-presidential nominee has penned “The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work Again,” built on 40 years of his experiences in the political realm.

“The provocative new book is Lieberman’s answer to the partisan monster that is holding our country back,” notes publisher Diversion Books, adding that the author also reveals that then-President George W. Bush offered him a “secret ambassadorship” in 2004, while Karl Rove emerged with a “surprise cross-the-aisle offer of help” during the lawmaker’s 2006 reelection campaign.

SCHUMER’S CANINE PLAN

Some 24,000 Transportation Safety Administration employees are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and have until Nov. 22 to get fully vaccinated — or face disciplinary action or even dismissal.

So what happens if there is a shortage of such folks during the frantic Thanksgiving travel rush? Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has a plan.

“Send in the dogs,” the New York Democrat said in a press conference Sunday — advising that the federal agency’s 1,000 canine teams — could do the job.

“If the agency plans now with contingencies — including the deployment of the canine dog teams wherever the vaccine rates are impacting staffing and security — travel headaches can be avoided,” Mr. Schumer advised.

“The canine teams are really effective,” the lawmaker added, citing the pups for their prowess in sniffing out explosives.

POLL DU JOUR

• 59% of U.S. voters say the U.S. is “off on the wrong track”; 87% of Republicans, 64% of independents and 31% of Democrats agree.

• 32% of those who voted for President Biden and 90% of those who voted for former President Donald Trump also agree.

• 28% of voters overall say the U.S. is “generally headed in the right direction”; 8% of Republicans, 21% of independents and 50% of Democrats agree.

• 50% of Biden voters and 7% of Trump voters also agree.

• 13% overall are not sure about the issue; 5% of Republicans, 16% of independents and 19% of Democrats agree.

• 18% of Biden voters and 3% of Trump voters also agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults Oct. 9-12; the survey included 1,266 registered U.S. voters.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.