Robertson Panel Report

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. Approved For Reise 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560Ra00030027-0
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have been so labeled. It was interesting that in at least two
cases reviewed that the object sighted was categorized by
as probably "Foo Fighters" to date unexplained but not
dangerous; they were not happy thus to dismiss the sightings be
calling them names. It 'lvas their feeling that these phenomena are
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not beyond the domain of present knowledge of physical science, however.
AIR FORCE REPORTING SYSTEM
It was the Panel's opinion that some of the Air Force concern
over U.F.O.'s (notwithstanding Air Defense Command anxiety over fast
radar tracks) was probably caused by public pressure. The result
today is that the Air·FOrce has instituted a fine channel for
receiving reports of nearly anything anyone sees in the sky and
fails to understand• This has been particularly encouraged in popu-
lar articles on this and other subjects, such as space travel and
science fiction. The result is the mass receipt of lo1-r-grade reports
which tend to overload channels of communication with material quite
irrelevant to hostile objects that might some day appear • The Panel
agreed generally that this mass of poor-quality reports containing
little, if any, scientific data was of no value. Quite the opposite,
it was possibly dangerous in having a military service foster public
concer-.a in "nocturnal meandering lights. 11 The implication being,
since the interested agency 1ras military, that these objects were
or might be potential direct threats to national security. Accord~
ingly, the need for deemphasization made itself apparent. Comments
on a possible educational program are enumerated belmv ~
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Approved For Release 2001/08/07: G.~.:RDP81R00560R000100030027-0