Concerned about UFOs

The subject of UFOs has long captured the popular imagination but also the attention of governments around the world, showing secret documents made ​​public Thursday by the National Archives of the United Kingdom. Documents Ministry of Defense, which will be in the public domain for a month, show how the UFO phenomenon was discussed seriously in high-level talks between government and security services worldwide, including the United Nations and the Agency Central U.S. Intelligence, CIA.

The issue was even discussed at a parliamentary session at the House of Lords, the only one ever held on this issue to date, which took place in 1977.

"War of the Worlds"

The documents also include drawings and sketches made by the public, and information from eyewitnesses who reported seeing extraterrestrial objects. There is also evidence of an alleged "alien abduction" in London and an "alien invasion" of the United Kingdom, in 1967.

Records show how, that year, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) was flooded with calls from the public reporting that they had seen at least six small "flying saucers" have been discovered in places that drew a perfect line in southern England from the Isle of Sheppey and the Bristol Channel.

The British government then mobilized the army, four police, a bomb disposal unit and branch of the Ministry of Defense in charge of intelligence, before discovering it was a hoax prepared by students from Farnborough Technical College.

But at least for a few hours, the incident dubbed "War of the Worlds"-referring to the novel by HG Wells, was given treatment of alien invasion. Other interesting revelations include discussions on the subject of UFOs held within the UN in December 1977.

That year, the president of Grenada, Sir Eric Gairy, made arrangements for a UN agency investigate UFO sightings, and the British government had to use all his influence to prevent it. Gairy eventually withdrew his request but continued pushing for the issue to be debated at the United Nations and that 1978 was declared "year of the UFO".

Anti-UFO Policy

In total, the National Archives released more than 8,500 pages, the increased delivery of documents made public so far. The documents include details of UFO sightings, reports, color photographs and drawings, RAF investigations, the files include drawings submitted by citizens.

Unusual radar detections, parliamentary meetings and - for the first time - documents on the government's policy on UFOs.

The publication allows monitoring the discussions and correspondence that led to a change of government policy on UFOs and the launch of a hotline dedicated exclusively to this topic.

We also show how the workload unit of the Ministry of Defense UFO rose 50% between 1996 and 1997, due to the media interest surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident, the U.S. city of New Mexico where there was a alleged alien craft crash in 1947.