textfiles/ufo/mj12ss.txt

THE "MJ-12" FILE: ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE "SMEAR" REPORT:


     It  has,  unfortunately,  been  over  two  months since our last issue of 
"Smear",  and  in  that  period  of  time MUCH has happened regarding the now-
famous  "Majestic-12"  or "MJ-12" documents released by Bill Moore and friends 
earlier this year.

     Before  we  move on to a summary of new information, let us mention some-
thing  we  neglected to state in our earlier ravings: Apparently long deceased 
Admiral  Roscoe  H.  Hillenkoetter was the most important member of this group 
of twelve, because his name comes first on the list (he is referred to as "MJ-
1")  and  because  he  was  allegedly  the briefing officer who presented this 
startling  information  to  president-elect Dwight Eisenhower on or about Nov. 
18th,  1952.  Hillenkoetter,  after retirement from his position as first dir-
ector  of  the  CIA, became a member of the board of directors of NICAP, circa 
1957.  Can  anyone seriously believe he would have dared to OPENLY join a pro-
UFO  organization  if  he  had  the  KNOWLEDGE of UFO reality that the "MJ-12" 
briefing document leads us to assume???

     We  have  already  published  our  exclusive  information from Dr. Ernest 
Taves,  a  very close friend of Dr. Donald Menzel, who apparently was "MJ-10". 
Taves,  like  others  who  knew  Menzel well, cannot believe that the long-de-
ceased  former  director of Harvard Observatory could have had this above-men-
tioned  knowledge  of  UFO reality and still have written 3 anti-saucer books, 
and  still  have debunked UFOs emotionally at every opportunity. Yet Moore and 
Friedman  see  nothing amiss here, and have in fact written long, detailed re-
buttals  re  the  "Menzel Connection" and all other negative evidence that has 
been  brought  up  in regard to "MJ-12". They do seem to believe what they are 
saying!

     CUFOS,  in  an editorial by Jerry Clark in the May-June issue of the "In-
ternational  UFO Reporter", and in a more recent press release, seems general-
ly supportive of "MJ-12", and claims that the "verdict is still open."

     MUFON  has expressed various opinions, swaying pro and con. They used our 
Taves  material in a recent issue of their Journal, and in the August issue of 
their  Newsletter,  edited  by MUFON's Massachusetts director James Melesciuc, 
they  state:  "The  results of the MJ-12 circus created by Moore, Shandera and 
Friedman  could  be detrimental to the future of document research. The hunger 
for  publicity  or for financial gain by any type of self-styled expert can be 
as  damaging to the subject as the crackpots and fanatics. Moore and Friedman, 
of  all  people,  should  realize that by promoting evidence loaded with loop-
holes,  will  cause people to question the quality of their research and would 
be disastrous to their reputations...."

     Needless  to  say, CSICOP, as personified by Phil Klass, issued a totally 
negative  press  release,  based  on insufficient information, in our opinion. 
Much  more interesting than the CSICOP release is the September issue of "Just 
Cause",  published  by Lawrence Fawcett and Barry Greenwood. In an article en-
titled  "The  MJ-12 Fiasco," they give a vast amount of detailed negative data 
that  no  student  of  this  matter  should overlook. (Address: P. O. Box 218, 
Coventry,  CT.,  16238).  To  this Bill Moore's only comment (to us, by phone) 
is: "Sour Grapes."

     "Just  Cause"  introduces  into  the fray the name of a present or former 
intelligence  officer named Richard Doty, assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base, 
New  Mexico. The magazine alleges that Doty may very likely be Moore's source. 
Alas,  when  we  said in our last "Smear" that "we believe we have the name of 
the  probably  perpetrator",  it  was  Doty to whom we were referring. We have 
thus  been   "scooped",  but never mind: Moore admits knowing Doty, but denies 
that Doty is his source. So the mystery deepens!

     Phil Klass, relying largely on information from British researcher Chris-
topher  Allan,  has  made a big deal out of the fact that the "MJ-12" briefing 
paper  uses  an  unusual  format in writing the dates, which happens to be ex-
actly  the  same unusual format that Bill Moore uses in writing HIS dates. Our 
comment  is:  Whereas  the  notorious  Straith Letter Hoax of 1957 DID reflect 
Gray  Barkers'  stylistic peculiarities, since it was written late one drunken 
night  with no forethought, Moore would have to be remarkably stupid or insane 
to  make  such  a  naive  mistake. If the dating similarity means anything, it 
more  likely  means  that  the  REAL  hoaxter was trying deliberately to frame 
Moore!

     So,  to  get to the point: It appears that most thoughtful Ufologists be-
lieve  "MJ-12"  is  possibly or probably a hoax, and some Ufologists, plus all 
of  the  debunkers,  believe  that  Moore & Co. are behind it. Our position is 
that,  although  "MJ-12"  is  a  hoax in all probability, Moore's group is NOT 
behind it. On to our exclusive information:

     Your  humble  "Smear"  editor  spent large parts of three days with Moore 
and  Shandera  recently (Sept. 23-25), in Burbank, California, discussing "MJ-
12"  and  related  topics.  We  were left with the strong impression that they 
are,  if  anything  VICTIMS  of a complex sophisticated hoax that has engulfed 
them  for  several  years  -  a DISINFORMATION campaign of some sort, for what 
purpose we do not know.

     Ufologists  don't seem to realize that Moore has been involved since 1980 
in  the receipt of supposed "inside" government information from first one in-
formant,  and  eventually  several,  on  a more or less continuing basis. Like 
"Deep  Throat"  in  the Watergate Scandal, these informants do not always hand 
him  answers, but they tell him where to look. As a result, Moore has given up 
his  literary  career,  which  looked  very promising after the publication of 
"The  Roswell Incident" (with Charles Berlitz) in 1980, and has devoted all of 
his  spare  time  to  research related to these ufological matters. He earns a 
bare living by selling UFO books and his own tracts by mail order.

     Shandera  joined  Moore in the quest in 1982. He too has largely given up 
his  career,  which  was  in film and broadcasting. His financial situation is 
better  than  Moore's  however,  as his wife has a very good job in the TV in-
dustry.

     Friedman  is, it seems, a more passive partner, in that he is merely kept 
informed  of  information received by the other two. He continues to work at a 
normal science-related job in his home town in Canada.

     Another  thing that Ufologists don't seem to realize is that Moore's evi-
dence  consists of a great deal more than what he has released so far. (Appar-
ently  his  sources  tell  him what he can release, and were he to disobey, he 
would blow the whole ongoing relationship.) There are other documents, includ-
ing  one he claims was given to him for exactly 20 minutes to do what he want-
ed  with,  and then was taken back. He photographed it and read it into a tape 
recorder, in the presence of the agent who lent it to him.

     There  are  also several videotapes. We were allowed to see one 20-minute 
tape  and most of another. These consist of a supposed agent talking in a tot-
ally  disguised  voice, answering a list of questions from a supposed newsman. 
The  agent is disguised, and the newsman has his back to the camera. The prov-
en  identities  of these two are known to Moore and Shandera, they say. No one 
was  present  at  the  tapings except these two, plus Moore, Shandera, and the 
producer.

     The  contents  of  the tapes are Way Out - literally and figuratively. We 
have  been  asked  not to print anything about the contents, so we will merely 
comment  that  we  find the material literally incredible without further evi-
dence  to  back it up. Moore & Co. apparently have such evidence and expect to 
get more.

     The  scenario  is  that  by the end of this year, Moore's informants will 
either  come forth with more information and public disclosures, or else Moore 
will  give  up  on his informants and go public, himself, with all the inform-
ation  he  has obtained so far. In either case, we are in for some interesting 
times!

     There  is much more to all this, but Space prevents us from rambling fur-
ther  in  this  issue. Re our continuing "MJ-12" quest: Our sincere thanks to, 
among  others,  Tommy  Roy  Blann (who now says he has suddenly withdrawn from 
the  UFO  field!);  to Jim Speiser of ParaNet; to Antonio Huneeus for material 
on  the  deeply  mysterious  "Humo Papers" which he has not yet sent (See Next 
Issue!);  and  to  the  alleged  Space People for making all this madness pos-
sible.

     Also  a  tip  of the "Smear" sombrero to the various zines that have seen 
fit  to  reprint  or  condense some of our "MJ-12" material in earlier issues: 
"California  UFO";  "Would  You  Believe?";  "The  MUFON  Journal"; and (ugh!) 
"Skeptical Inquirer".