Robertson Panel

From TinWiki.org

The Robertson Panel was a group of scientists which considered issues relating to UFOs at the request of the CIA during January 1953. Recommendations made by the Panel regarding training, "debunking" and the watching of UFO groups have given rise to several conspiracy theories.

1 Members of the Panel
2 Brief Background
3 The Panel's Meetings
4 The Panel's Conclusions
5 The Panel's Recommendations
6 Conspiracy Theories
7 External links
8 Relevant Discussion Threads

[edit]

Members of the Panel

The Chairman of the Panel was Dr. H.P. Robertson of California Institute of technology (Chairman of the Panel). He was an expert in physics and weapons systems. During the war he made important contributions to operation research of the Allied forces in London (Jones, 1968). After the war he served from 1950-52 as research director of the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group in the office of the Secretary of Defense and in 1954-56 was scientific advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

The other members of the Robertson Panel were:

Dr. Luis W. Alverez of the University of California. Expert in physics and radar. In the latter part of the war he served under J. Robert Oppenheimer on the great team that developed the atom bomb at Los Alamos.

Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner of Associated Universities, Inc. Expert in geophysics.

Dr. Samuel Goudsmit of Brookhaven National Laboratories. Expert in atomic structure and statistical problems.

Dr. Thornton Page of the Office of Research Operations, Johns Hopkins University. Expert in astronomy and astrophysics.

[edit]

Brief Background

A series of radar/visual UFO incidents near Washington National Airport during July 1952 which received considerable publicity.

Various issues relating to UFOs were considered in a series of CIA memoranda and briefings following the Washington National sightings, culminating in the subject of UFOs being considered at a meeting of the high-level Intelligence Advisory Committee on 4 December 1952.

The following action was agreed at that meeting: "The Director of Central Intelligence will: a. Enlist the services of selected scientists to review and appraise the available evidence in the light of pertinent scientific theories....".

[edit]

The Panel's Meetings

The Robertson Panel met each day between 14th January 1953 and 17th January 1953.

Presentations were made to the Robertson Panel by various officials, including E. J. Ruppelt of Project Bluebook and Dr. J. Allen Hynek.

A small number of UFO cases were discussed. Motion pictures of the sightings at Tremonton, Utah (2 July 1952) and Great Falls, Montana (15 August 1950) were shown.

A rough draft of a short Panel Report was submitted to the members of the Panel by Robertson at the meeting on 17 January 1953. The draft was discussed and revised during the remainder of that day.

[edit]

The Panel's Conclusions

The Panel's main conclusion was:

"That the evidence presented on Unidentified Flying

Objects shows no indication that these phenomena

constitute a direct physical threat to national security."

The Panel further concluded "that the continued emphasis on the reporting of these phenomena does, in these parlous times, result in a threat to the orderly functioning of the protective organs of the body politic". It cited as examples "the clogging of channels of communication by irrelevant reports, the danger of being led by continued false alarms to ignore real indications of hostile action, and the cultivation of a morbid national psychology in which skillful hostile propaganda could induce hysterical behavior and harmful distrust of duty constituted authority".

[edit]

The Panel's Recommendations

To minimize the dangers that the Panel had identified, it recommended:

"a. That the national security agencies take immediate

steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the

special status they have been given and the aura of

mystery they have unfortunately acquired;

b. That the national security agencies institute policies

on intelligence, training, and public education designed

to prepare the material defenses and the morale of the

country to recognize most promptly and to react most

effectively to true indications of hostile intent or

action.

An internal CIA memo dated 16 February 1953 ("the Durant memo") stated that the Panel recommended "a broad educational program" which "should have two major aims: training and 'debunking'."

The Durant Memo also stated that the Panel had concluded that civilian UFO groups such as APRO "should be watched because of their potentially great influence on mass thinking if widespread sightings should occur".

[edit]

Conspiracy Theories

Numerous UFO researchers have referred to the Robertson Panel's recommendations in relation to "debunking". This recommendation is sometimes interpreted by ufologists as implying that the Panel considered that false explanations of UFO sightings should be given to the public.

Numerous UFO researchers have also referred to the Robertson Panel's recommendation that civilian UFO groups should be "watched". Such discussions are commonly linked to allegations that government officials have infiltrated and disrupted various UFO groups (particularly NICAP).

At least some of the conspiracy theories regarding the Robertson Panel appear to have arisen from the CIA's unwillingness to release relevant details. The report produced in 1953 which was classified secret until it was partly declassified in 1966 (Lear,1966). Even the highly sceptical Condon Report suggests that it was a mistake to maintain secrecy, commenting:

"this opened the way for intensification of the "aura of

mystery" which was already impairing public confidence in

the Department of Defense. Official secretiveness also

fostered systematic sensationalized exploitation of the

idea that a government conspiracy existed to conceal the

truth".

[edit]