MoD To Declassify UFO Files
By Nick Pope
In March 2007 I wrote a post on UFO UpDates concerning the forthcoming
release of some MoD UFO files that had previously been contaminated by
asbestos:
http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2007/mar/m15-009.shtml
Ufologists have known for a long time that some of the Defence Intelligence
Staff files contaminated with asbestos were UFO files. It started
conspiracy theories when it was originally thought the files would have to
be destroyed. Many ufologists made FOIA requests relating to these files
and what's happened recently is that the MoD has given these ufologists a
clearer idea of what files are to be released.
The MoD has long wanted to release all its UFO files, for the same reasons
as the French. Responding to FOIA requests from ufologists is becoming an
increasing burden on MoD manpower - the MoD receives more FOIA requests on
UFOs than any other subject, including the Iraq war. The Department would
love to send all the UFO files to the National Archives and/or scan them
onto the MoD website. That way the MoD could respond to every UFO-related
FOIA request simply by referring people to the National Archives or the MoD
website. The contamination of certain DIS UFO files with asbestos is an
added complication which has now been resolved.
The real difficulty with releasing the MoD files is the Data Protection
Act. The Act prohibits the MoD from passing personal information (names,
addresses, etc) to any third party. This is somewhat akin to the
ufological concept of witness confidentiality. In a nutshell, if Mr X
reports a UFO to the MoD, he probably doesn't want his personal details
passed to Ms Y, and the law protects his confidentiality accordingly. So,
before any file can be released, it has to be examined page by page, line
by line, word by word, to ensure that no personal information is
inappropriately disclosed. To date, the MoD has received over 10,000 UFO
reports. Case files on major incidents can run to over 100 pages of
documentation - redaction and disclosure is a massive job.
The Data Protection Act isn't the only complicating factor. Exemptions to
the FOIA quite properly preclude release of information that might
compromise national security (some UFO-related documents detail the
capabilities of military radar) or undermine international relations (some
UFO-related documents give details of other countries that have passed the
UK information in confidence - governments always protect methods and
sources).
I was in Paris in March and met Jacques Patenet from GEIPAN. We discussed
this very issue. The British and French situation is very similar. Both
countries are genuinely committed to open government, but need to respect
people's personal privacy and ensure that information that would genuinely
compromise national security or international relations is not disclosed.
As an amusing postscript to this story, even my own privacy is protected
under the Data Protection Act. I wrote many of the UFO-related documents
that have already been scanned onto the MoD website, but even where they
relate to cases I've discussed on the BBC or elsewhere, my own name is
blacked out!
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