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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".