Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) have been the subject of speculation and research for years. If the government knows more about them than the average person does, they are not talking about them. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) asked why this was in a recent congressional hearing with independent journalist Michael Shellenberger, former intelligence agent Luis Elizondo, and Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (Ret.), along with other members of the House Oversight and Accountability subcommittees.
Rep. Biggs began the discussion with Gallaudet, who claimed that the apparent truth behind the "Go Fast" video depicting UAPs within the Navy was quickly suppressed, with nobody allowed to talk about supposed "classified technology demonstrations that could explain the objects that were observed."
Gallaudet further noted that the author of an email asking about these demonstrations was reprimanded for "over-spillage," and the email was deleted.
Rep. Biggs then turned to Shellenberger, asking, "For what purpose is the federal government over-classifying? Because that is what they are doing. They are over-classifying and forbidding the public from getting access to this."
Elizondo first provided an answer, suggesting that UPA research began during the Cold War, "and we did not want to reveal our knowledge base on this topic. We did not want to broadcast that."
Additionally, Elizondo believed "the Department of Defense and the intelligence community is solution-oriented, and when you do not have answers, it is a really tough spot to be in," likening it to how the U-2 spy plane was mistakenly thought to be flying too high and too fast for the Soviets to adequately track, when they in fact were capable of monitoring it, leading to the U-2 Incident of 1960-1962 where they shot the plane down and captured pilot Francis Gary Powers.
Shellenberger added that "all breakthroughs have been heretical at first, and that is the challenge that we face, particularly with something as extraordinary as this, which is why gathering the data is so important."
"And I will just end by saying, by the way, that the over-classification of material is [in] no way limited to UAP that is occurring throughout the government, as well as the inability to get people classifications in a timely and efficient manner and then to have those classifications be broad enough to be useful," Shellenberger concluded.
