F-2003-00606 FINAL RESPONSE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
00934938
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
5
Document Creation Date: 
July 13, 2023
Document Release Date: 
November 7, 2022
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2018-00697
Publication Date: 
April 11, 2003
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon F-2003-00606 FINAL RESPON[16139957].pdf177.06 KB
Body: 
Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Central Intelligence Agency 4ictL.LIG40 .A� Washington, D.C. 20505 11 April 2003 Ms. Katrina Taylor Reference: F-2003-00606 Dear Ms. Taylor: This acknowledges receipt of your 21 March 2003 letter requesting records under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Specifically, your request is for records pertaining to: Roswell, New Mexico Operation Majestic (MJ12) Area 51 (S-4) You also request a photograph of Director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet. For identification purposes we have assigned your request the number referenced above. Please refer to this number in future correspondence. Concerning that portion of your request for a photograph of Director Tenet, we suggest that you contact our Public Affairs Staff at the following address: Public Affairs Staff Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505 With respect to that portion of your request pertaining to Roswell, please be advised that this agency has no information on the so-called "Roswell incident." Further, on the general subject of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), there is no organized CIA effort to do research in connection with UFO phenomena, nor has there been an organized effort to collect intelligence on UFOs since the 1950s. At that time, the Air Force, specifically the Air Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Technical Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, had the primary responsibility for the investigation of all reports of UFO sightings. The CIA's role was in connection with a Scientific Advisory Panel, established to investigate and evaluate reports of UFOs. The panel was concerned only with any aspect of UFO phenomena which might prove to present a potential threat to the United States national security. The panel later issued a report of its findings, the Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects dated 17 January 1953, also known as the Robertson Report. The report was released by the Air Force Office of Public Information on 9 April 1958. The Air Force investigation, called Project Bluebook, was terminated in 1969. We understand that the Air Force turned its records on this subject over to the National Archives and Records Administration where they are currently available for inspection and purchase. There is currently no CIA program to actively collect information on UFOs, although since the time of the Robertson Report there have been sporadic instances of correspondence dealing with the subject, and we occasionally receive various kinds of reports of sightings of objects in the UFO category. As of this date, however, the Agency has released to numerous previous requesters 991 pages of UFO-related documents under the FOIA. Most of this material was located as a result of a previous search for records conducted on behalf of an earlier requester for information regarding UFOs up through 1979, and as a result of a recent updated search for records conducted on behalf of an earlier requester for information regarding UFOs from 1979 through 15 March 1990. Any releasable material as a result of these earlier, thorough searches is included in this package. These documents are not indexed, and most of the material deals with matters related to the report by the Scientific Advisory Panel. We should advise you that most of the reports dealing with the UFO sightings considered by the Panel originated with other government agencies such as the Air Force, and that much of the later CIA- originated reports concern sightings as reported in the foreign news media. In accordance with our attached fee schedule, the material referred to above costs ten cents per page less the first 100 pages as a requester in the "all other" category. Also, as a result of former Director Woolsey's 14 December 1993 radio interview, a recent further release of 1,757 pages has been made bringing the total amount of pages to 2,748. Additional documents for release are currently under review. Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Therefore, should you wish to purchase this package, please send your check or money order for US$264.80 to me, made payable to the Treasurer of the United States and cite the reference number above to ensure proper credit to your account. A copy of our fee schedule is enclosed. You also have the option of reviewing the initial release of 991 pages on the CIA's electronic FOIA internet site. The access for this site via homepage URL is: http:\\www.foia.cia.gov. Another option would be to review the material referred to above in our reading room. If you wish to do so, please let us know at least two weeks in advance, and we will be glad to make the necessary arrangements. In an effort to assist you further, also enclosed is a copy of an article from the CIA's internal magazine Studies in Intelligence, Summer 1997, entitled "CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90." This item is being provided at no cost since it is under 100 pages. With respect to Majestic (MJ-12), our records show that we conducted a search on behalf of a previous requester for records pertaining to Majestic 12. Our search was thorough and diligent, but no records were located. That earlier requester appealed our findings, and we conducted a second search. Again, no records were located. Further, with respect to that portion of your request concerning Area 51, the CIA may neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of records responsive to your request. Such information�unless, of course, it has been officially acknowledged--would be classified for reasons of national security under Executive Order 12958. The fact of the existence or nonexistence of such records would also relate directly to information concerning intelligence sources and methods. The Director of Central Intelligence has the responsibility and authority to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with Subsection 103(c)(6) of the National Security Act of 1947 and Section 6 of the CIA Act of 1949. Therefore, this portion of your request is denied under FOIA exemptions (b)(1) and (b)(3); an explanation of these exemptions is enclosed. The CIA official responsible for this determination is Kathryn I. Dyer, Information and Privacy Coordinator. By this action we are neither confirming nor denying the existence or nonexistence of such records. Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 You may appeal this decision by addressing your appeal to the Agency Release Panel within 45 days from the date of this letter, in my care. Should you choose to do this, please explain the basis of your appeal. Also, please advise if you are interested in either purchasing the 2,748 previously released UFO pages or reviewing the material in our reading room. Meanwhile, we trust that the information enclosed and that provided above will be helpful. Sincerely, /4# Kathryn I. Dyer Information and Privacy Coordinator Enclosures Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938 CIO/IMS/IRRG/PIPD ../9 April 2003 Signature assigned by: Distribution: Orig - Adse 1 - PIPD/F-2003-00606 GIP (b)(1) (b)(3) Glomar Denier: FOIA 00606 Taylor GIP (b)(3) (b)(6) (b)(3) (b)(6) (b)(3) (b)(3) (b)(6) (b)(3) (b)(6) Approved for Release: 2022/10/13 C00934938