Page Content (OCR)
atmosphere of ridicule which surrounds the subject and makes qualified professionals wary of becoming involved. By early 1967, I had decided that the evidence for extraterrestrial origin was purely circumstantial, and I began to hint in print that perhaps a more complex situation was involved. To my astonishment, my rejec- tion of the outer-space hypothesis focused the wrath and suspicion of the UFO cultists on me. Rumors were circulated nationwide that I was a CLA agent. Later, contactees began to whisper to local UFO investigators that the real John Keel had been kidnapped by a flying saucer and that a cunning android who looked just like me had been substituted in my place. Incredible though it may sound, this was taken very seriously, and later even some of my more rational correspondents admitted that they care- fully compared the signatures on my current letters with the prerumor letters they had received. Let’s not underestimate the skill of our intelligence organizations. Let’s assume that they have been competent enough to collect and assimilate the same kinds of data dealt with in this book. I think we can safely assume that they figured all of this out many years ago and that they are coping with it in their own way as quietly as possible. The huge National Security Agency building outside of Washington, D.C., is filled with James Bond-type electronic gear, and the organization’s annual budget exceeds the gigantic budget of our space program. I don’t think all that money is going into bureaucratic ratholes. I don’t think all those computers and supersophisticated gadgets are sitting there collecting dust. The NSA has orbited ELINT (electronic intelligence) satellites equipped with delicate sensoring devices which can instantly detect electromagnetic disturbances on the earth’s surface. Other satellites carry infrared detec- tion devices, and still others are designed to eavesdrop on all forms of communication. In 1960, Project Saint was announced; this was a plan to orbit special satellites designed to pursue and investigate unidentified satellites. No further information was ever released on this interesting project. Even Howard Menger, the contactee, had a few kind words for the CIA (which is merely a subsidiary branch of the National Security Agency) when he said, in 1967, ‘‘...Around this great country of ours is a jungle, whether you know it or not, and there are specialized men who know how to deal on the same level with these people on the outside trying to get in and conquer us. These people are trained to deal with these other people on their level. That’s the only way we will ever survive, so don’t knock the CIA, please.” You Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard / 263