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UFOs & NATIONAL SECURITY An Interview with Clifford Stone by Paola Harris © 1998, 1999 UFOs & NATIONAL SECURITY When I decided to speak openly about An Interview with Clifford Stone UFOs, I was still on active service and the by Paola Harris © 1998, 1999 Army only told me to always make consis- tent statements. However, when I was ergeant Clifford Stone recently assigned to another detachment, I was cate- S retired from the US Army after 22 _ gorically ordered not to discuss UFOs or years of service, although he is still write or make requests to Congress without involved in reserve duty. He has an ency - authorisation or approval. I considered this clopaedic knowledge of government docu - to be unacceptable, especially since I was ments pertaining to official UFO investiga - involved in the program without the know]- tions. Stone claims he was actually part of _ edge of my commanding officer. a secret, quick-response team that handled Instead of being discharged, I was sent to UFO events for the military. Although he Germany, then Belgium and around can tell innumerable personal stories, he is | Europe, and I found myself involved in the tenaciously seeking documentary proof that UFO situation again, though unwillingly. I such activities really occur. heard about an incident in the USSR: the This interview with Clifford Stone was Soviets had tried to shoot down a large, conducted by Italian freelance journalist unidentified craft and had mysteriously lost Paola Harris, who is a major contributor _ three of their planes. to the Italian UFO magazines Dossier So I decided to come out into the open, Alieni and UFO Notiziario. The interview in spite of my superiors who may not have took place on 2 July 1998 at Sgt Stone's been aware of my intentions and my links home in Roswell, New Mexico, USA. — Ed. with various agencies connected to UFOs. l asked to be discharged, informed the Paola Harris: Sergeant Stone, what is _ structures not connected to the Army about your background and what events led to the __ this, and left Germany. birth of your book, UFOs Are Real? PH: What year was this? Clifford Stone: When I was seven I had CS: It was 1989. I went home on appar- my first close encounter with a UFO, fol- ently ordinary leave. Only one colleague, a lowed by interactions with alien entities. I Russian interpreter, knew about my served in the Army for over 21 years. At involvement with the UFO program. My first I was reluctant, then afraid, then disil- request to be discharged was denied two lusioned by the way the government han- days before | arrived at Fort Bliss, and they dles the subject. assigned me elsewhere for two months. They convinced me to stay and said I wouldn't be sent back to Europe but would be assigned to Fort Belvoir. I was still set on leaving because I didn't want to go through the same experiences—experi- ences which can't be discussed, even to the extent where my family knew nothing about them but were used to my sudden, long absences and certain strange visitors PH: Were they government agents? CS: Yes, but I didn't know they were. Here's an example. Since 1969, up until two months ago, I was in close contact with someone who remained anonymous and who called me "Colonel". He was an agent responsible for my protection. PH: UFOs Are Real contains classified documents. What impact has the book had on public opinion? CS: It contains a large amount of American government documents with a high classification level. The government denies everything and doesn't even admit that top-secret documents on the subject exist, but keeps them well hidden! My interest centres on Project Moon Dust and Operation Blue Fly, which were involved with UFO retrievals. The US Air Force has an installation at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which is identified as "Air Intelligence Group 696" and is responsible for the col- lection of UFO data and material. Names and programs are given pseudonyms. I was in the Army's counterespionage Paola Harris: Sergeant Stone, what is your background and what events led to the birth of your book, UFOs Are Real? Clifford Stone: When I was seven I had my first close encounter with a UFO, fol- lowed by interactions with alien entities. I served in the Army for over 21 years. At first I was reluctant, then afraid, then disil- lusioned by the way the government han- dles the subject. NEXUS - 65 DECEMBER 1999 — JANUARY 2000