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Pearson administration from 1963 to 1967, Hellyer had officially Hellyer's key question has profound importance in understand- rebuffed initiatives from the Johnson administration to approve an ing the relationship between visiting extraterrestrial civilisations anti-ballistic missile defence system. In a 2003 article he wrote: and the recent effort to deploy weapons in space. Significantly, "It is almost 40 years since US secretary of defense Robert Hellyer's stated position on deploying weapons in space and McNamara asked me if Canada would be interested in helping opposition to the possible military targeting of extraterrestrials is develop an anti-ballistic missile defense for North America. I was in stark contrast to that of the man who initially convinced him of able to say, 'Thanks, but no thanks’, which was the position of the the reality of extraterrestrial visitors: Lt Colonel Philip Corso Pearson government and one that I fully endorsed." (Ret.). During his 2005 speech, Hellyer also addressed the UFO phe- nomenon and described his time as minister for defence where the Colonel Philip Corso's Support for the Strategic Defense occasional UFO sighting report crossed his desk. He claims never _ Initiative and Weaponisation of Space to have had time for what he considered to be a "flight of fancy", In The Day After Roswell, Corso declared that extraterrestrials but nevertheless retained an interest in the UFO phenomenon. were abducting civilians, violating US air space and destroying While minister for defence, he was guest of honour at the opening aircraft sent to intercept them. Corso viewed the extraterrestrials of the world's first UFO landing pad at Alberta, Canada, in 1967. as a direct threat to US national security. He declared: "For over He thought it an innovative idea from a progressive Canadian fifty years now, the war against UFOs has continued as we tried community willing to pay for his helicopter to defend ourselves against their intrusions."” ride, but did not give much thought to UFOs Elsewhere in The Day After Roswell, Corso as having serious policy implications. described the national security threat posed by Hellyer's position on UFOs dramatically UFOs and the need for a military changed after watching the late Peter weaponisation program to target and shoot Jennings documentary special Seeing Is down UFOs conducting such violations. He Believing in February 2005. Hellyer decided specifically championed President Reagan's to read a book that had been idly sitting on Strategic Defense Initiative. Corso believed his bookshelf for two years: The Day After . . that SDI was the appropriate response to Roswell, by the now-deceased Philip Corso "Is it wise to spend extraterrestrial intrusions and that the USA (co-authored with William J. Birnes). It A and USSR both knew what SDI's true purpose sparked intense interest for Hellyer in terms so much time and was. "We [USA and USSR] both knew ho of its policy implications and Corso's distin- money to build the real targets of SDI were... It was the guished service in the US Army and the weapon systems to UFOs, alien spacecraft thinking themselves Eisenhower administration. Corso, who had reached the rank of Lt Colonel, named real people, institutions and events that could be checked. Intrigued by the policy implications, Hellyer decided to confirm whether Corso's book was real or a "work of fiction". He contacted a retired United States Air Force general and spoke to him directly to verify Corso's claims. The unnamed general simply said: "Every word is true and more."* Hellyer then proceeded to discuss the "and A number of UFO researchers have more" with the general and claimed he claimed that these bellicose statements was told remarkable things concerning UFOs and the towards extraterrestrial visitors were introduced by Corso's co- extraterrestrial hypothesis that interplanetary visitors have been author William J. Birnes, and that Corso was not as anti-extrater- here since at least 1947. Hellyer then privately asked a number of _restrial as The Day After Roswell suggests. That is not accurate, "officials", some occupying senior positions, about Corso and as a reading of Corso's original notes makes clear. These were again received confirmation that Corso's claims were accurate. published in Italy and contain many similar statements revealing Finally convinced that the UFO phenomenon was real, Hellyer the depth of Corso's animosity towards visiting extraterrestrials.’ decided to come forward and publicly speak about some of the For example, in terms of violating US air space, Corso wrote: invulnerable and invisible as they soared around the edges of our atmosphere, swooping down at will to destroy our communications with EMP bursts, buzz our spacecraft, colonize our lunar surface, mutilate cattle in their own horrendous biological experiments, and even abduct human beings for their medical tests and hybridization of the species. And what was worse, we had to let them do it because we had no weapons to defend ourselves."* rid the skies of alien visitors?" "most profoundly important policy questions that must be "They have violated our air space with impunity and even landed addressed".° on our territory. Whether intentional or not, they have performed Among the profound policy questions raised by Hellyer at the hostile acts. Our citizens have been abducted and killed." Toronto conference was the designation by the US military of vis- Corso went on to describe fully the nature of the interaction iting extraterrestrials as an "enemy". According to Hellyer, this between extraterrestrial visitors and the general population: "The had led to the development of "laser and particle guns to the point —_ aliens have shown a callous indifference concerning their victims. that they can be used against the visitors from space". It is this Their behavior has been insidious and it appears they might be targeting of visiting extraterrestrials that concerns Hellyer, and he using our earth and manipulating earth life. Skeptics will excuse asked: "Is it wise to spend so much time and money to build them that possibly they are benevolent and want to help; however, weapon systems to rid the skies of alien visitors?" Hellyer there is no evidence they have healed anyone or alleviated human poignantly raised the key policy question: "Are they really ene- ailments. On the other hand, they have caused pain, suffering and mi mies or merely legitimate explorers from afar?" even death. Hellyer's key question has profound importance in understand- ing the relationship between visiting extraterrestrial civilisati and the recent effort to deploy weapons in space. Significantly, Hellyer's stated position on deploying weapons in space and opposition to the possible military targeting of extraterrestrials is in stark contrast to that of the man who initially convinced him of the reality of extraterrestrial visitors: Lt Colonel Philip Corso (Ret.). so much time and money to build ae nan a yen en eo weapon systems to rid the skies of alien visitors?" 56 = NEXUS "Is it wise to spend www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2006