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Ta OPEN LETTER ON UFOs TO THE FRENCH PRESIDENT environmental effects, public authorities shall, by applying the precautionary principle, have an obligation to work for the implementation of risk assessment procedures. activities: first, data collection; second, their interpretation. By convention, we will identify later in this letter the generic term "UFO phenomenon", all sides of which, after review, have not received any rational explanation with regard to our scientific knowledge. seseptt sce rors Following is an English translation procedures. review, have not received any rational of an open letter from several explanation with regard to our authors, headed by French Navy The UFO phenomenon scientific knowledge. Rear Admiral Gilles Pinon, to M. These unusual aerospace Nicolas Sarkozy, President of phenomena regularly appear in our The data France. This translation by Robert airspace. They are commonly known A study group from CNES in D. Morningstar, editor of UFO as UFOs. The CNES (Centre National France, the GEIPAN (Group d'Etudes Digest, has been slightly edited for d'Etudes Spatiales—National Centre et d'Information sur les Phénoménes publication here. — Editor. for Space Studies) prefers to give the Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés—study phenomenon the name of PAN and information group on unidentified Preamble (phénoméne aérospatial non- aerospatial phenomena), has had the n the absence of any hostile intent, identifié—unidentified aerospatial official mission to collect, analyse and Ie intrusion of an extraterrestrial phenomenon). archive data on UFOs. civilisation could jeopardise our Before trying to give UFOs an Thanks to this organisation and environment, comprising all natural, interpretation, we must recognise the obstinate independent investigation social and cultural conditions obvious and simple fact: they exist. work, we now have databases constituting the theatre of human While much is the result of containing several thousand activities. misconceptions, fantasy or observations. The Charter of the environment, hallucination, an irreducible part Their statistical study highlights the which has constitutional authority, seems to show significant, unknown, complexity and incongruity of the provides that although uncertain in the physical laws and participation of an phenomenon, which covers dozens of state of scientific knowledge, when _ intelligent principle. types of events from the most banal, acknowledging an injury that could They gave birth to a discipline, simple, abnormal light in the sky to cause severe and irreversible ufology, which comprises two distinct the more surprising recorded radar Preamble n the absence of any hostile intent, Ie intrusion of an extraterrestrial civilisation could jeopardise our environment, comprising all natural, social and cultural conditions constituting the theatre of human activities. The Charter of the environment, which has constitutional authority, provides that although uncertain in the state of scientific knowledge, when acknowledging an injury that could cause severe and _ irreversible or cause 66 ¢ NEXUS Versailles, France, 14 April 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com AUGUST — SEPTEMBER 2008