As for President John F. Kennedy, his interest in UFOs has been the subject of many conspiracy theories, especially considering the fact that he was investigating the matter just before his assassination.
Kennedy's Known Interest in UFOs
John F. Kennedy's interest in UFOs is documented in several sources, most notably in a series of letters he sent in November 1963. One of these letters, addressed to the Director of the CIA, requested access to UFO files.
The previously secret documents were released to teacher William Lester under the Freedom of Information Act as part of research for his book on JFK. Lester said JFK's interest in UFOs may have been fueled by concerns about relations with the former Soviet Union.
One of his concerns was that many of these UFOs were seen over the Soviet Union, and he was very concerned that the Soviets might misinterpret these UFOs as American aggression, thinking they were our technology,” Lester was quoted as saying in an interview with AOL News by the Daily Mail.
“I think that's one of the reasons he wanted to get this information and get it out of NASA's jurisdiction, so he could tell the Soviets, 'Listen, this is not us, we're not doing this, we're not provoking,'” he added.
But extraterrestrial researchers say new documents released to Lester by the CIA support speculation that the president may have been shot to prevent him from uncovering the truth about UFOs.
Conspiracy theorists say the documents add interest to a disputed file dubbed the “burned memo,” which a UFO researcher claims to have received in the 1990s. The undated memo includes a reference to “Lancer,” which was JFK’s Secret Service codename. On the first page, the C.I.A. he wrote:”As you may be aware, Lancer has conducted some investigations into our operations that we cannot allow.” (ANI)
Kennedy's interest was therefore not only scientific but also strategic. His goal was to explain these phenomena and prevent misunderstandings in the international arena.
The document, known as the “burned memo,” was leaked to mainstream media in 1999 by an anonymous source posing as a former CIA agent. The alleged leaker said he worked for the CIA from 1960 to 1974 and pulled the memo — whose authenticity experts have never verified — from a fire when the agency was burning some of its most sensitive files.
The memo to the CIA shows that Kennedy wanted to investigate further what the CIA knew about UFOs, presumably with the goal of making the information public or at least understanding its implications for national security.
The timing of this request, just ten days before his assassination, has led many to speculate about the motive behind his death, with some theorists suggesting his interest in UFOs may have been a factor.
Public and official perception
Publicly, the Kennedy administration, like those before and after, maintained a stance of skepticism about UFOs. Internally, however, there was an appreciation of the phenomenon, if only to manage public perception and national security concerns.
Kennedy's interest may have stemmed from his broader vision of space exploration, in which understanding unidentified phenomena could play a role in space policy.
Despite his inquiries, there is no conclusive evidence that Kennedy had access to any hard evidence of extraterrestrial life or advanced technology beyond what was publicly known or speculated about at the time.
UFO information has always been a subject of ambiguity within the government and shrouded in layers of secrecy to which even the president did not have full access.
Government projects like Project Blue Book, which officially concluded that UFOs do not pose a threat to national security, may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Kennedy, despite his position, may have encountered the same bureaucratic obstacles and divisions that often prevent even high-ranking officials from reporting on certain issues.
Kennedy's knowledge may have been limited to what was considered pertinent to national security or diplomatic relations. The full scope of UFO sightings, investigations, and potential cover-ups may have been beyond his reach or interest, especially if they were deemed unrelated to his immediate concerns or if they were deeply secret.
Conspiracy theorists claim his death was planned to prevent him from revealing the truth about UFOs.
His knowledge of UFOs may have been limited to strategic issues, not the full spectrum of what might be happening in the sky.
As important as Kennedy's research was, it was likely only part of his administration's broader approach to understanding and coping with the unknown, both in space and on Earth.
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