Written By:Jeffery Pritchett Go to the link and subscribe to Jeffery's email list
Marianna Paranormal Examiner
I am very pleased to have the chance to interview Nick Pope former investigator of UFOs for the Ministry of Defence of Britain for my Examiner. I entitled it UFO Cornucopia because the word cornucopia means as follows; cornucopia (in Latin also cornu copiae) or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form. Classical mythology offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant Zeus, who had to be hidden from his devouring father Cronus. Nick Pope is a wealth of information on the subject of UFOs and this will be my second time interviewing him. The last time was at my radio show The Church Of Mabus and can be found on our archives. Now humbly and with much gratitude presenting Nick Pope and a waltz through questions from my alien brain of doom and glee.
1. When you were in the MOD and in the position of being involved with UFOs. Did you have an interest in the subject beforehand or did it come pretty much as a shock to you to be offered the position? And you pretty much left because you were fed up how they were handling the situation correct?
I had no prior interest in UFOs before being given the job at MoD’s UFO project. To me, it was just another government job – albeit a rather unusual one! But I did this job from 1991 to 1994, so it was only one of several posts that I held in the course of my 21 year career at MoD. When I left the MoD in 2006, the media made a big deal of it and stories were written saying that I’d resigned in protest at government handling of the UFO issue. This was incorrect and while I gave several media interviews expressing my dissatisfaction at policy after I left (and later, after the 2009 decision to terminate the UFO project), this wasn’t why I resigned from government service.
2. Do you think the U.K. government and U.S.A. government is being secretive mostly about UFOs because of Drone Technology and black ops programs?
It’s certainly a factor. I’m still bound by my secrecy oath and can say little about this, but at any given time various prototype aircraft and drones (experimental and operational) exist that won’t be publicly declared for some time.
3. Do you think there is actually knowledge of an alien presence that is also being covered up from our governments?
I don’t know. If there is such knowledge, they didn’t tell me. I saw plenty of intriguing material that gave me pause for thought on the issue, but no definitive ‘you can take that to the bank’ proof of an alien presence.
4. How do you feel about the fact that many in the field of Ufology believe the government uses the Alien Agenda to their advantage? Because it’s easier to blame aliens than to admit drone technology is watching the population or to admit secret programs. So blame the little green men of course!
Obviously it’s useful if secret prototype aircraft/drones get reported as UFOs, as the story is more likely to be ignored or ridiculed by the mainstream media and is less likely to come to the attention of foreign intelligence services.
5. Could you tell us about the Calvine Photo UFO story and it going missing from British Ministry of Defense and where you think it vanished to?
To cut a long story short, the best UFO photographs ever sent to the Ministry of Defense were taken in 1990 near Calvine, close to Pitlochry, in Scotland. Internal MoD documents relating to these photos have been released as part of the ongoing program to declassify and release MoD's UFO files, but the photographs themselves have disappeared. I’ve been quoted in various mainstream media articles about this story and as a result have now written a lengthy feature about this and placed it in the articles section of my www.nickpope.net website. My personal suspicion is that out of a misplaced sense of loyalty, someone destroyed the photos, believing they showed a secret aircraft or drone. The particular problem was that defense ministers had just told the UK Parliament (in response to numerous sightings of large triangular-shaped UFOs) that no such flights were taking place.
6. Any recent UFO sightings that are intriguing you as of late or new information that has come up you'd like to share?
There’s a lot going on. I guess the story closest to my heart is the ongoing process to declassify and release the entire archive of MoD UFO files and send them to the National Archives. Because I worked on these files (and wrote some of them!), have been involved in the release process and am the UK media’s ‘go to guy’ for any UFO-related story, I’ve done literally hundreds of mainstream media interviews on this, including major shows like Good Morning America and Larry King Live. The file release program reaches its climax this year. Don’t expect a ‘spaceship in a hangar smoking gun’, but look out for more fascinating UFO documents!
7. Who are some movers and shakers in the field of Ufology besides yourself of course who you've been keeping up with as of late in the research department and why?
Like me, I guess the people I’d pick aren’t ‘ufologists’ at all, but people whose work on the subject has brought the issue to a larger and more mainstream audience. I’d single out investigative journalist and author Leslie Kean, Huffington Post writer Lee Speigel and ex-US Army officer John Alexander.
8. How do you feel about the Ancient Astronaut theory? That aliens are our creators and have influenced mankind and its civilizations from the get go?
There are certainly some fascinating mysteries in our past. People like Erich von Daniken and Graham Hancock have done a lot of very good research into this and I’ve got a soft spot for the TV series "Ancient Aliens". However, I don’t think it’s necessary to automatically attribute such things to aliens, not least because many early human civilisations were far more advanced in certain respects (e.g. knowledge of mathematics, and engineering skills) than many people realize. Some people say that certain cave paintings and artefacts resemble UFOs and aliens, but we don't really understand the psychology of our early ancestors. For example, some people say certain figures could be extraterrestrials in space suits, but they could just as easily represent some archetypical demon from a dream or a shamanic trance. I actually think there’s something a little depressing about these sorts of theories. They’re disparaging to human ingenuity and spirit. Why do we think we were too stupid to have built the pyramids and that aliens must have done it for us, or helped us? Why do certain people think stealth fighters must be back-engineered from alien spacecraft, as opposed to believing we designed and built them ourselves?
9. What current books and films and music or TV shows is Nick Pope digging on lately that you can share with us for pleasure's sake?
I don’t watch much TV, but Doctor Who and Sherlock are excellent – both BBC shows. The last music DVD I got was Lioness, a collection of material featuring the late, great Amy Winehouse. Recent films include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and I’m currently reading Veil, Bob Woodward’s fascinating book about the CIA in the Eighties.
10. Why do you think the aliens that are visiting are just as puzzling and secretive as our governments? I have had some contactee experiences myself with strange craft in my past and even seeing some odd beings in younger years from elsewhere. It always seems like a puzzle or a mystery and never just badda bing badda bang to the extreme visitation wise with humanity on a mass level. It's frustrating but with all the new finds of life sustaining planets lately you'd have to be crazy to think we are the only ones out here in the perimeter. What is your grandest hope for the future of Earth when it comes to the galaxy and other lifeforms out there?
The question is based on an assumption that may be incorrect, because we don’t know for sure that we are being visited by aliens, despite the fact that this is what numerous UFO witnesses, contactees and abductees report. But some of these reports will be bogus, others may have their roots in psychopathology or some psychological explanations, while others may be based on a misinterpretation of events. And irrespective of whether we’re being visited or not (a possibility I certainly don’t rule out, by the way), most of our assumptions and theories about extraterrestrials are hopelessly anthropocentric. I’m sure we’re not alone in the Universe. I hope and suspect that our generation will be the one to find alien life, whatever form that discovery takes. So far as my grandest hope in this respect is concerned, I guess it’s the hope that the human adventure doesn’t end here on Earth, but that we endure and take our place on a wider cosmic stage. Per ardua ad astra.
11. What are your thoughts on Rendlesham? Alien event or black ops? Huge buzz about that debate lately and curious to how you feel about it.
About the only thing that any of us at MoD could agree on for sure about Rendlesham was that it was unexplained and that none of the usual explanations or skeptical theories made any sense. I’ve seen recent theories concerning a black op: some exotic stimulus being used as part of a test to see how the guard force would react. It’s actually not the first time this idea has been put forward and I’ve even seen speculation that techniques such as mind control or holographic technology were used. Such theories result either from a misreading of the documents or from a misunderstanding of the way in which realistic guard force exercises are conducted at operational bases. I can’t say more on this, for fear I might stray inadvertently into areas that are classified, but the idea that the Rendlesham Forest incident can be explained in these terms, with the UFO angle being a ‘cover story’, is wide of the mark.
12. How do you feel about the Bigfoot Alien UFO connection? Some serious researchers out there tying them all into together like Stan Gordon and many others with some very interesting evidence and witness testimony.
I’m not an expert on Bigfoot, but while I’m aware of some of these theories, I’m wary of linking cryptozoology with ufology. It’s human nature to look for connections and to try to find patterns, but sometimes our fondness for this leads us to see things that aren’t there. I’ll keep an open mind, but I have yet to be persuaded.
13. A lot of petitions lately in the USA for UFO Disclosure which I think feels hopeless. Do you think a class action law suit would be more suitable?
The whole petition tactic has run its course. The latest ones haven’t gotten anywhere near the threshold for an official response and even if something does cross the line, it simply generates a standard line response or a brush-off. I doubt that a class action lawsuit would fare any better. Is everyone going to agree on the form a single action would take? Probably not. Who are you going to sue and what evidence (in a legal sense) would be brought forward? A look at the Cash Landrum case gives you an idea of the likely government response. And if you’re talking about government or military witnesses, sovereign immunity and the Feres Doctrine would likely apply.
14. Any plans or events you have planned for the future you'd like to share with us to be aware of television or conference wise or projects in the works?
I recently relocated from the UK to California and inevitably I’ll be involved in even more film and TV projects than is currently the case – and I’m pretty busy as things stand. I can’t say much about any of these new projects for the time being, but will announce the details on my www.nickpope.net website as soon as I can.
Nick Pope's Biography
Author, journalist and TV personality Nick Pope used to run the British Government's UFO project at the Ministry of Defence. Initially sceptical, his research and investigation into the UFO phenomenon and access to classified government files on the subject soon convinced him that the phenomenon raised important defence and national security issues, especially when the witnesses were military pilots, or where UFOs were tracked on radar.
While working on the MoD's UFO project Nick Pope also looked into alien abductions, crop circles, animal mutilations, remote viewing and ghosts. He is now recognised as a leading authority on UFOs, the unexplained and conspiracy theories. He does extensive media work, lectures all around the world and has acted as presenter, consultant or contributor on numerous TV and radio shows. Nick Pope lives in California.
Continue reading on Examiner.com UFO Cornucopia: Interview with agent of the high strange Nick Pope - Panama City Paranormal | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-in-panama-city/ufo-cornucopia-interview-with-agent-of-the-high-strange-nick-pope#ixzz1reX0mBoO
Continue reading on Examiner.com UFO Cornucopia: Interview with agent of the high strange Nick Pope - Panama City Paranormal | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-in-panama-city/ufo-cornucopia-interview-with-agent-of-the-high-strange-nick-pope#ixzz1reWwRPGX
Continue reading on Examiner.com UFO Cornucopia: Interview with agent of the high strange Nick Pope - Panama City Paranormal | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-in-panama-city/ufo-cornucopia-interview-with-agent-of-the-high-strange-nick-pope#ixzz1reWqmK00
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