CIA and UFO Declassified Documents

Summary

In 1953, the CIA formed a panel of scientists to assess reports on unidentified flying objects and their potential threat to national security. The resulting report was classified as "secret." Years later, in 1957, after increased publicity about CIA involvement in the UFO issue, an unclassified version of the report was released, omitting any mention of the agency. In 1966, the Air Force requested declassification of the original report, citing prior publicity as justification. The CIA responded with a fully declassified version of the report in August of that year, following multiple contacts with Air Force representatives. This process highlights how UFO-related information was handled cautiously over decades.