People in the UFO and conspiracy theory communities often claim that the government keeps them under surveillance. The debate has come more sharply into focus recently, following revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, and the resultant media storm over bugging, interception of communications, and the secret state more generally.
But is there any truth in this? Has the Ministry of Defence ever kept tabs on ufologists? Well, actually – yes! There were three strands to this, and I have direct knowledge and experience of all of them, from my time on the MoD’s UFO project.
The first strand was the understandable need to check out ufologists who were taking a close interest in military bases. It wasn’t inconceivable that someone could use ufology as a cover for terrorism or espionage-related activity, perhaps embedding themselves within a UFO organisation. If someone was caught taking long-lens photos of a military base, but claimed their only interest was in checking out rumours that crashed UFOs or alien bodies were being kept there, what were we to do? Say, “Oh, that’s all right then”, and let them go, or check them out? The latter, obviously. More than one well-known ufologist has fallen foul of the Ministry of Defence Police around bases rumoured to have a UFO connection, such as RAF Rudloe Manor in Wiltshire.
Governments will surveil whomever they choose to surveil. Old news. Don't let that stop you. ;-) To read more, click here.