UFOs - Leslie Kean [64]
As long as no other credible interpretation has been formulated, let us simply hope that GEIPAN and other agencies can make a modest contribution to this debate and that they will stimulate thinking about these phenomena, the existence of which cannot be contested. And finally, let us hope that our joint efforts will inspire unprejudiced minds to consider the extraterrestrial hypothesis with the seriousness and rigor it deserves, as long as no other credible interpretation has been formulated.
CHAPTER 13
The Birth of COMETA
by Major General Denis Letty (Ret.)
To learn more about the open approach of the French military to the problem of UFOs, Major General Denis Letty has provided us with his personal perspective on the historic COMETA Report, explaining why he felt personally compelled to organize the group’s investigation. As I mentioned previously, it was the work of a group of retired French generals and other officials from that country, coming together to write this report, that first brought the UFO issue to my attention. General Letty was the initiator of that effort, a central, driving force behind its completion. In the report, he and the other authors took the American government to task for its denials of the existence of UFOs, its harsh treatment of witnesses, and its excessive secrecy and spreading of “disinformation.” They asked the U.S. government to join France and other countries in a cooperative venture to investigate the UFO phenomenon, perhaps under the auspices of the European Union. No response has been forthcoming.
Denis Letty, chairman of the COMETA group, is a well-known former fighter pilot who was head of the French Air Defense, southeast zone, and the French military mission for the Allied Air Force of Central Europe. A Fifth Wing commander, he also served as Strasbourg air base commander. In 2008, I was privileged to sit down with General Letty at his home on the outskirts of Paris. He and his wife were extremely gracious to filmmaker James Fox and me, who, complete with files, notepads, and a film crew to document our discussions, descended upon their well-kept, hillside duplex apartment with a stunning view of the city. Meeting him was a milestone for me personally. Dignified, gracious, and personable, General Letty was candid and relaxed with us, yet carried tremendous authority. He’s still mystified about the UFO phenomenon and wants very much to see a resolution.
As we sat around a table in his living room discussing French cases with the cameras running, Letty addressed the issue of government transparency on UFOs. “I don’t think a powerful country like America finds it acceptable to acknowledge that something strange can fly over and the country can’t clear the skies of it. Another problem can be panic, created by people imagining that their military can’t protect them.” I carefully noted his further comments about the U.S. government role: “We are convinced that some governments don’t say all they know about the subject, and I mean, of course, the States. That’s why we asked for good cooperation from all countries. We’re ready to do the research, to work together.”1 The general is convinced that nothing remains hidden within the French military about UFOs, since all the files were released the previous year in order to make that very point. General