WILLIAM L. MOORE PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH ANTARES PUBLICATIONS; THE FAIR WITNESS PROJECT, INC.; "FOCUS" SPECIALIZING IN UFOS, NEW AGE, METAPHYSICAL AND OCCULT RESEARCH 4219 WEST OLIVE AVE., SUITE #247, BURBANK, CA 91505 PHONE (213) 463-0542 (10 AM - 6 PM) 10 December 1988 AN OPEN LETTER FROM WILLIAM L. MOORE I had hoped that it would never be necessary for me to write a letter like this; however, in light of numerous allegations, rumors and accusations presently being circulated about me and my work, and in direct response to a vicious guilt-by-innuendo article on the MJ-12 matter which I am reliably informed is currently being prepared by CSICOP spokesman Kendrick Fr[a]zier in close concert with Phil Klass, it seems appropriate to make some sort of statement which will clear the air. First of all, let me begin by stating for the record that I am not a "forger", a "hoaxer", a "fabricator" or a "counterfeiter"; nor, to the best of my knowledge, have I ever participated in any illegal or un-American activity in connection with my more than eight-year involvement with the MJ-12 controversy. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge and belief, none of my colleagues and associates has participated in any such activities either. Rumors circulating to the effect that I am some sort of government agent or "disinformation" expert are totally false. In spite of pronouncements made principally by John Lear and others associated with him, I am not on the US Government's (or any other government's) payroll. Nor did I enjoy any sort of "control position" with respect to the recent "UFO Cover-up?...Live!" television documentary. Whether the MJ-12 and associated documents are authentic, and indeed, whether the entire MJ-12 story has any truth to it at all remains an entirely open question. I and my colleagues have conducted our investigation into this matter in our own way and essentially outside of the UFO-community at large. The information which we have made available concerning this process has been entirely in keeping with our own methods and objectives. What has been withheld has been withheld for good reason. It is no secret that many of you who read this letter have voiced strong objections to the way things have been done. Some, having raised valid questions which remain unanswered, have wrongly assumed that there are no answers and have seen fit to vent their frustrations by pointing an accusing finger. Others, perhaps seeing the controversy surrounding MJ-12 as some sort of threat to their own stature as self-styled "UFO experts", or "skeptics", have chosen the convenience of dismissing the entire matter out-of-hand rather than the prudence of withholding judgement until all of the facts are in. To individuals in both of these rush-to-judgement groups, my advice is simply be calm and be patient. We have every intention of getting to the bottom of this matter, and we have every intention of making a full and complete disclosure once this process is complete. Until that time, I and my colleagues are going to continue to follow our own counsel and to do things in our own way -- preferably with the support of the UFO community, but if necessary without it. Once the entire story comes out, it is our firm conviction that all of the dark spots in this very strange picture puzzle will become clear and we will all have answers to many of the questions which now exist about the true nature of our government's involvement with the UFO phenomenon. Meanwhile, it seems completely inappropriate at this time for members of the UFO community and skeptics alike to continue to assail my methods or to cast aspersions upon my integrity and honesty through grape-vine gossip and the typically half-baked, poorly researched journalism of the Skeptical Inquirer. Equally inappropriate is the continuing high level of sheer speculation concerning the true identities of the two sources who appeared on the "UFO Cover-up?...Live" show under the codenames "Falcon" and "Condor". In the eight weeks since the airing of this show, the controversy has grown to such outrageous proportions that, to date, "Flacon" has been "reliably identified" as no less than three different people and "Condor" as five! For obvious reasons, my position continues to be one of "no comment" with respect to who ANY of my sources might be. Indeed, the identity of any or all of the TEN "inside" contacts I and my colleagues have developed is ultimately of FAR LESS IMPORTANCE than the fact that, to date, FOUR of them have agreed to tell their story before members of Congress! As of this writing, commitments are currently being sought from the others, and negotiations are under way with two members of Congress who have expressed an interest in the matter. If we are successful in these efforts, then the entire matter of the credibility of sources and the authenticity of documents will have been placed in a forum entirely out of our hands, and the question of Bill Moore's, or Jaime Shandera's, or Stan Friedman's motives, methods and credibility will no longer be an issue. It is toward such an end that we actively seek the unity and support of the entire UFO community. At the Washington, D.C. MUFON UFO Symposium in June of 1987, when we first brought the essence of this matter to the attention of the UFO community and the public, I asked for assistance and support from anyone interested in helping us get to the bottom of it. Some of you joined that effort-- most did not. Many of you remained properly skeptical, and in so doing put the lie to oft repeated charges of a few hard-line UFO-bashers that most UFOlogists are much too gullible or credulous for their own good. Others, who disagreed with our way of doing things and apparently saw us as some sort of threat to the well-being of UFOlogy in general and themselves in particular, saw fit to throw as many rocks in our direction as they possibly could. It is now time to put those emotions aside and pull together in an effort to bring this matter to a conclusion. As Jerry Clark noted in an International UFO Reporter editorial over a year ago, the MJ-12 affair, unlike most other aspects of UFOlogy, is one where it is possible to obtain answers-- one way or the other. If this information is real and the sources providing it are bona fide, then we have a major story on our hands. If, on the other hand, it turns out to be some sort of eight-year-long, elaborate disinformation scheme, or even an outright hoax, then we have an equally important story of another type. In either case, the truth will ultimately be made known and, once that happens, UFOlogy will go on. Petty bickering and emotional tirades have no place in this search for the truth, and they are unbecoming to a field of study which is well on its way to becoming a recognized area of scientific and journalistic endeavor. We have every intention of seeing our work through to its conclusion, what your role will be in that process is entirely up to you. This letter, then, is intended as an olive branch from me and my associates to you-- UFOlogist, skeptic and UFO-basher alike. Our goal, like yours, is to ultimately get to the bottom of this very important matter. It is our belief that progress towards this end will be better served by a united effort than by continued animosity. If you agree, please let me hear from you in the near future. Yours very truly, {signed} William L. Moore