‘Make up their own minds’: Pentagon releases first tranche of UFO files

The United States Department of Defense has released its first tranche of previously classified files on unidentified flying objects (UFOs), following an order from US President Donald Trump in February.

The release on Friday contained 162 files dating back decades, including documents from the FBI, the Department of State, and the US space agency, NASA. It was accompanied by the launch of a new, heavily stylised website to house the documents, using white typewriter-style font against a black background.

In a statement, the Pentagon did not draw any determinations on the photos and files released, saying many had been only screened for security purposes and “have not yet been analysed for resolution of any anomalies”.

“While past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Trump is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files,” the statement said.

Several government agencies, including the Energy Department, NASA, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, were involved in the release.

Trump has framed the initiative as part of an effort to create more transparency, in line with his previous orders to release records related to the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, his brother, Senator Robert F Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Those files offered few new details beyond what was already known.

His February order to release files on UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) came amid a surge in attention after former US President Barack Obama said during a podcast interview that aliens were “real”, although he had not seen one and none were being held in government facilities.

Obama later clarified that he “saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us”.

Critics have accused Trump of using the release of files connected to high-interest subjects to divert attention from his political woes, notably the Department of Justice’s handling of investigative files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In January, the Department of Justice said it had completed its legally mandated release of files related to Epstein, whose influential social circle once included Trump. Lawmakers have repeatedly said the disclosures do not appear complete.

In February, US Representative Thomas Massie, a leading Republican critic of Trump, decried the UFO release as the “ultimate weapon of mass distraction”.

Sightings and anomalies

It remained to be seen how impactful the new documents would be. They contained no clear, immediate revelations.