UFO ROUNDUP Volume 7 Number 07
Volume 7
Number 7
February 12, 2002
Editor: Joseph Trainor
E-mail: Masinaigan@aol.com
BRILLIANT UFO SEEN BY HUNDREDS IN TURKEY
"Around 11 p.m. on the night of (Saturday) January 26, 2002, the General Directorate of Police in Adiyaman," a city in eastern Turkey, "received a phone call informing them that a brilliant flying object was being observed on the eastern side of the city."
Police headquarters radioed the patrolman on duty at the checkpoint beside the Adiyaman/Kahta highway and "he also confirmed the sighting of the brilliant object in the sky."
"The chief of police was notified, and a police team was sent to the area equipped with night-vision cameras. They spotted the brilliant object, which was rotating around its own axis and spreading outward colorful lights, and managed to film it for around five hours."
On Monday, January 28, 2002, "at around 2:15 a.m., two similar flying objects were observed. The objects also were filmed by the (Turkish) Security Directorate between 2:29 a.m. and 3 a.m."
Haktan Akdogan, chairman of the Sirius UFO Space Sciences Research Center in Istanbul (Turkey's largest city--J.T.), "telephoned Halil Isrik, governor (mayor) of Adiyaman, about the incident. Governor Isrik reported that five UFOs were observed. Twenty police officers and hundreds of civilians witnessed this incident."
"On the videotape, five glowing objects are viewed, in motion and much brighter than any star or planet. In close-ups, the objects are rotating around their own axes. Enhanced by computer, the objects were scattering lights of various colors. The brightness and proximity of the objects indicate that they were inside the atmosphere. The light beams spewed out by the UFOs have been measured by spectral photometer, which also confirmed that the objects were in motion. The objects (first) hovered and then started moving. The glowing objects do not make any sound and exhibit and advanced technology and do not fit any category of conventional aerial devices."
Adiyaman is about 300 kilometers (180 miles) southeast of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. (See Filer's Files #6 for 2002. Many thanks to editor George A. Filer and to Haktan Akdogan of Sirius UFO Space Sciences Research Center for this news story.)
PERU ORGANIZES A GROUP TO INVESTIGATE UFOs
The government of Peru organized a special group to investigate UFO sightings in that South American country, the newspaper El Comercio reported.
Two months ago, in December 2001, the Fuerza Aerea Peruana (Peruvian Air Force or FAP--J.T.) established the new Office for the Investigation of Anomalous Activity. Its Spanish acronym is OIFFA.
Peru becomes the second South American nation to establish an official group to study UFO phenomena. Its neighbor, Chile, established a similar group back in 1997.
According to Somos, the weekly newsmagazine of El Comercio, the director of OIFFA is Commandante Jose Luis Chamorro of the FAP. In the article, Chamorro was quoted as saying, "The key matter here is safety; if a non-Peruvian aircraft enters our territory without proper authorization, it must be either acknowledged or 'intercepted immediately'...whether it is Ecuadorian, Russian...or Martian."
The mission of OIFFA, he added, "is to destroy the enemy and to capture its technology."
In addition to Chamorro, the OIFFA steering committee will include Prof. Abraham Ramirez Lituma, dean of Peru's Air Force Academy and an expert in aeronatuical law; anthropologist Fernando Fuenzalida; Dr. Mariano Zegarra, a physician; and Anthony Choy, a hypnotist. (See the Somos newsmagazine in the Saturday edition of El Comercio of Lima, Peru for February 2, 2002. Muchas gracias a Scott Corrales, autor de los libros Chupacabras and Other Mysteries y Forbidden Mexico, y Rose Marie Pax Wells, director of the Instituto Peruano de Relaciones Espaciales, IPRE, para esas noticias.)
(Editor's Comment: On Sunday, February 10, 2002, President George W. Bush of the USA announced that he was giving Peru an additional $167 million for the ongoing "drug interdiction war" in South America. Will we see an upsurge in Peru/USA military operations along the Rio Ucayali? Or was this a "black ops" transfer of funds to support OIFFA?)
UFOs RETURN TO ANGOL, CHILE
"Researchers of Omnivision Chile videotaped a UFO flying over Corazon de Maria Church in the barrio Butaco (neighborhood) of Angol," a small city in southern Chile.
"Researchers were able to capture images of the small luminous object through a videocamera and a still camera."
"For a few months now, the capital of the Mallecas region has recorded a significant number of UFO sightings. It is for this reason that a team of Omnivision Chile was invited to the area by Raul Gajardo, a local researcher and retired Carabinero (Chilean national policeman--J.T.) hoping to look into the phenomenon."
"After visiting the barrio known as Las Pinas, where a close encounter of the third kind allegedly took place on February 16, 2001, researchers arrived at the Butaco sector, some 10 kilometers (6 miles) away from Angol."
(Editor's Comment: "Allegedly!?" Hey, there's no "alleged" about it. We covered that story at the time. For the full scoop on Patricio Vallejos' and Ingrid Sepulveda's encounter with aliens in Angol, see UFO Roundup, volume 6, number 10 for March 8, 2001, "Chilean couple's first date turns into an encounter with aliens," page 2.)
"After taking some photographs and making some routine observations, the ufology team went to Corazon de Maria Church, where they had the privilege of making a sighting."
"While photos were being taken, something strange drew the researchers' attention. They were able to witness the transit of a strange luminous object through the clear skies over Angol. It was later established that the object had appeared from a northeasterly direction over the city at around 8:10 p.m. and had vanished five minutes later." (See the newspaper El Diario Austral de Temuco for February 2, 2002, "More UFOs over Chile." Muchas gracias a Scott Corrales y Jaime Ferrer del Centro OVNI de Calama para esas noticias.)
METEPEC VISITED BY A FLEET OF LUMINOUS UFOs
On the morning of Tuesday, February 5, 2002, Mexican ufologist Pedro Hernandez was outdoors in the city of Metepec, about 60 kilometers (36 miles) west of Mexico City, when he "observed a dozen brilliant spherical UFOs over the city."
"Hernandez reported that the UFOs 'were speeding in different directions and at a very great velocity, making it hard to capture two of them in any one (video) image.'"
"Some of the UFOs headed east towards the volcano Mount Popocatepetl, while others flew towards Mexico City. Light from these UFOs was still visible minutes after they had departed from Metepec." (See NotiOVNI for February 10, 2002. Muchas gracias a Daniel Munoz para esas noticias.)
LARGE LUMINOUS UFO SEEN IN CAYEY, PUERTO RICO
On Wednesday, February 6, 2002, at 10:30 p.m., Luis Marrero, a retired UFO researcher, was returning home on Route 52 (also known as the Las Americas Expressway--L.G.) from Caguas to the city of Ponce, on the south shore of Puerto Rico, when he noticed something strange in the sky.
"As he reached the vicinity of Las Catalinas Mall, he realized that at approximately 35 degrees altitude (above the horizon--J.T.) and very close to the giant television transmission towers on Cerro La Santa (hill in Cayey), he could see a stationary ball of light."
"Luis told me that it was so large that at a distance of several miles it resembled the size of a Halogen bulb, similar to the ones employed in the lamps along the expressway," Puerto Rican ufologist Lucy Guzman reported, "He therefore estimated a 600-foot (180-meter) diameter" for the unknown object.
"Upon reaching the toll barrier, he noticed that the white ball of light had increased in intensity. When this occurred, and after approximately three minutes had transpired, two smaller balls of light emerged from the white light. One of them was yellow in color and the other blue. Both headed vertically downward towards the (rain) forest below, where they vanished from sight."
"He was unable to see them again."
"Just when the small lights--which Luis described as having a size similar to auto headlights--vanished from sight, the larger light vanished also, evaporated or 'shot off.' He did not see it go off in any direction, and did not see it again."
"Luis was surprised that the (TV) towers' lights were off, something highly uncommon, since these lights are always on. He thinks the white ball of light may have caused a blackout in the area."
"The following day, Thursday, February 7, 2002, there was a blackout in Cayey's barrio Beatriz (neighborhood) not far from where he (Luis) had seen the light." (Muchas gracias a Luzy Guzman, Luis Marrero y John Hayes para esa historia.)
THE STRANGE FLIGHT OF UNITED 855
At approximately 11:47 p.m., on Wednesday, February 6, 2002, United Airlines Flight 855 took off from Miami International Airport in the USA's state of Florida, heading south toward Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.
For most of the trip, the aircrew and passengers aboard the twin-engine Boeing 777 experienced a routine flight. But five hours into the flight, at about 7 a.m. Rio de Janeiro time, as the jetliner crossed over eastern Brazil, something very strange happened.
"A passenger tried to force his way into the cockpit of a United Airlines flight bound from Miami to Buenos Aires on Thursday, only to be subdued after the co-pilot struck him over the head with an ax, officials said."
"Argentine authorities detained Pablo Moreira, 28, after the plane landed" at Ezezia International Airport in Buenos Aires "at its scheduled time. The incident occurred five hours into the flight as the Boeing 777 flew over Brazil."
"Moreira, a Uruguayan bank employee, told Argentine air force investigators who questioned him that he was returning home from a marketing conference. He said he had no memory of the incident and had no idea why he rushed the cockpit. (My emphasis--J.T.)
"'He says he feels very sorry about what happened,' said Jorge Reta, an (Argentinian) air force officer here. Moreira told authorities he drank a glass of whiskey and later passed out."
"'That's all he remembers,' Reta said."
"Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for President Bush's Office of Homeland Security, said there was no information to suggest that Moreira's actions were the latest terrorist attack on a U.S. airliner."
"FBI officials and a United spokesman said Moreira kicked in a panel at the bottom of the cockpit door and then tried to squeeze his head and torso in. The co-pilot struck Moreira's head as it protruded through the half-open door, using an ax provided to the crew for in-flight emergencies."
"One passenger, Jan Boyer, told CNN that he confronted Moreira after the man began kicking the door. 'I said, 'What are you doing?' And he said, 'I want to talk to the captain.''"
"Boyer said Moreira leaned into the cockpit and 'was hit bluntly on the head with the ax...This led to a lot of blood all over the place.'"
"'We heard the voice of the captain yelling desperately for people to come to the cockpit,' passenger Lucia Pilia said. 'The flight attendants started running like crazy.'"
"In five minutes, everything was back under control. Reta said the unruly passenger was restrained with plastic handcuffs. Other passengers said Moreira was tied to a seat in business class."
"'They tied him up with seat belts, like a stuffed piece of beef,' Pilia said."
"Officials said Moreira was treated for minor injuries after the plane arrived in Buenos Aires, and Argentine police boarded the craft."
"FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said Moreira was being treated for his injuries but will be flown back to Miami to face charges of interfering with a flight crew. Orihuela said a flight attendant also suffered minor injuries."
"Moreira was sent back to the United States and appeared in federal court" in Miami Friday, February 8, 2002, "with a bruise under his right eye. He was held without bail on a charge of interfering with a flight crew, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison upon conviction."
"After the hearing, defense attorney Allan Sullivan said Moreira was not a terrorist. But Sullivan gave no explanation for his client's actions.
"U.S. officials said he did not appear to be drunk and was not armed." (My emphasis--J.T.)
"'His brother said he often becomes upset when there is turbulence, and passengers told us he had been drinking a lot on the plane. But when I asked him about it, he told me he had one whiskey prior to getting on the plane,' Argentine air force spokesman Jorge Reta said."
United Flight 855 had a total of 142 passengers and 15 aircrew on board. (See the Chicago Tribune for February 9, 2002, "Suspect in cockpit breach held in U.S.," page 6; the Duluth, Minn. News-Tribune for February 8, 2002, "Co-pilot uses ax to stop cockpit intruder," page 6A; and USA Today for February 8, 2002, "Passenger trying to enter jet cockpit gets hit with an ax," page 1A.)
(Editor's Comment: What is going on here!? First Dubya has a strange blackout three weeks ago. Then Pablo Moreira has a weird blackout on Flight 855. Is somebody fooling around with psychotronic weapons? Or maybe we should ask what was in the drink Moreira was served.)
From the UFO Files...
1863: JUBILEE
Ashwood is a small town in Lee County, South Carolina, about 22 miles (35 kilometers) east of Columbia, the state capital. Before the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), it was a rather large plantation...and the site of one of the strangest incidents in the history of the Palmetto State.
In January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which set free all people of color held as slaves within the Confederacy (i.e. the eleven states of the South which seceded from the USA during December 1860--J.T.)
"Throughout the South, Lincoln's official proclamation freeing the slaves was greeted with joyous celebration and not a few unusual incidents."
In Ashwood, S.C. on the eve of the proclamation, blacks gathered in a small cabin to await the big moment. News had come from the North by word-of-mouth, and the people of color, all of whom had been born into "the peculiar institution," wanted to be there when the moment came.
"The edict was to take effect at midnight, and as the witching hour approached, a deathly silence prevailed. At the head of a rough board table in the middle of the room, one elderly Negro, named Uncle Ben, possessed a watch and was more or less the official timekeeper for announcing when their hour of liberation had arrived. All eyes were focused on the old man and his watch."
"'By the time I counts ten,' he said, 'It will be midnight, and the land will be free.
One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...'"
Precisely at midnight, "music started coming from a banjo hanging on the wall, as if to complete the old man's countdown. The sound of the music was loud and distinct. And at the chords resounding in the air, all the blacks as a body fell to their knees and began to pray, with the old man leading them."
"'Thou did promise that one of Thy angels should come and give us the sign. And, sho 'nuff, the sign did come,'" Uncle Ben said, "'We's grateful. We's grateful, O Lord. Send Thy angel once more to give that sweet sound!'"
"No sooner did the words pass across the black elder's lips than another strain came from the banjo, followed immediately by a flash of lightning and a thunderous boom."
"No clearer sign could be asked for, so far as the occupants of the cabin were concerned. They rose to their feet to sing a chorus of their favorite Gospel song."
"This is the year of Jubilee.
Send them angels down!
The Lord has come to set us free.
O, send them angels down!"
"After one stanza, they fell on their knees again, and Uncle Ben led them in a fervent and heartfelt prayer of liberation, followed by more singing. And when they were finished, the congregation hugging each other in joy shouting, 'Glory, glory to God, we are free!'"
"As they were in the midst of this, the banjo again played a sweet strain of music as if in final confirmation of the divine presence that had come among them."
"Uncle Ben proclaimed, 'The angels of the Lord is with us still, and they is watching over us, for old Sandy told us a month ago that they would.'"
The clamor in the cabin soon drew the attention of Mr. Brown, the overseer.
When told of the banjo's unusual solo performance, "he remained unconvinced of any supernatural agency. He said it was merely 'a vibration of the strings caused by the wind' and proceeded to impose his views on the congregation."
"While Ben and the others tried to be as respectful as they could to Mr. Brown, they remained unconvinced by his skepticism, and in fact, went on to cite many other unusual portents in recent days, all of which had served to convince them that something momentous was to occur in their lives."
"And indeed it had." (See the book Ghosts and Haunts of the Civil War by Christopher K. Coleman, Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1999, pages 60 to 63.)
(Editor's Note: Ashwood is eight miles (12 kilometers) south of Bishopville, the site of another paranormal event in South Carolina history. Back in July 1987, there were dozens of sightings of a bizarre "Lizard Man" in the palmetto swamps around Bishopville. If anyone knows of any other paranormal happenings in that part of Lee County, send UFO Roundup an email, okay? Thanks!)
Well, that's it for this week. We'll be back in seven days with more UFO, paranormal and Fortean news from all around the planet Earth, brought to you by "the paper that goes home--UFO Roundup." See you then.
UFO ROUNDUP: Copyright 2002 by Masinaigan Productions, all rights reserved. Readers may post news items from UFO Roundup on their websites or in newsgroups provided that they credit the newsletter and its editor by name and list the date of issue in which the item first appeared.
