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Did Luis Elizondo Really Run AATIP? 19

The Media Loves

This UFO Expert

Who Says He

Worked for an

Obscure Pentagon

Program. Did He?

by Keith Kloor

One of the first images in the opening episode of
the new History Channel show “Unidentified:
Inside America’s UFO Investigation” is a 2017
headline from the New York Times projected on
a flickering screen: “Glowing Auras and ‘Black There is no discernible evidence that and longtime UFO enthusiast, is the co-founder
Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious UFO
Luis Elizondo ever worked for a and interim CEO of To the Stars, the company
Program.” Elizondo joined in October 2017, several days
government UFO program, much less
It’s the story that launched Luis Elizondo after he resigned from the Department of
into the public eye, the article that “shocked the led one. Defense. Since the company’s inception, certain
world,” the narrator of “Unidentified” declares, members of its “elite team,” including Elizondo,
before continuing, “A clandestine U.S. The email was sent over a year ago by Kari have appeared frequently in the news media.
government program had been investigating DeLonge, a public relations representative for This week is a prime example. Another
UFOs. For eight years, the secret program was To the Stars, to John Greenewald, a UFO former Pentagon official with a prominent role
run by this man, Lue Elizondo.” The camera researcher who runs an online archive of in “Unidentified” appeared several days ago on
then pans to a visual of the former military Freedom of Information Act-obtained “Fox & Friends.”
intelligence case officer in a darkened house government documents on a website called the “We know that UFOs exist,” Chris
peering out warily through half-drawn window Black Vault. At the time, Greenewald had Mellon, a deputy assistant secretary of defense
shades. become frustrated at the lack of tangible for intelligence in the Clinton and George W.
It’s an odd scene. Is Elizondo on the information about AATIP and Elizondo’s role; Bush administrations, pronounced on the show.
lookout for aliens or a bad guy from his old additionally, Elizondo had spurned “This is no longer an issue. The issue is why are
spook life? Either way, the History Channel Greenewald’s interview requests. they here? Where are they coming from? And
show, which premiered on Friday and is being Greenewald told me that he had asked what is the technology behind these devices that
promoted as “groundbreaking nonfiction,” goes DeLonge specifically where Elizondo worked we are observing?”
on to follow Elizondo as he re-investigates within the Department of Defense when he ran Mellon, like Elizondo, works for To the
strange UFO incidents he says he learned of AATIP. Stars (his title, according to the company’s
when he was at the Pentagon running the “Hi John – Thanks for reaching out,” website, is national security affairs adviser).
Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification DeLonge wrote. “The program was initially run “Fox & Friends” neglected to mention this
Program, known as AATIP. It’s as if Agent out of [the Defense Intelligence Agency] but connection, along with the fact that the History
Mulder had handed off his X-Files to another when Lue took it over in 2010 as Director, he ran Channel show was made by the company
paranoid government agent, this one with a pug it out of the Office for the Secretary of Defense Elizondo and Mellon work for.
face and billy-goat beard. In the screener I saw (OSD) under the Under Secretary of Defense for I’m not surprised. By now, Elizondo and
for “Unidentified,” the narrator says that Intelligence (USDI). Hope that clarifies.” Mellon have come to rely on a largely passive
Elizondo quit the Pentagon because he was I tried contacting Elizondo multiple and credulous press to generate sensational UFO
“frustrated by what he says was a cover-up.” times via email and his cellphone. He has not headlines.
Whatever the truth about otherworldly responded. It’s not as if he is on retreat
UFOs (cue a collective eye-roll from scientists), somewhere; I noticed that in the run-up to his AMID THE MOUNTAIN of media coverage
there is one crucial detail missing from star turn on the new History Channel show, he of Elizondo in the last two years, I have found
“Unidentified,” as well as from all the many has been speaking to everyone from the New only one story that provides official
stories that have quoted Elizondo since he outed York Times to UFO media personalities and confirmation that he headed the government
himself nearly two years ago to a wide-eyed military bloggers. UFO program known as AATIP.
news media: There is no discernible evidence Indeed, judging by all the UFO stories “Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White
that he ever worked for a government UFO lighting up the internet this week, the self- confirmed to Politico that the program existed
program, much less led one. described “career spy” is having another big and was run by Elizondo,” Bryan Bender wrote
Yes, AATIP existed, and it “did pursue moment in the media spotlight. The timing is in December 2017. (Earlier this year, White, a
research and investigation into unidentified either an auspicious coincidence or the “flying Trump administration political appointee,
aerial phenomena,” Pentagon spokesperson saucers are here” brigade’s well-oiled PR resigned amid an internal probe into charges of
Christopher Sherwood told me. However, he machine is working overtime. misconduct.)
added: “Mr. Elizondo had no responsibilities But Pentagon spokesperson Christopher
with regard to the AATIP program while he ANOTHER IMPORTANT DETAIL being Sherwood told me that he “cannot confirm”
worked in OUSDI [the Office of Under glossed over or entirely left out of the breathless White’s statement.
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence], up until coverage surrounding the release of As it happens, Bender, who is Politico’s
the time he resigned effective 10/4/2017.” “Unidentified” is the relationship between its defense editor, had a recurring role in the first
That directly contradicts an email sent by executive producer, Tom DeLonge, Elizondo, episode of “Unidentified.” He appeared on
a spokesperson for To The Stars Academy of and other former Pentagon officials and camera numerous times as a kind of
Arts & Science, a UFO research and members of the intelligence community who authoritative character witness for Elizondo,
entertainment company that Elizondo joined appear in the show. Mellon, and their UFO investigations.
after he left the Defense Department. DeLonge, a musician of Blink-182 fame (Continued on Page 22)