[LWB note: In a masterfully weasel-worded reply of Jan. 6, 2010, from the freedom-of-information office at the U. S. National Security Agency in Fort George G. Meade, Md., NSA officials have partially reverted to their 1950s-style policy and practices as regards how to handle UFO-related inquiries from the public. As if "protesting too much" about having to deal with such pesky FOIA requests like the one I'd sent to the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency on Aug. 13/23, 2008 (which remains under litigation as to CIA mishandling of my FOIA-requester status as a "representative of the news media"), letter writer Pamela N. Phillips declares that at least one NSA-generated TOP SECRET UFO-related document -- a copy of which resides in CIA files -- remains unreleasable to the public. (See the letter's content reproduced below.) We may never learn whether (and how much) the NSA-withheld document pertains to the specific subject matter of my 13/23 Aug 08 request: "all other similar cases of airborne UFO encounters reportedly occurring since Nov. 17, 1986, to date." But, thanks to the insider-informed musing of UFO researcher/exopolitical consultant Ed Komarek (see http://tinyurl.com/ycrugxg ), perhaps we should consider anew the possibility that certain NSA analysts long ago have cornered the (international) market on UFO-E.T.-related counterintelligence -- by their having translated and exploited most of the computerized data bases retrieved from one or more crash-landed "flying saucers." If that development be the case, then it almost has become academic for us to dwell upon the occasional denial of access to this or that official report of contemporary UFO encounters. Meantime, in case you're counting the days until the U. S. Department of Justice formally answers the complaint in Bryant v. CIA, I can tell you that, in the Dickensian spirit of "Bleak House," the U. S. district judge assigned to the case recently has granted the department yet another enlargement of time in which to file its answer/dispositive motion. The deadline for that action now is Jan. 25, 2010.]

== TEXT OF THE JAN. 6, 2010, NSA LETTER TO L.W.B. ==

This responds to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request of 23 August 2008 to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA case #F-2008-01781) for a copy of the following CIA-received and CIA-generated records: (1) As pertains to the convening, attendance roster, briefings, minutes; and all other related documentation of a 1987 special meeting to discuss and evaluate certain official evidence of an intrusive UFO encounter experienced on 17 November 1986; and (2) as pertains to all other similar cases of airborne UFO encounters reportedly occurring since 17 November 1986, to date. A copy of your request is enclosed. The CIA referred one NSA-originated document (7 pages) to the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) for our review and direct response to you. The CIA referral was received at NSA on 22 October 2009 and has been assigned case number 60075.

The NSA/CSS is the nation's cryptographic organization, and we have a twofold mission. Our Information Assurance mission is to provide solutions, products, and services to protect U. S. information infrastructures critical to national security interests. In response to requirements set at the highest levels of government, our Signals Intelligence mission is to collect, process, and disseminate intelligence information from foreign signals for national foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes and to support military operations.

Please be advised that "UFO's," "extraterrestrials," and "paranormal activities" do not relate to NSA's mission. NSA documents that have been located in searches for "UFO" documents generally fall into two categories. One category of "UFO" documents consists of items written by NSA employees with an interest in UFOs or open source publications (magazine/newspaper articles) that were placed into "agency" files by employees. These records are then subject to the provisions of FOIA only because they became "agency records" once they were placed in official agency files.

NSA has reviewed and declassified over 450 pages of material related to UFOs and has made the material available on the Internet. You can access the NSA FOIA Home Page at the Internet URL: http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/foia/index.shtml . The releasable UFO material is found by clicking on "Frequently Requested Information," then "Declassification Initiatives." Once there, click on "Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)" or simply go to URL: http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/foia/freq_req_info/ufo_topics.shtml .

The other category of records consists of foreign intelligence reports that contain words such as "unidentified aircraft" or "unidentified (flying) object" or the like. These are simply terms that are used to describe conventional aircraft or objects (possibly weather balloons) that have not been identified as such at the time of the report. The reports themselves are not focused on "UFOs," but happen to contain terms related to them. The one document (7 pages) referred by CIA fits this category and has been reviewed under the FOIA. The document has been found to be currently and properly classified in accordance with Executive Order 12958, as amended. This document meets the criteria for classification as set forth in Subparagraph (c) of Section 1.4 and remains classified TOP SECRET as provided in Section 1.2 of Executive Order 12958, as amended. The document is classified because its disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security. Because the document is currently and properly classified, it is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the first exemption of the FOIA (5 U.S.C. Section 552(b)(1).

In addition, this Agency is authorized by various statutes to protect certain information concerning its activities. We have determined that such information exists in this document. Accordingly, the document is also exempt from disclosure pursuant to the third exemption of the FOIA, which provides for the withholding of information specifically protected from disclosure by statute. The specific statutes applicable in this case are Title 18 U. S. Code 798; Title 50 U. S. Code 403-1(i); and Section 6, Public Law 86-36 (50 U. S. Code 402 note). No portion of the information is reasonably segregable.

The Initial Denial Authority for NSA information is the Deputy Associate Director for Policy and Records, Diane M. Janosek. Since your request has been denied, you are hereby advised of this Agency's appeal procedures. Any person denied access to information may file an appeal to the NSA/CSS Freedom of Information Act Appeal Authority. The appeal must be postmarked no later than 60 calendar days after the date of the initial denial letter. The appeal shall be in writing addressed to the NSA/CSS FOIA Appeal Authority (DJP4), National Security Agency, 9800 Savage Road STE 6248, Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755-6248. The appeal shall reference the initial denial of access and shall contain, in sufficient detail and particularity, the grounds upon which the requester believes release of the information is required. The NSA/CSS Appeal Authority will endeavor to respond to the appeal within 20 working days after receipt, absent unusual circumstances.

The CIA has asked that we protect non-substantive information pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3). Any appeal of the denial of CIA information should be directed to that agency.

Sincerely,

PAMELA N. PHILLIPS
Chief, FOIA/PA Office