translated by Robert D. Morningstar
Posted: 19:58 May 10, 2008

from UFODigest Website



Open Letter from Rear Admiral Gilles Pinon
to Nicolas Sarkozy
President of the French Republic
 

 

Preamble

" One does not suffer the future, one creates it. "
(Georges Bernanos)

In the absence of any hostile intent, the intrusion of an extraterrestrial civilization could jeopardize our environment understood as all natural conditions, social and cultural constituting the theatre of human activities.

The Charter of the environment, which has constitutional authority, provides that although uncertain in the state of scientific knowledge, when acknowledging an injury that could cause severe and irreversible environmental effects, public authorities shall, by applying the precautionary principle, have an obligation to work for the implementation of risk assessment procedures.


The UFO Phenomenon

These unusual aerospace phenomena are regularly in our airspace. They are commonly known as UFOs. The CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) prefers to give them the name of PAN (phenomenon-aero spatial- unidentified).

Before trying to give them an interpretation, we must recognize the obvious and simple fact: they exist.

While much is the result of misconceptions, fantasy or hallucination, an irreducible part seems to show significant unknown physical laws and participation of an intelligent principle.

They gave birth to a discipline, Ufology, which comprises two distinct activities:

First, data collection; second, in their interpretation.

By convention, we will identify, later in this letter, the generic term "UFO phenomenon," all sides of which, after review, have not received any rational explanation with regard to our scientific knowledge.

A study group from CNES in France, the GEIPAN (study group and information phenomena aerospace unidentified), has had the official mission to collect, analyze and archive data on PANs.

Thanks to this organization and obstinate independent investigation work, we now have databases containing several thousand observations.

Their statistical study highlights the complexity and incongruity of the phenomenon, which covers dozens of types of events, from the most banal, simple abnormal light in the sky, to the more surprising, recorded radar objects with inexplicable kinematic performance.

 

But it also shows an internal coherence and general characteristics, and rarely denied, relatively stable physical reality and intelligent behavior, not hostile, but discreet, stealthy and blurred/garbled.


The Interpretation

The most widespread interpretation among ufologists maintains that the UFO phenomenon is governed by one (or more) non-terrestrial intelligence. In this case, we must accept the idea that conceals a potentially hostile plan, a program supported by a strategy.

 

In this case, we must accept the idea that conceals a potentially hostile plan, a program supported by a strategy.

  • What is this program?

  • Who are the authors?

  • What is their strategy?

These are the questions that we have to ask ourselves facing an unknown.

 

Therefore, the study of the UFO phenomenon resorts with methods for assessing complex situations involving intelligence games, ambiguous designs and scarce, sporadic and garbled information.


Hypothetic-deductive Methods, iterative and adaptive

What are these methods?

 

From a military conception, they have emerged during the last global conflict, at the same time as operational research. They are taught in war colleges (in France, the Defense Intelligence College) and are used by the staffs of the major powers. Large companies exposed to economic and political constraints and facing a competition where misinformation is commonly practiced, have adopted and adapted them to their needs. This explains the presence of metaphor and the military terminology in the speeches of leaders of society.

As operational research, they are designed to overcome the lack of intuition and applying common sense to situations with confusing parameters, depending on many factors, relevant objectives and subject to random natural events.

But unlike operational research, they take into account the interference of a foreign intelligence, endowed with will and capable of jamming and arbitrary seemingly irrational behavior.

 

They are particularly relevant in the presence of disinformation and in asymmetrical conflicts between adversaries of the different logic, the ethical and divergent ways of dissimilar thinking as the fight against terrorism or, where applicable, an alien intrusion.


The Data

With what kind of reasoning are these methods involved?

They are the hypothetic-deductive kind. They must make assumptions, prior to the riddle of ethical probabilities or technical, economic and operational likelihoods, which are deduced from the consequences, past and future, and which could be verified through observation and intelligence. If they find an experimental verification, they are validated.

 

Otherwise, they are either rejected or revised to make them compatible with experience. They are constructions both iterative and adaptive. They demand formal and rigorous thought. All things considered, they are a fairly faithful application of the scientific method of Karl Popper.

They oppose the inductive process of thought that goes from specific to general, which claims a general statement from a limited number of observations. Regarding Ufology, the inductive method is inappropriate because of sharply depreciated information.

It has unfortunately led to two pitfalls:

  • on the one hand skepticism or rejection of any attempt to interpret because the multiform faces and absurd events that have been at large for sixty years do not justify a general statement

  • on the other hand, unfair extrapolation may develop hazardous interpretations and development of of conspiracy theses or ideas


A possible extraterrestrial intrusion

If we depart the a priori assumption, not scientifically rebuttable, of an intelligence transcending the sensible world, we must admit that we are dealing with a possibly alien intrusion, i.e. the unwanted presence of intelligent beings belonging to one or more planets in the Milky Way or another galaxy.

For hypothetic-deductive methods to be applied, we must again verify assumptions that these beings can be reasonable.

 

The difficulty comes between their civilizations and ours, with gaps in knowledge and developments: Some difference in terms of science and technology, with some likely biological, social and ethical developments.


A new form of incommensurability?

Everything comes back to the question of whether intelligent beings at unequal levels of knowledge, mental development, and biological ways far removed (from one another) would be able to understand each other. On this condition alone, presuppositions will have a meaning and may be admitted as heuristics assumptions.

A proposition is now in favor among some Ufologists who claim, like Carl Sagan, that differences in knowledge and developments would be really insurmountable obstacles making it impossible for our understanding, even our perception of an intrusion.

While it is true that the gap of language is forever impenetrable between man and animal, it would not be an impediment or contrast between our civilization and those of other worlds, which were technologically and, perhaps, psychologically superior. Indeed exobiology wishes that all intelligent beings in the universe have capabilities of inference and time management and that their mental patterns are, in all likelihood, probably similar if not identical.

It would seem that it is legitimate to apply the methods hypothetic-deductive methods to the UFO phenomenon and, therefore, seek to discover, beyond their modes of travel in space, just what are the intentions of any intruders towards us.


Presuppositions or Assumptions

Presuppositions must focus on the nature of these beings, on their free or serf arbitrators, on their social and political organization, their collective ethics, their intentions and their activities.

  • Is alien life also of radically different forms?

  • Do these biological extraterrestrial beings of gifted intelligence have a physiology similar to that of men?

  • Do they erect civilizations in their societies?

  • In the event that some have acquired control of the space, what social and political organization would they have to reach such a level of knowledge?

  • What would be their ethics?

  • Do they recognize moral truth?

  • What strategy do they adopt vis-à-vis civilizations visited?

  • Serving what mission?

  • Will they adopt a precautionary principle?

  • What approach procedures apply?

  • Would signs of their presence be perceived?


Misinformation and Jamming

Since one holds that alien intrusion is plausible, we must ask ourselves about its origin, its mobility and dangers:

  • Are we in the presence of only one civilization or several civilizations operating in concert or independent ways?

  • Is it a simple remote monitoring, selective intervention or an attempt to influence or take control?

It is futile to hope that a overt, unveiled demonstration of the UFO phenomena may emerge one day soon to answer these serious questions because the UFO phenomenon is quiet, stealthy, disguised and seems unwilling to reveal itself.

 

It is well established that a study based on the induction will not come about since its origin is the subject of operations travesty and because of distortion of the truth:

  • Misinformation put out by the confabulators and government agencies obscure interests driven by the strategic issue and the need for secrecy

  • Embellishments, more or less voluntary, by some witnesses and investigators

  • Interference and camouflage by the intruders themselves

Misinformation and interference are so present (prevalent) that it becomes difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction, and to reconstitute credible and reliable information only from the accounts of witnesses.

The proposed hypothetic-deductive methods are supposed to remove these difficulties.


A Risk of Global Ethnocide

Even though it does not show hostile intentions, an alien intrusion presents the danger of chaos that could lead to "Ethnocide" if, by accident, it manifested in broad daylight without leaving any doubt as to its origin. In the absence of prior psychological action (in preparation), men could lose confidence in their ability to control their future. The balance of the world would be upset.

While genocide is the extermination of an ethnic group or religious group, "Ethnocide" is the destruction of its culture. This disorder is not unique to physical systems. Chaotic developments are to be encountered as well in other complex natural systems, composed of several sub-systems that interact strongly. The external events that economists call "shocks," could play a decisive role in triggering irreversible twists.

 

But can we conceive a culture shock more violent, more destabilizing than impromptu contact with extraterrestrial beings who have the world under their observation and scrutiny?

The risk of Ethnocide can not be ignored or neglected. It must be taken into consideration at the highest level of government. Again, only hypothetic-deductive methods can provide valuable assistance in the decision.

Given the general considerations above and considering:

  • that France has an official body, GEIPAN, for collecting and analyzing data on the Phenomenon Aerospacial Non-identifie (PAN)

  • that the GEIPAN and its steering committee have not been tasked to interpret the UFO phenomenon

  • that, would they be charged with this mission and have to conduct it, GEIPAN has neither the competence nor the means nor the method

  • that the UFO phenomenon is possibly a manifestation of the intrusion or invasion of one or more extraterrestrial civilizations

  • that, if the intrusion is not scientifically proven, GEIPAN's strong presumptions work in favor of extraterrestrials' strategy, as was written in his own name in a recent book Mr. Yves Sillard, chairman of the steering committee of GEIPAN, former Director General of CNES and former Delegate General for Armaments

  • that an extraterrestrial intrusion necessarily proceeds from a policy regarding ethical elements and involves a program served by a strategy

  • that a strategy under a foreign intelligence with uncertain reasons could jeopardize our environment, understood as all natural conditions, social and cultural constituting the theatre of human activities

  • that there should be conducted, in a suitable manner, a risk assessment study, including the ethnocidal risk, by applying the precautionary principle in accordance with Article 5 of the Charter of the environment

  • that the only appropriate method to confront a vague threat is the method of assessing complex situations developed by major states

  • that the UFO phenomenon is too serious to be left to only GEIPAN, ufologists, ufological associations, and the public rumor mill

  • that (for all one knows so far) no formal study on interpretation of the UFO phenomenon has been conducted in France

  • that following the publication of the report Condon, such a study was presumably carried out in the USA in confidence and that its conclusions would be sufficient to explain the disinformation that the country seems to have put in place to preserve its dominant position and, perhaps, avoid the risk of Ethnocide

We, the undersigned have the honor to ask Mr President of the Republic kindly order a comprehensive study of the UFO Phenomenon (phenomenon ovnien) under a hypothetic-deductive method borrowed from the major states. The study is expected to meet with high skills in disciplines directly involved: political, military, scientific, sociological and philosophical ufology.

 

It would aim to deny or confirm the interpretation extraterrestrial and, where appropriate, highlighting the strategy pursued by the intrusion and, if possible, its means.

Thus the Government of France would be able to save up for audit purposes, specific actions of scientific investigation and intelligence, then build its own strategy, and finally stop the national policy that should be applied on defense, security, research, health and information literacy.

 

It would also consider relevant factors in deciding to hold the position on the international scene and information that might be necessary to bring to the attention of institutions and public opinion.
 

Gilles Pinon
Rear-Admiral (2S)

 

Francis Collot
Surgeon

 

Alain Labèque
Engineer CNRS

Rémi Saumont
Former Director Research INSERM

 

Claude Lavat
Engineer- ESME

 

 

Vincent Morin
MCU Doctor of Electronic

 

Jacques Costagliola
Doctor of Medicine

 

 

Robert D. Morningstar
Editor, UFO Digest
May 9th, 2008
New York City