Subject: press release - mod
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 16:26:33 -0000
From: Georgina Bruni
To: Philip Mantle
1 February 2001


Georgina Bruni’s controversial book entitled “You Can’t Tell The People” published by Sidgwick & Jackson (Macmillan) in November 2000 has caused yet more concern for the Ministry of Defence. In a series of Written Answers to Questions posed in the last week to the House of Lords by Admiral of the Fleet and former Chief of Defence Staff, The Lord Hill Norton, The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean informed that the Ministry of Defence had alerted the American 3rd Air Force Headquarters at RAF Mildenhall about the book.

Bruni’s book claims to expose the truth behind the famous 1980 Rendlesham Forest UFO incident (known as Britain’s Roswell) involving members of the United States Air Force at RAF bases in Suffolk leased to the Americans. The title of the book came from a conversation with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher when she told the author that she must get her facts right concerning UFOs and she couldn’t tell the people.

Bruni went on to investigate the incident and decided the people should be told the truth. For three years the USAF and MOD denied the incident, but in 1983 an American research group managed to obtain a memorandum (composed by the deputy base commander, Lt Colonel Charles Halt) through the US Freedom of Information Act. The memo describes incidents involving UFOs penetrating the area surrounding the NATO bases, which deployed nuclear weapons. Since then the MOD has continued to deny that the incident was of defence interest and that no new information has come to light to change their mind.

To prove that the incident was of extreme defence interest, Bruni produces a mass of factual data including a letter written by Squadron Leader Donald Moreland, the then British liaison officer at the USAF installations, and addressed to the MOD, which is titled “Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOS)”. She also found official USAF photographs taken the morning after the initial incident which show a British police officer and a USAF officer examining three ground indentations, said to be the landing marks made by one of the UFOs and where high radiation readings were depicted. Bruni also located a firsthand copy of an original tape recording taken during the encounter that involved Lt Colonel Halt and, has testimony from a former NCO who was in charge of the communications at the time. The testimony reveals that the communication lines at the bases were blocked with “Flash” calls, which were only ever used in dire emergencies. She also has confirmation that the RAF tracked an object on military radar.

Bruni is astonished at the Written Answers concerning Lord Hill Norton’s Questions.

When Lord Hill Norton asked whether the Ministry of Defence were aware that personnel from the Suffolk Constabulary were involved, the reply was that knowledge of involvement by the Suffolk Police is limited to a letter dated 28 July 1999 from the Suffolk Constabulary to Georgina Bruni that is contained in the recent book.

When Lord Hill Norton asked whether, in the light of the new information contained in Georgina Bruni's book, they will now launch an investigation into the Rendlesham Forest incident and the response to this incident by the United States Air Force and the Ministry of Defence. The reply came that no additional information has come to light over the last 20 years to call into question the original judgment.

Bruni argues that if the MOD has read the book and are concerned enough to alert the Americans, they must be aware of all the new information, which proves without doubt that the incident is of extreme defence significance.

For a list of the Written Questions and Answers (23 Jan – 30 Jan) visit here.

Georgina Bruni is available for interview: georgina@easynet.co.uk