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Article #164: Phoenix Lights UFO Mystery 2007: Former AZ Gov Symington Admits To Seeing "Craft Of Unknown Origin"

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On March 13, 1997, unexplained lights Frances Barwood made a serious effort to
appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. I was in investigate the sightings in 1997.
town when the mysterious event took According to her recent statements,
place. While authorities would like you Barwood was unable to convince federal
to believe that these were merely authorities to interview even one of the
military flares, former Arizona Governor seven hundred witnesses that she spoke to
Fife Symington says there is much more to about the Phoenix Lights. Big surprise!
the story. Being an elected official isn't enough
Symington now admits that he was among when it comes to getting answers about
the hundreds of witnesses who saw a huge UFOs from the Military. Just ask current
triangular object in the skies over Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.
Phoenix. The former Governor made a Janet Napolitano called for an
number of statements about the Phoenix investigation into the Phoenix Lights
Lights mystery to Leslie Kean, Special during her 1997 campaign to become
Correspondent to The Prescott Daily Arizona Attorney General and was elected
Courier. The statements were included in to that office in 1998. Despite her
an article by Kean published in the former position as a U.S. Attorney for
Courier on March 18, 2007. In that the District of Arizona, we can assume
article, the former Arizona Governor that she was served the same plate of
describes what he saw on March 13, 1997: disinformation from the U.S. Military
"It was enormous and inexplicable," he that the rest of us received. What does
said. "Who knows where it came from? A she think of Symington's new revelation
lot of people saw it, and I saw it too." and the Phoenix Lights overall? We have
Symington was referring to a V-shaped asked and are awaiting her answer.
object with lights on it seen in the My own experience earlier that day was
skies over Phoenix ten years ago. Some frightening and likely related to one or
estimated the lights to be the size of a both the sightings of March 13, 1997. I
football field, while others said they was driving in from Flagstaff (north to
could have been a mile long. He continued south) on I-17 in the early afternoon. On
to describe his own sighting of the a day when traffic was already heavy and
triangular object: "It was dramatic. And almost at a standstill, State Patrol
it couldn't have been flares because it vehicles suddenly appeared and caused
was too symmetrical." The former Arizona vehicles to pull over to the far right
Governor revealed the object to be a lanes. A few minutes later, military
"craft of unknown origin." vehicles filled with troops and equipment
While Symington hasn't been the only covered by tarps went flying by at high
political figure in Arizona to comment on speeds. The military procession lasted
the Phoenix Lights, he stands alone in several minutes.
his admission that they were more than I was later told by other drivers who
just flares. When asked to comment on the attended a seminar I was giving in
Phoenix Lights in 2000, Senator John Phoenix that the same thing happened that
McCain said, "That has never been fully night and the next day. Others who
explained." He also quickly added, "But I attended my seminar reported being almost
have to tell you that I do not have any 'buzzed' by the lights while driving on
evidence whatsoever of aliens or UFOs." various local roadways. They described
Fife Symington says he called the huge balls of light which seemed to come
commander of Luke Air Force Base, the down very low and keep pace with traffic.
Arizona Department of Public Safety and a Apart from all the witness reports, more
General with the Arizona National Guard than a few people took photos and video
back in 1997 to ask about the lights. of the Phoenix Lights.
None of them were able to provide him Huge triangular objects have been a
with any answers and seemed "perplexed." constant part of the UFO phenomenon from
One of the problems with the sightings the very beginning. Some believe the
were the multitude of explanations triangle sightings date to prehistory and
available at the time. many point to sightings that may have
The V-shaped object with lights was seen occurred in the late 1800s. Most
in the sky around 8:30pm. The lights that witnesses at that time assumed they were
were videotaped and seen around 10:30pm experimental kites of some sort. Then,
are what most people call the Phoenix there were all the unexplained triangle
Lights. These are often explained away as sightings in the 1950s, with and without
flares, but not everyone agrees. People lights. Two of the most famous involved
that videotaped the 10:30pm event back in the U.S. and British Military.
1997 say the lights were in a triangular Beginning on September 13, 1952, Military
shape. Some of them had seen military Personnel aboard ships involved in NATO
flares being dropped on other occasions Operation Mainbrace saw and tracked a
and say this was something completely triangular shaped object flying at over
different. However, authorities stayed 900 mph between Denmark and Norway.
with the flares explanation and explained Witnesses said the object emitted a
the earlier events as a sighting of the bright white light. There were additional
Hale-Bopp Comet. UFO sightings during the NATO exercise as
Synmington called for an investigation well which may have included saucer and
into the Phoenix Lights shortly after the cigar shaped crafts.
sightings occurred, but the statement was In July of 1955, a dark colored boomerang
a hollow one. Either he was not able to hovered completely still over Lasham
obtain cooperation from military Airfield, Hampshire, England, during the
authorities, or he never made much of an National Gliding Competitions. Seen by
effort. However, with pressure mounting trained military observers, experienced
from the public, UFO researchers and news civilian pilots and untrained spectators,
gathering organizations, he had to the object hovered for thirty seconds
eventually take some action. before moving off to the southwest.
On June 19, 1997, Governor Fife Symington A triangular-shaped UFO captured the
held a press conference in Phoenix. attention of the world's press in
Dressing one of his aides up as an Alien, November of 1989 when a huge, dark
the Governor said that the Phoenix Lights triangle with sparkling bright lights
were flares and nothing to get upset underneath was seen by citizens and
about. He also said that he was only police in Liege, Belgium. More sightings
joking when he ordered the Arizona followed. In 1990, Belgium Military
Department of Public Safety (Arizona Officials announced that two F-16 jet
State Police) to investigate the fighters scrambled from a NATO base
sightings. Today, he still defends those chased a triangular shaped object for
actions. over an hour. One jet locked the object
"I wanted people to lighten up and calm in on radar. On the pilot's screen it
down, so I introduced a little levity. looked like a diamond.
But I never felt that the overall There have been recent sightings of
situation was a matter of ridicule," unexplained lights near Phoenix and
Symington says about the infamous press triangular shaped craft over New Mexico
conference. But not everyone was and other parts of the Southwest.
laughing. Former Phoenix Councilwoman






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