Revealed: Area 51 — It does exist

[Valin]

Hot Air

Erika Johnsen

8/16/13

 

Its a real news desert out there today, so heres a fun and Friday-worthy post for any * self-declared space nerds in the audience. The mysteriously fenced-off and airspace-restricted area of land about 125 miles north of Las Vegas known as Area 51, a top-secretive government compound nearby a military base long thought among certain circles to potentially contain answers to that age-old question, Are we alone in the universe? has finally been officially acknowledged by the federal government.

 

In what will surely be a disappointment for conspiracy theorists everywhere, however, the newly disclosed information about whats really inside the parcel of land is well kind of a letdown. CNN reports on the recently released [url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/us/area-51-documentsCIA documents:

 

 

According to these reports, which include a map of the bases location in Nevada, Area 51 was merely a testing site for the governments U-2 and OXCART aerial surveillance programs. The U-2 program conducted surveillance around the world, including over the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

 

(snip)

 

 

Richelson submitted the request as part of his continuing study of aerial surveillance programs and told CNN that he was not given an explanation of why the new documents were less redacted than previous versions declassified by the agency.(snip)

 

* that would be people like me.

[Valin]

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base
Annie Jacobsen

Release date: May 17, 2011
Area 51 is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn't exist. Located a mere seventy-five miles outside of Las Vegas in Nevada's desert, the base has never been acknowledged by the U.S. government-but Area 51 has captivated imaginations for decades.

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems, and nuclear facilities. Others believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. The prevalence of these rumors stems from the fact that no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. Until now.
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