How are the Secrets of the Nation revealed to incoming presidents? Who reveals? What is said? Is everything told them? Briefing these secrets to the new Commander-In-Chief is in itself a necessarily veiled process. Precisely how it is done –and what is said – remains unknowable. We can surmise that details were related on matters of national security and on matters of international import. But does this intelligence briefing extend to intelligence on things cosmic? Is our new leader told that Man is not alone in the universe? Is he made aware that a craft from another world crashed in our country six decades ago? Does the new President know about Roswell?

 

We understand that the intelligence briefing process is one that is gradual. It is delivered "incrementally". Both party presidential candidates – Obama and McCain – were given briefings in early September of this year by Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell. The briefings were characterized by him as "substantive". Of course no further details about it were given. According to Reuters, this week President-Elect Obama is "beginning to receive intelligence briefings as part of his transition to the White House". Presumably much more is being told to Obama this week in these briefings as President-Elect than was told to him eight weeks ago as a presidential candidate. We can infer that once sworn in, President Obama will be told even more.

 

Obama was asked by the late Tim Russert during a presidential debate about extraterrestrial beings and intelligent life in the universe. Obama replied that he was more interested in people's lives here in the United States. At other times, he has expressed concerns about the associated costs of a mission to Mars and other manned space flights. Will his lack of interest in things ET limit what is told to him about the subject?

 

Perhaps personal interest plays little part in considering when (and if) a President is told about such things. President Clinton engaged members of his team (including his Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell and Chief of Staff John Podesta) to find out the truth about Roswell. Evidently, Clinton was not ever briefed on the subject. A copy of the book The Truth About the UFO Crash at Roswell was found in his personal library during the Ken Starr investigation. Clinton had to make efforts to find out for himself about Roswell. So did John Podesta. Interestingly, the November 6 New York Times reports that John Podesta is being considered for the Energy Secretary post under Obama. Amazingly, in this same article, The Times says of Podesta, "If anyone knows the truth about Roswell, NM, it's Mr. Podesta."

 

It is likely that prior, senior-level association with Defense or Intelligence agencies is a requirement for being "let in" on the revelation of Roswell.

 

This very thing is hinted at by Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney was formerly Defense Secretary under the senior Bush administration. On a DC public radio interview in 2001, a caller asked Cheney: "Have you ever been read in to the UFO program?" Instead of firmly replying "No", Cheney was surprised and flustered by the caller's question. He very cautiously and curiously replied, "Well, if I had been briefed on the subject of UFOs, it was probably highly classified and I can't talk about it."

 

Cheney's close friend since the 1970s is former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. In 1968, Rumsfeld (as a US Representative) formally introduced USAF Project Bluebook Advisor Dr. J. Allen Hynek to the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Aeronautics Symposium on UFOs. Years later, when Rumsfeld was Defense Secretary under President Ford, Hynek approached Rumsfeld about the UFO subject to see what Rumsfeld had learned, given his position. Rumsfeld rose from his chair, pointed at Hynek, and said "You have no right to know!"

 

Access to the highly compartmentalized Roswell information is given by those who know. And it is only given to those deemed by them to have a Need to Know. Our new President has the need to know. As the London Free Times exclaimed in its headlines after the election, we are all living in "A Whole New World!"

 

Let us hope that life in our new world will include sharing the truth about the lives that exist on others.