New MJ-12 Documents: Yes, But ARE THEY REAL?

On the Art Bell program of December 10-11, 1998, J. Robert Oppenheimer biographer James Kunetka raised questions about some of the MJ-12 documents that have recently been distributed by Dr. Robert Wood and Ryan Wood. Kunetka, the author of “Oppenheimer: The Years of Risk” stated that it was his belief that Albert Einstein, listed as co-author of one of the documents, and as a participant in the production of the highly classified “White-Hot Intelligence Report,” did not possess a security clearance.

In a response, Ryan Wood has written that “Einstein was a Consultant to the military and held a security clearance starting on June 15, 1943, according to papers in the Library of Congress manuscript division. He was both a National Defense Research Committee and Office of Scientific Research and Development Division 8 consultant. Despite concerns from the FBI and Army because of his pacifist and socialist views, Dr. Vannevar Bush, head of OSRD, ensured that he had the appropriate security clearance. Furthermore, in a memo from R.R. Robins dated July 19, 1943, it states: “The Office of the Provost Marshall General states that they have no record of having placed a restriction on the amount or type of classified work for which Professor Einstein may be eligible. This office knows of no reason why a limitation should be placed on the use of Professor Einstein’s services as consultant to Division 8 of the NDRC and recommends that the fullest use be made of Dr. Einstein.”

The appointment of Einstein by Bush is mentioned by J. Sayen in his 1985 book, Einstein in America.

Bush is identified in the alleged MJ-12 documents from 1947 as the head of the MJ-12 Committee.

Kunetka also questioned the awkward grammar and poor spelling in the Einstein/Oppenheimer document, saying that Oppenheimer never would have allowed material this poorly drafted to be published over his signature.

Wood comments that the document was apparently dictated or even hand written in the original by Einstein, pointing out that Bush required Einstein to submit an earlier report directly to Bush in his own handwriting so that it would not be viewed by any noncleared individuals. The document was drafted in June of 1947, when Einstein was in Princeton and Oppenheimer in Los Alamos, raising the possibility that Oppenheimer had no direct participation in its creation, but only contributed to it verbally.

Nevertheless, the problems with this document are the most significant found so far in what is otherwise a most interesting and provocative release.

Kunetka further commented that a number of the documents presented an initially striking appearance of authenticity, and said that they seemed to him to be worthy of careful study.

It appears important that the records showing the existence of Einstein’s clearance be produced out of the Library of Congress.

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