Dara Kerr
CNET
August 16, 2013
When U-2 spy planes first soared over Nevada in 1955, they flew
higher than any other plane ever: 60,000 feet. The development and
construction of the vessels were part of a top-secret CIA operative in
the remote desert of Nevada known as Area 51.
When people who lived nearby saw the sleek planes — far above,
glinting in the sun — they had no idea what they were. And naturally, it
became widely believed they were UFOs carrying aliens.
Many of the details and history around Area 51 and U-2 planes were
recently declassified by the CIA and revealed to the public on Thursday.
This information comes via a 355-page report (PDF) titled
“The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance: The U-2
and OXCART Programs, 1954 – 1974,” which the National Security Archive
got the CIA to declassify under the Freedom of Information Act.
Now, many conspiracy theories could be debunked.
Full story here.
