Area 51, Top Secret US Government Base, Is Finally Acknowledged by CIA

Area 51 is a top secret US military installation located in a remote Nevada desert. For decades, however, the government has refused to acknowledge the base's existence. That didnt stop rampant speculation and the inclusion of the site in numerous television and film portrayals of extra-terrestrial activity. It is reputed to be the site of weird experiments, paranormal activity and - most persistent rumor of all - the locus of official American interaction with alien beings from beyond the earth's atmosphere.

The US has long denied that Area 51 even existed, let alone that really bizarre things happen there. Which makes the announcement by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that Area 51 exists even more intriguing. Why say anything at all after decades of denial? And why now?

It may be that the government wants to put to rest, once and for all, the fantastic stories about aliens sunbathing at military facilities. Or it could be that the theory is the best way to stop the rumors is to be at least ostensibly transparent in hopes that cultists and conspiracy theorists will be turned off by the disclosures.

Whatever the motivation, it will be interesting to see if this stimulates local real estate development. Most of the surrounding land is has little agricultural or mineral value and is government-owned. There will no doubt be lots of jokes on late night TV about package tours from Mars. But about 60 years ago a similarly inhospitable and seemingly valueless desert railroad junction was picked as the site for a small casino. It's name? Las Vegas. JL

Laura Koran reports in CNN:

Area 51 has long been a topic of fascination for conspiracy theorists and paranormal enthusiasts, but newly released CIA documents officially acknowledge the site and suggest that the area served a far less remarkable purpose than many had supposed.

According to these reports, which include a map of the base's location in Nevada, Area 51 was merely a testing site for the government's 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.

Area 51, about 125 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is synonymous in popular culture with government secrecy, and many have theorized that it holds the answer to one of the greatest questions plaguing mankind: Are we really alone in the universe?This information will be disappointing to some, who have come to view the area has been a mecca of sorts for alien encounters.

For these true believers, the existence of alien spacecraft at Area 51, and the government's attempts to cover up their trace, is irrefutable and has been since reports of Unidentified Flying Objects -- or UFOs -- began to emerge from the Nevada desert in the middle part of the 20th century.

The map and other documents were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Jeffrey T. Richelson, a senior fellow at the National Security Archives, in 2005.

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.

He points out, however, that the location of Area 51 was not a particularly well-kept secret. Its location appears in books on aerial surveillance and is widely referenced in popular culture.

In fact, the map that was released in the CIA documents mirrors the one that appears after a simple Google Maps search for "Area 51."

Area 51 has also been referenced in government documents in the past, though this newest release is the first that acknowledges its existence and location in a purposeful way.

Richelson told CNN he believes this could signal a dramatic change in the government's willingness to declassify information about the famed base, meaning even more information could come out about Area 51 in the future.

The release of these reports seem to put the theories about aliens and flying saucers to rest for the time being, although they may not be enough to silence the true believers.

At least they still have Roswell, right?