Official position · S-023
The day after the hearing, Kirkpatrick wrote that the hearing had been offensive to AARO and intelligence personnel, that the central source of the allegations had refused to speak with AARO, and that the office had found no credible evidence of reverse engineering programs; he added that none of the witnesses had ever worked for AARO. The Pentagon specified that the text expressed his personal opinions.
AARO – director (personal statement) · Sean Kirkpatrick · Jul 27, 2023
Legacy program and recoveries
What it denies and what it leaves open
It disputes the existence of evidence for reverse engineering programs and Grusch's cooperation with AARO; it calls the allegations of reprisals and violence extremely serious, without addressing their merits. It does not carry the weight of an official DoD position.
- Who disputes it
- Grusch said under oath that Kirkpatrick's statement “is not accurate” and that he had offered him guidance on where to look; he later maintained that AARO officially contacted him only in November 2023.
- Concerns
- David Grusch
Sources
- The War Zone: the reply from Kirkpatrick and the Pentagon, July 2023 (press)
- The Debrief: Kirkpatrick's statement after the hearing, July 2023 (press, pro-disclosure)
- Politico, July 28, 2023 (press)
On this site
People 1
Where the claims come from 1
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