Can the US President visit AREA-51?

Hi,

One quick question. Does the US President have authority to visit Area 51 / Groom Lake without any permission whatsoever?

I read something that he cannot. And thats purely a false statement in my opinion.

If its true, that the President himself is not authorized to go to the Groom base, then lets see some facts on this please.

Now most of us would say, why would he??? But, if there was like a scenario that the President would go near or into the base, would they give him the "right to know" on whats actually being done there?

In other words, does the US President have enough security clearance to go and visit Area 51 or Groom?

Thanks.

reply to post by darpa999


NO, but the QUEEN does.
2nd

reply to post by darpa999


One would think so, but hang on. Security at that level is broadly refered to as "Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmentalized Information. SC Access" Sometimes known as a "need to know basis only" Also sometimes called, Above Top Secret (no pun intended) usually called "Compartmentalized Information" In addition there would be a codeword assinged to any specfic project/operation. The last one is the most important. After saying all that the problem is the President does not need to know everything. Access to material at that level must come from a person with a clearence thats at least at that level. At that level who decides what the President needs to know? I have no idea. My guess someone on the National Security Council, or one of the Intelligence Agencies.

If you want to be real cynical about it, there's an old saying. "The President is around for four to eight years. The military industrial complex lives forever."

Off-topic: You say, "let's see some facts please!" And your post is written as if everyone believes this to be true and as if lots of people on ATS are saying that this is a fact. You could easily do your own research on this, but you're asking for someone else to provide you with research either they have to do themselves or they already took the time to do. So your OP should be a polite request for information and not a demand.

On topic: My personal opinion is to refer you to the President's title as "Commander in Chief" of the armed forces. He possesses the highest position in the armed forces and so I would assume he has the highest security clearance. That's what's on the books. Whether the President is privy or could by choice become privy to ALL information and activities within the government, well I suppose that will never be confirmed nor denied.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I have read documentation suggesting a former president has indeed visited Area 51 "to look at new air force equipment".

Seems like it was Jimmy Carter who made it a campaign promise to find out the truth about UFO's and to inform the American people about them once he did.
This all but died as soon as he took the oath of office. I'm sure he was told either he didn't want to know the truth, or was told the truth and decided it was too big to tell everyone else about it.

It's called plausible deniability. Basically, you don't want to know whats going on there, because if you did, then it can be used against you. it's also hard to cover up, what you don't know about.

I'm also pretty sure any President who wanted to could go to Guantanamo, but chooses not to go now for the same reasons. They don't want to know what is going on there.....

Here is some help!

www.youtube.com...

1:36 in video!

Don't listen to most of these people man, they just like to drag a thread with absoluty no research to back up what they say.

ENJOY!

- Michelle!

- Wha'?

- Put on the Survivors!

- Wha'?

- Survivors, from the telly. I read they have a new season going on

- Where'd you heard that?

- It said so, in a sign near Area 51. "Survivors will be shot again."



In seriousness, we all know how carefully guarded and hushed and ridiculed and protected the ET topic is in the governments of the world. We just don't know. I wish someone would ask Obama if he's ever been to Area 51 or if he's been told about the ET's! If I saw him on the street, I'd ask...

Originally posted by arbiture
At that level who decides what the President needs to know? I have no idea. My guess someone on the National Security Council,

The President is the Chairman of the National Security Council and all members are appointed by him, except for the Vice-President (though I suppose the President could remove the VP from the Council, but that would be stupid if you need your VP ready to assume Presidential duties in a crisis).

or one of the Intelligence Agencies.

Again, they area all appointed by and work for the POTUS.

The President is CinC of the Military an has control of all of our intelligence agencies, as well. Technically, they cannot disobey any orders he might give, so long as they are legal orders. Despite what you might hear in some things, he is supposed to have all access to all secrets.

Now, could people be hiding things from Presidents that they don't like or trust? I would put money on the notion that they have and do. But if they were ever caught doing it, they'd be in serious trouble. But it's not policy to have official State Secrets the President doesn't have access to. Anyone who would be in a position to withold such secrets could be immediately fired by said President and replaced with someone who will do what he says.

Originally posted by webpirate
Seems like it was Jimmy Carter who made it a campaign promise to find out the truth about UFO's and to inform the American people about them once he did.
This all but died as soon as he took the oath of office. I'm sure he was told either he didn't want to know the truth, or was told the truth and decided it was too big to tell everyone else about it.

It's called plausible deniability. Basically, you don't want to know whats going on there, because if you did, then it can be used against you. it's also hard to cover up, what you don't know about.

I'm also pretty sure any President who wanted to could go to Guantanamo, but chooses not to go now for the same reasons. They don't want to know what is going on there.....

I think Gitmo is not as interesting . . . no where near . . . as Area 51.
( You're dealing with man at his worst at Gitmo.)

Area 51 . . . well now you're on the borderline, between imagination, high
technology, and possibilities. I for one, DO WANT TO KNOW.
I want to go there. Why so many secrets ? Why the use of this need-to-
know BS ? I need to know because I need to know because I want to know
because we all should know because we're not second-class citizens just
because the military industrial complex says we are and what about
freedom and . . . . . . phew !

As we all know Area 51 is part of the Nellis Military Operations Area. The below article confirms President Obama's recent visit to Nellis.

President visits Nellis, introduces Recovery Act provisions

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- President Barack Obama announced two new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act programs aimed at doubling America's capability to generate renewable energy during a visit here, May 27.

reply to post by dbloch7986


Since you were blunt, I will be to. You obviously do not under stand the difference between rank or position, and access (clearence). As an example there are U.S. commanders at U.S. bases all over the world that under normal circumstances are not allowed in rooms or sections of the base they command. One catagory this often involves is the area of crypto. As Commander and Chief, the President is acting in a MILITARY CAPACITY, and as such will normaly follow military protocol, unless in a specific area he feels it's not in the national intrest. The point I wanted to make with the OP, is that the President being the CNC should be able to get into any place he wants, but it does not make it automatic. And for the President to get into some place he has never heard of, first he has to be told it exists.

I belive that the answer to the question is "Yes" the president can visit area 51. The presedent has a top secrect secuity clearance of 18, at this level of cleance you would have the nuclear launch codes. I heard that when Ronald Ragan was on his death bed, his wife Nancy was at his side. -Now Ragan died from complication due to alzheimer's and as he lay dying his brain starting miss firing like a engine that needs a tune up. The secret service came in and esccorted her out of the room as the things he was saying are still classified information. Now what he might have been saying is anybody's guess, if thats even correct. Are there things going on that the president has no idea about? I would say absolutely. The mighty web of deceit goes far beyond of what the president really knows. The ever forthcoming people at area 51 would proboably know he was comming before he lands at the base, would they show him whats behind coveted door number 3, I would say "No".

I think he most definitely knows some of whats going on. I think obama is smart enough to know there is a secret space program, and he must of been interested in this.

I think bill clinton put it right when he said on aliens, "its alot worse than people know".

So i assume they do know something, and they are smart enough not to come out with stuff.

The people who say they know nothing are wrong in my view, presidents know alot, and at the same time it may be they do not know it all.

But if the public knew how really society worked and is done, they would be shocked at how strange the stuff is.

So they do know stuff, but probably not it all. The question you should ask yourself, is how and why they never talk. What holds people back from talking.

Listen to john todd tapes on net to have some idea, lol.

I think its alot weirder than any of the general public could perceive, as we lived normal or so called normal lifes.

reply to post by arbiture


Yeah but in those terms the president kinda needs to know everything.
If i were the President or Prime Minister there is no way id let stuff happen without my knowledge or agreement. You would think every leader would feel the same.
If they told me no because i didnt have the clearance id tell them to look for another job.

reply to post by CharlesBronson74


I should have answerd the OP just about Area-51. If the President wanted to go Area-51, I see no reason why he couldent. I was told by someone years ago how the "split personality" of rank and clearence are viewd. He used the President as an example He said " It's less of an issue when it's where the President goes. Things change when it's what the President knows" I suppose the President should be gratefull. We have a limited number of bases, secret or or otherwise. But an infinate amount of documents

To be real honest I Hope they do keep some things away from the executive branch. Some secrets are way to important and its hard to trust someone with just 4 years in not a lifetime if you get my drift.

[edit on 23-4-2010 by Subjective Truth]

I don't think he can because the media would be searching for him, and once the media found out it would drive conspiracy people up the wall.

Originally posted by darpa999
Hi,

One quick question. Does the US President have authority to visit Area 51 / Groom Lake without any permission whatsoever?

He can almost certainly visit the area as a VIP, but unless he has the specific clearances there will be many areas he will not be allowed to enter, or things he will be allowed to see.

For security reasons all important secrets are compartmentalized on a need to know basis. Just because he is commander in Chief, that allows him some basic knowledge, but not TOTAL access to everything.

For instance, just as an example, the Commander of a Warship at sea can read all Top Secret messages sent to and from the ship, but that Commander has no access to the actual day codes used to transmit and receive those messages. He can only see the decoded result. He has no need to know the actual coding process, so he has no access to that information.

You rmember in the movie Independence day when the president didn't know anything about the aliens and his one advisor said" actually sir....."

I would imagine it's the same thing. Just because on paper someone sits at a lower "ranking" than the president does not mean secretly they have more power. I think My. Cheney and Mr. Rove would be good examples of this. It is said that they have alot of power behind the scenes.