--- title: "Former CIA Director Says UFO Videos Are “Quite Eyebrow-Raising”" description: "In an interview, John Brenann, ex-CIA officer who served under Obama for four years, said that we shouldn't disregard videos of recent UFO sightings." date: "2020-12-17" modified: "2020-12-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/former-cia-director-ufo-videos-quite-eyebrow-raising" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cia" - "the digest" - "UFO" - "ufos" --- # Former CIA Director Says UFO Videos Are “Quite Eyebrow-Raising” ![In an interview, John Brenann, ex-CIA officer who served under Obama for four years, said that we shouldn't disregard videos of recent UFO sightings.]() *\Image: DOD\* ## Eyebrow-Raising In a new interview, former CIA director John Brennan, who served under Obama for four years, grappled with the Pentagon UFO videos that surfaced publicly in a [*New York Times* investigative report]() back in 2017. "I've seen some of those videos from Navy pilots, and I must tell you that they are quite eyebrow-raising when you look at them," Brennan said in [the interview](), which was conducted by George Mason University's Mercatus Center. ## Unidentified Aerial Phenomena The 2017 *NYT* report shed light on a secretive Pentagon operation created to investigate the mysteries surrounding sightings of "unidentified aerial phenomena." Several videos, [recently declassified]() by the Pentagon, showed what appear to be unidentified objects flying in unusual patterns. One video, originally [captured in 2004]() by Navy pilots, showed a "[tic tac-shaped]()" object rapidly ascend as the pilots approached it about 100 miles off the Pacific shore. ## Open Minds "You try to ensure that you have as much data as possible in terms of visuals and also different types of maybe technical collection of sensors that you have at the time," the ex director explained. "You really have to approach it with an open mind, but get as much data as possible and get as much expertise as possible brought to bear." When asked about his views on theories surrounding alien life, Brennan shied away from getting too literal. "Life is defined in many different ways," he said. "I think it's a bit presumptuous and arrogant for us to believe that there's no other form of life anywhere in the entire universe." **READ MORE:** [John O. Brennan on Life in the CIA (Ep. 111)]() \[Medium\] **More on UFOs:** *[Trump Implies That the US Military Could Defeat Aliens If They Show Up]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()