Project Mogul is NOT the Cause of the Roswell Incident

I will be on the Con side of this resolution and will offer support suggesting Project Mogul is probably responsible for the crash in Roswell. My opponent took a strong position stating clearly, "Whatever it was that crashed, it was not Project Mogul. " Now, I see no need for semantic arguments as obviously a project did not crash into the desert; an airborne vehicle designed by the project is the focus of this debate. Voters decide on the burden of proof, but I will attempt to operate under an equal burden. As to whether Con must do this will be left to the voters. I will negate the resolution and show Project Mogul is the best available answer for the mysterious Roswell incident. 1. I agree with pro's contention that an object crashed in the New Mexico desert in 1947. 2. I agree the landing does not appear planned, nor does it appear to be an example of a successful mission as the object was destroyed on impact, and data recovery spawned over half a century of debate on the existence of extraterrestrial life; we can safely call this one a "boo-boo", Air Force or aliens notwithstanding. Negation of Pro's position: Pro took the option of not presenting his case in the opening round; therefore, I cannot negate nonexistent arguments. I am not saying this practice is wrong, but I do not think Pro should have the luxury of mere refutation of my points without presenting his case. I can only show in this round the evidence supporting Project Mogul (PM hereafter) as the best explanation given considering the known evidence. Pro cannot, however, find relief in stating PM is a plausible explanation as his strong opening clearly states PM was not the cause of the crash. Con Position: PM has been defined by countless sources, but I consider the wiki to be a fair, brief description. . http://en.wikipedia.org... Here is a more detailed look at the project. . http://muller.lbl.gov... I consider this to be a good description of what PM was and I do not see that my opponent disagrees with the existence of this project or that the project produced unmanned balloons designed for sound detection. Definition: (Derived from above stated sources) PM was a top secret US military project operating from 1947-1949, roughly, and consisted of developing long distance sound wave detection generated by Soviet bomb test by focusing on three areas of research: 1. "[A]n expendable microphone, capable of detecting, at long range, low-frequency sound transmissions generated by explosions and missiles. " 2. "[A] means of telemetering (? ) these sounds to a ground or airborne receiver. " 3. "[A] system from which to suspend the microphone and telemetering (? ) device in the upper atmosphere for an extended period of time. " This project was in operation during the Roswell incident, was located in that area of the US (Alamogordo Army Airfield, now Holloman AFB, NM) and was approved prior to the incident occurring, by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF), the Air Materiel Command (AMC). I can find no evidence to suggest the PM was conceived as a result of the Roswell incident and a plethora of evidence suggesting the project was in operation prior to the 1947 crash. In addition, the approval process and the agency assigned with the task are consistent with other USAAF projects at the time. Here is a list of sources concerning defense acquisitions starting in 1945. . http://www.history.army.mil... I see nothing out of line with the approval process or the history of other acquisitions during this timeframe. Key Points: 1. A pre-approved top secret project tasked with developing unmanned balloons for sound wave detection was operating in the NM desert during July 1947. (above source) 2. I cannot find reliable evidence supporting findings of biological evidence present at the crash site, which further supports the unmanned object hypothesis. For the sake of all, please do not bring up the "alien autopsy". 3. The project's development is consistent with known acquisition protocol at the time. (above source, acquisition) 4. The US military did not possess a long range device designed to detect Soviet missile launches. . http://www.coldwar.org... as this project was developed later due to a lack of applicable unmanned vehicles. 5. The need for such devices is consistent with the US position in relation to the Soviet Union during the Cold War during this timeframe. (See above source, cold war. ) 6. An object fell from the sky in July of 1947 in the NM desert. (Agreed upon by Pro and Con in this debate and the need for the inquiry by the US military supports the crash took place. ) 7. The object possessed all the qualities of a PM balloon as explained by Charles B. Moore, one of three surviving Project Mogul scientists. . http://www.csicop.org... 8. The project was top secret; a breech occurred when a farmer found debris and contacted the local sheriff. The sheriff contacted Roswell AAF. The military responded. (Above source, Muller. ) 9. Due to the "need to know" basis of information in the military, the local citizens, the police force and nonessential military personnel were given a cover story claiming the object was a weather balloon instead compromising a top secret project. * (see below) 10. Due to the practice of compartmentalization, inconsistent information concerning PM was given by individuals unfamiliar with the scope of the project. (Muller) 11. As a veteran of the United States Air Force and a former member of a firm dealing in defense contract acquisitions, I find nothing inconsistent with any of the material available concerning this project, the time of its existence, the protocol used, the need for its existence, or the attempted cover up. (Voters can weigh anecdotal evidence. ) 12. The PM is the best explanation available concerning the crash in New Mexico in July 1947. * As a veteran of the USAF, I find the weight given the term "top secret" to be amusing. I do not speak for other vets on this site, but clearances are really not as important as the concept of "need to know". I know hundreds of people with top secret clearance, secret clearance, etc. I had secret clearance, and can, with some effort, get top secret clearance approval, if I still worked in an area where this is important. So what? If I do not have a need to know, then my clearance does nothing.