Grenada Coup Deposes Gairy: UN UFO Initiative Derailed

1. On March 13, 1979, Grenada Prime Minister Eric Gairy was deposed in a coup led by Maurice Bishop. This occurred while Gairy was in New York at the United Nations, advocating for the institutionalization of UFO study within the UN. Richard Dolan speculates that U.S. intelligence may have wished to prevent Gairy's UFO efforts from succeeding.

The Incident * On March 13, 1979, Grenada's Prime Minister Eric Gairy was overthrown in a Marxist military coup led by Maurice Bishop. * At the time of the coup, Gairy was in New York City attending the United Nations. * Gairy was reportedly at the UN to discuss a plan to institutionalize the study of UFOs within the United Nations.

Investigation * There is no mention of an official investigation into the coup itself within the provided text. * The text does not detail any official investigation into Gairy's UFO initiative at the UN. * The text mentions that Frank Press of the White House asked NASA administrator Robert Frosch for help with the UFO mail problem. * Press suggested that a panel of prominent scientists might conduct an investigation of the validity and significance of UFO reports. * The CIA and Air Force had also been advising NASA to steer clear of UFO investigations.

Significance * The coup effectively derailed Gairy's efforts to establish a formal UFO study program within the United Nations. * Dolan speculates that U.S. intelligence may have had a motive to prevent Gairy's UFO initiative from succeeding, suggesting a potential link between the coup and the UFO topic. * The event highlights the intersection of international politics, the UFO phenomenon, and potential government interest or interference. * The event occurred during a period when the Carter White House was already dealing with increased public interest in UFOs and internal debates about how to address the issue.