The Baghdad Phantom
I can’t look at Twitter without being accosted by some new UFO footage slapping me in the eyeballs. Jeremy Corbell and the pretty boys of UFO disclosure (George Knapp, et al.) have been busy lately releasing a slow steady stream of UFO footage, many coming from conflict zones.
The latest dropped last month with the catchy monicker ‘Baghdad Phantom,’ or simply ‘Baghdad UFO,'and just in time for the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War no less.
Corbell claimed, “This isn't your grandma's rocket that we're looking at.”
Was grandma sporting a V-2 Rocket? Perhaps. According to Corbell this is a different animal altogether.
A source stated that the object was flagged by the Air Force last year as an “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” because it had ‘strange characteristics.’ Six images were pulled from a video shot on a thermal camera from a USAF Reaper drone last May.
"What George and I have uncovered," said Corbell to DailyMail.com, "is Reaper drone footage over an active war zone."
Is this a strange location for a UFO to be hanging out? Maybe not so strange. The UFOs have, historically speaking, shown a distinct penchant for such conflict zones (Read: Foo Fighters)
Corbell told DailyMail.com, “Like our government, we as journalists are curious about what can be seen in these images." He added that the photos were leaked by frustrated members of the USAF who stated that large numbers of UFO incidents are being "buried" by the Air Force.
That seems unlike the Air Force but . . .
Corbell, for what it’s worth, is more than just a journalist and documentarian. He is an advocate. For the cause. A pinned tweet on his Twitter account states: “The world is creaking under the stress & weight of the UFO reality. And it’s about damn time. I suspect a total collapse of consensus reality shortly.”
Corbell told the DailyMail.com “It is my hope that by obtaining and releasing imagery like this, the public can help solve this collective mystery and inspire greater transparency by our Department of Defense. This is a solvable problem- so let's do it together. The Pentagon's over-classification is corrosive like an acid and has been weaponized against the American public's right and need to know about UFOs.”
Well put Mr. Corbell.
I love his gung-ho attitude. Corbell is the Greta Thunberg of UFOlogy. I mean that in a good way.
Despite that it somehow feels like we’re all running around on a wild goose chase. But who wants to kill the goose that laid the golden egg, right? Let’s take a closer look at this beast though, cut it up and see what makes it tick (or tac).
These images reveal a slim cylindrical-shaped object moving over air space which military coordinates on lower right of image show as north-east of Baghdad.
Corbell told DailyMail.com, "The object appears to have no flight control surfaces, no traditional reactionary propulsion and is cooler than its surrounding environment.”
What he is suggesting is the thermal camera that took the shot is picking up no heat signals from the object. Normally such craft have propulsion systems which create heat, like engines and rockets. This one is colder than its surroundings.
As such, it is assumed to be powered by some source of energy other than our own conventional weapons. What does it all add up to? More information is needed and no doubt this is why the military has labeled the object a 'UAP.'
Taking a closer look at the photos though, it appears to me that clearly, there appears to be some kind of exhaust - heat signal or what have you - trailing the UAP. It is quite visible through five of the six photos where you can see, at the lower half portion of the photo, the missile-like object streak from left to right.
Naturally, social media has chimed in on the matter. John Greenewald Jr. has come to to the defense with his own explanation of the trailing "plume." He stated on Twitter:
For those analyzing the "Baghdad Phantom UAP", I know a lot of people are calling it a missile due to the "plume" but are you convinced it really is a plume?
You all sure it isn't a sensor artifact possibly due to the speed the object is moving? The "ghost" (odd tie in with the name) impressions on the frame seem to match the size and shape of the object itself, maybe just giving the impression of a plume, but it not really being one.
For those analyzing the "Baghdad Phantom UAP", I know a lot of people are calling it a missile due to the "plume" but are you convinced it really is a plume?
— John Greenewald, Jr. (@blackvaultcom) March 7, 2023
You all sure it isn't a sensor artifact possibly due to the speed the object is moving? The "ghost" (odd tie in with the… pic.twitter.com/OptyBxW0lJ
Fact of the matter, shit is flying all over the place especially in a conflict zone so what are the chances it’s something related to a weapon of war? It could just be a solid fuel rocket.
Or maybe something a little more sophisticated like the AGM-179 JAGM air-to-surface missile built by Lockheed Martin. The U.S. Army, Navy and Marines are currently buying these up by the thousands. Get them while they're hot at the low price of US$324,805 per (warranty not included).
If I were to guess though, I'd say it was a projectile shot at high speed from an electro-magnetic Rail Gun. What is that you might ask? The website of General Atomics explains:
Rail Weapons System
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) is maturing railgun weapon systems to support air and missile defense, counter battery fire, and precision indirect fire. GA-EMS railgun weapon systems feature electromagnetic launchers that use electricity instead of chemical propellants to fire projectiles at high speeds. The high muzzle velocity can be twice that of conventional guns leading to shorter engagement times, extended keep-out, and longer range.
Or then again, it could be a UFO. Yes, a cigar shaped UFO is one that has been sighted throughout the history of UFOlogy and though not as common as the saucer or triangle shape it is a known commodity. As recently as 2005, some scintilating images surfaced of just such an object flying over Paris, France. You be the judge.
But whatever you think don't tell me it's Oumuamua. No not the Oumuamua Asteroid. Not at this altitude. It's too big. Don't say that. Please not . . .
Oumuamua!
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Andrew Kim Arnett is a writer, researcher and producer. His work covers the paranormal, drug wars and unexplained mysteries. He has been published in Paranoia Magazine, New Dawn, Nexus, Konbini and Alien Buddha Press. Andrew Arnett appears on Travel Channel’s Worlds Most Unexplained (currently streaming on Discovery +) discussing the Cecil Hotel, alien abduction, the death of Elvis Presley and much more. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and hunts ghosts with the Brooklyn Paranormal Society. Find him on Twitter: @AndrewArnett