It is called "disclosure". The US government is purposefully leaking the information to the public. Slowly at first to gauge public reaction, and then more quickly in recent years.
The information was originally tightly controlled for a number of reasons:
1 - Avoid public panic as indicated by "War of the Worlds" broadcast.
2 - Air Force did not want to admit post WWII intrusions into our air space that could not be stopped.
3 - Hopes of recovering advanced technology without Soviet knowledge.
4 - Nature of incursions were not known, difficult to admit to the public.
There are a few more reasons stated in declassified documents, but I don't remember them offhand.
“There are a few more reasons stated in declassified documents, but I don’t remember them offhand.”
That’s because you are reading between lines that don’t exist. The government NEVER stated they were keeping genuine information secret, just that they had classified their research. If they are releasing it now it is because it has passed the date of classification and they are required to release it under FOIA. From what I have seen the documents have nothing in them that show any existence or belief in the existence of extra terrestials. I defy you to give me one website that has the declassified documents you claim exist.
The silly Roswell incident you all seem to latch on to was a secret government mission to send balloons over the Soviet Union to collect air samples for evidence of nuclear testing. When those classified documents were released the true believers screamed it was a cover up. You can’t have it both ways, believing the stuff released under FOIA is sometimes genuine, and sometimes a cover up.
WELL PUT.