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CIA Document Maps Area 51, But No Mention Of UFOs

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The CIA is acknowledging in the clearest terms yet the existence of Area 51, the top-secret Cold War test site that has been the subject of conspiracy theories for decades.

The recently declassified CIA documents have set Area 51 buffs abuzz, though there's no mention of flying saucers, bug-eyed aliens or staged moon landings.

A CIA history released Thursday not only mentions Area 51 and describes some of the activities that took place there — but it places the site on a map.

George Washington University's National Security Archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson says it's not the first time the government has acknowledged the super secretive installation. Former President Bill Clinton acknowledged the "location near Groom Lake," and other government references date back to the 1960s.

But those convinced "the truth is out there" are taking the document as a sign of loosening secrecy about the government's activities in the Nevada desert.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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