Are they from Iran?

That’s what Rep Jeff Van Drew suggests, talking about an “Iranian drone mothership” that he says is missing from its home port.

Another theory is that this is some sort of secret U.S. military exercise.

Elected officials across the state and across the political spectrum are weighing in – everyday it seems – about the drones overhead.
Just in the last 24 hours or so, we heard from Josh Gottheimer, Chris Smith, Jon Bramnick (twice) and the aforementioned Van Drew.

Earlier this afternoon, Joe Pennacchio, a veteran state senator from LD-26, (Morris-Passaic) offered his views.

He thinks the state police investigation of the sightings is being hamstrung by the federal government.

In other words, the feds know what this is about, but are not saying, or, are not letting the state police say.

Why does Pennacchio think the feds – which would be the FBI and Department of Homeland Security – know what’s up?

His answer: They know a lot about everything – joking that the feds probably know everyone’s favorite color.

Some of this, of course, is cynicism about the federal government and to some – the “deep state.”

But there is something else.

As every journalist knows, law enforcement agencies like to keep things secret.

There could be good reasons for doing that, but not all the time and certainly not this time.

It never fails. When officialdom is silent, rumors grow and grow.

As it is, even the bare facts indicate something odd may be happening in the night sky.

We have heard about 49 drone sightings in one night. Sure, that could mean 49 people saw the same drone, but maybe not.

Smith, a congressman from CD-4, said the drones seem to be originating over the ocean, which points to Van Drew’s theory. OK. But surely U.S. radar, which has the capability to track ballistic missiles, would be able to detect from where drones are coming, no?

Gov. Phil Murphy says that the drones apparently go dark if people lock eyes on them. That sounds disquieting.

It’s not surprising that some are suggesting the military should just shoot them down.

What we have heard officially since the drone sightings began in November is that they pose no danger. Experience suggests that is true, because nothing nefarious has happened.

At the same time, the silence of federal officials is unhelpful.

To that end, Sen. Cory Booker made a good point, according to The Hill, a D.C-based website.

“Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread,” Booker said.

That’s obvious.

And that’s the problem with the muted response from the FBI and related federal agencies.

Today, the drones are from Iran. Tomorrow, they’ll be from Mars.

Rumors and theories will not stop until the public knows as much about this as the FBI does.