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Despite President Biden’s best efforts to play down China’s high-altitude spy balloons as “not a major breach,” many Americans are rightfully concerned about the threat posed to national security.
The Pentagon announced that a second unknown object was posing a “reasonable threat” and was shot down in U.S. airspace off the coast of Alaska.
The high-altitude object was flying at about 40,000 feet which could impact civilian flights as it continued into U.S. territory.
John Kirby says the object downed in the last hour flying over Alaska airspace was "much smaller" than the Chinese spy balloon, roughly the "size of a small car" pic.twitter.com/n3qEuJbyYs
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 10, 2023
A U.S. fighter aircraft shot that object and it fell onto frozen U.S. waters.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said President Biden ordered the military to down the object. It was roughly the size of a small car.
John Kirby: "I can confirm that the Department of Defense was tracking a high altitude object over Alaska airspace in the last 24 hours … [The object] posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight … fighter aircraft assigned … took down the object" pic.twitter.com/mnhVbOyZFQ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 10, 2023
Multiple Chinese spy balloon have been illegally hovering in U.S. airspace for multiple days.
In response, Chinese officials released a statement that accuses Americans of “hyping up” the balloon inaccurately in order to “smear China.”
China claims the balloon is merely “a civilian weather device” being “used for research” and “mainly meteorological, purposes.”
So the Chinese Spy Balloon 🎈is now near Charlotte, NC, which means it’s less than 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Is this incompetent Biden Administration seriously going to allow the #ChineseSpyBallon to leave American airspace without capturing the electronics? pic.twitter.com/009qfZxW6U
— David Burke 🇺🇸 (@ConservativeTht) February 4, 2023
The Pentagon says this is a lie. “The Pentagon does not believe that this was a weather balloon that flew off course,” Fox News confirmed. It was launched from mainland China.
Another balloon secretly entered through Alaska and made its way through Canada and into the U.S. It hovered over a nuke site at a U.S. military base and caused planes to be grounded at a Montana airport.
Fighters jets circling the balloon ready to shoot it down over off of Myrtle Beach. #ChineseSpyBalloon pic.twitter.com/7BnMkmhUaJ
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) February 4, 2023
Former President Donald Trump responded in full capital letters: “SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON!”
President Joe Biden has refused to shoot down the aircraft because he thinks it might cause safety issues for people on the ground.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claims that balloon “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
Instead, Biden is choosing to “track” the balloon as it’s expected to hover for multiple days over the U.S.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “This is entirely an unexpected situation caused by force majeure and the facts are very clear.”
“Some politicians and media in the US have hyped it up to attack and smear China,” the spokesperson said. “The Chinese side is firmly opposed to that.”
Again, the Pentagon says this is false. There is no “force majeure” that caused the balloon to enter U.S. airspace.
“China always acts in strict accordance with international law and respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. We have no intention to violate and has never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country.”
“Regarding the unintended entry of a Chinese unmanned airship into US airspace due to force majeure, the Chinese side has verified it and communicated it to the US side,” the spokesperson continued.
“It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.”
A senior U.S. defense official has directly contradicted Chinese officials by explaining, “This was intentional.”