On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry initially denied any knowledge of the huge surveillance balloon floating through American airspace, then claimed it was a weather research “airship.” Further, the Pentagon responded to baffled questions, about why the incredibly well-funded U.S. military, was unable to detect, thwart, or destroy the balloon, by claiming that attacking it could jeopardize people on the ground in Montana. What a lot of poppycock!
Reportedly, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, said when asked about the balloon-
“I have noted relevant reports. We are gathering and verifying the facts,” insisting …“China is a responsible country and we always act in accordance with international law. We have no intention to violate the territory or airspace of any sovereign country,” adding… “As I said, we are gathering and verifying the facts. We hope both sides can handle the matter together in a cool-headed and prudent manner,”
- Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
However, Ning said she had “no comment” about whether the balloon incident would affect U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to China. Later, on Friday morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement that claimed the balloon was a “civilian airship” conducting meteorological research that “deviated far from its planned course” due to strong winds. China said-
-“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure,” [the Foreign Ministry said, indicating the flight path of the balloon was beyond the control of its operators]
- Chinese Foreign Ministry Statement
On Thursday, the Pentagon said it was “confident” the large white balloon drifting over Montana, with a hefty payload of electronics suspended beneath, was a surveillance craft of Chinese origin. Officials at the Pentagon said they had alerted President Joe Biden and “urgently” contacted Chinese officials about the balloon. Reportedly a U.S. official, on Friday, said the administration was in direct contact with Beijing at “multiple levels.” At one point the State Department supposedly said that it summoned a Chinese official to file a formal complaint.
Reportedly, President Biden wanted to shoot the balloon down. However, according to CBS News, advisers, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, recommended against “kinetic action” because the balloon, seemed to pose no immediate threat, and debris from an interception might endanger people on the ground. Further, another senior official noted that the weight of the equipment hanging from beneath the balloon, raised concerns that shooting it down would create a large debris field, according to a report by Fox News.
However, shooting the balloon down, might still be an option when it reaches a safe area, according to CBS’s sources. Apparently capable of maneuvering itself, the balloon is said to be largely at the mercy of high-altitude winds. The craft was holding an altitude of about 66,000 feet, well above the jet stream, as of Friday morning.
A senior administration official told NBC News, without producing any supporting information, that-
“Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration. We acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” …“Currently we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective over and above what the PRC [People’s Republic of China] can do through other means. Nevertheless, we are taking all necessary steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information,” promising…“We are tracking it in minute detail in real time and we will constantly update our assessment. We are in constant surveillance of this thing through a bunch of different means,”
-Senior Biden Administration Official
NORAD [ North American Aerospace Defense Command] has assessed that the balloon-
“does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time,” [adding it is] “currently traveling at altitude well above commercial traffic.”
-NORAD
This unnamed source also claimed that Canadian Armed Forces, as well as “other partners” are monitoring the flight of the craft. Further, Canada is said to be “ taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident.” This is because there appears to be a tentative report of a second balloon, detected by the Canadians, that is on course for U.S. airspace.
The political fallout has been swift.
Biden himself has refused to answer questions from reporters about the balloon, as early as Thursday afternoon. However, that same afternoon, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said that the balloon showed-
“China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty” [and was a] “destabilizing action that must be addressed.”…“President Biden cannot be silent,” adding… “I am requesting a Gang of Eight briefing.”
-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
This specific briefing is said to be a bipartisan group of leaders from the House and Senate who receive classified briefings from the executive branch. Speaker, McCarthy is one of the members of this special group.
On Friday, the Gang of Eight briefing was delivered as McCarthy requested, according to an unnamed defense official who told Fox News-
“You did see reports yesterday of a ground stop at Billings Airport and the mobilization of a number of assets, including F-22 [sic]. The context for that was that we put some things on station in the event that a decision was made to bring this down while it was over Montana,” adding…“We wanted to make sure we were coordinating with civil authorities to empty out the airspace around that potential area. But even with those protective measures taken, it was the judgment of our military commanders that we didn’t drive the risk down low enough. So, we didn’t take the shot,”
-Unnamed Defense Official
On Friday, the new House Select Committee on China, weighed in, with a statement from leaders Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) declaring-
“the Chinese Communist Party should not have on-demand access to American airspace.”…“Not only is this a violation of American sovereignty, coming only days before Secretary Blinken’s trip to the PRC, but it also makes clear that the CCP’s recent diplomatic overtures do not represent a substantive change in policy,” warning …“Indeed, this incident demonstrates that the CCP threat is not confined to distant shores – it is here at home and we must act to counter this threat,”
-House Select Committee On China
Wondering why nothing was done to prevent the slow-moving, highly visible craft from penetrating American national airspace, some Montanans were obviously concerned. Still others appeared to shrug it off, as yet another example of the constant surveillance everyone in the world is subjected to. This is much like the story of a frog, who gets boiled alive, in a pan of water, because the heat is turned up very slowly, so as to desensitize him, over time as the water slowly heats. America should not pass this action by the Chinese off, as of no importance.
So - Biden, because his administration - did not see or understand any immediate danger, took no immediate action? What if the balloon had been filled with toxic gas and just “happened” to release it somewhere over the U.S.? Further, perhaps this was attempted by the Chinese in an effort to do a “dry run” to see what the Biden administration would do regarding any further balloons (possibly the reported second one approaching the U.S) sent that might also veer off planned course for yet some unknown reason.
Again, this begs the question - Why has this been allowed by the Biden administration? First our southern border stays open for two years while China ships Fentanyl, across it, through the Mexican Cartels, and now Biden exposes America to who knows what, from thousands of feet above the earth – all over U.S airspace! What is this man thinking?
Likely, Biden, is not literally considering the real danger posed by China, after all they have in the past, paid his family well.
The threat is real. America must, act to protect itself. According to a July 2020 speech excerpt, given by FBI Director Christopher Wray-
…“As National Security Advisor O’Brien said in his recent remarks, we cannot close our eyes and ears to what China is doing—and today, in light of the importance of this threat, I will provide more detail on the Chinese threat than the FBI has ever presented in an open forum. This threat is so significant that the attorney general and secretary of state will also be addressing a lot of these issues in the next few weeks. But if you think these issues are just an intelligence issue, or a government problem, or a nuisance largely just for big corporations who can take care of themselves—you could not be more wrong.”…
-FBI Director, Christopher Wray, July of 2020