Beijing admits the balloon is theirs, but…
Senior Defense Department officials revealed to the world Thursday night that the military had detected a suspected Chinese-operated surveillance balloon hundreds of miles inside U.S. airspace, well above the altitude of commercial air traffic.
The Pentagon spotted the giant balloon over an Air Force base in Montana that houses a number of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos.
Beijing urged Washington to remain “cool-headed” while it investigated the reports. “China is a responsible country, and we act in accordance with international law. We have no intention to violate other countries’ sovereignty and airspace,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning claimed.
By Friday morning, China’s communist government admitted that the balloon is theirs, but the Foreign Ministry claimed that it is a civilian research airship that unintentionally entered U.S. airspace, as Fox News notes:
“The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed Friday. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.”
The spokesperson said China regrets the incident.
The statement continued, “The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure. The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure.”
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) continues to monitor the ballon. Officials will not say where it is now.
The startling revelation sparked a furious reaction from lawmakers in both parties. Some, including officials with the Montana Republican Party, are calling for a Pentagon shootdown.
One of Montana’s U.S. senators is demanding an intel briefing from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The Daily Wire reports:
After the balloon was detected, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and vice chair Joint Chief Gen. Christopher Grady recommended that no “kinetic action” be taken because of possible falling debris, defense officials stated.
“The fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB) and the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fields are the target of this intelligence gathering mission,” Daines wrote. “Given the serious nature of the event, I am requesting a full security briefing from the administration on this situation. It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy-balloon was utilizing.”
Daines continued by noting that Montana housed the nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom Air Force Base, then stated bluntly, “I am alarmed by the fact that this spy balloon was able to infiltrate the airspace of our country and Montana.”
“There is no higher priority for your administration than the safety and security of the American people and it is imperative that your administration reassure them of that fact at this time,” he concluded.
Thursday’s revelation came hours ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s long-planned trip to Beijing, where the top diplomat hoped to stabilize U.S.-Chinese relations in a series of high-stakes meetings.
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Force it to land or shoot it down. After they drop their thermonuclear bomb it is to late.
Absolutely, SHOOT IT DOWN and investigate it’s origins, Military or civilian
And if you believe Mao Ning’s statement, I have this bridge I’d like to sell you.
If it’s really just a weather balloon, shooting it down shouldn’t cause an issue. If it’s more than that, it really needs to be shot down. Either way, take it down!
This Chinese balloon incursion into U.S. airspace is probably not a big deal, and shooting it down likely posed no threat to anyone. Balloons have no hard internal structure which would do much damage on falling other than possibly to powerlines. Huge, tethered balloons used by the now DHS for border surveillance, have snapped their tethers and drifted free with no significant damage after being given an order to self-destruct. These balloons (aerostats) carry a radar unit under their bellies. During WWII the Japanese sent hundreds of bomb-carrying balloons aloft to drift on the Asia-to-North America Jetstream, also without causing significant damage in the northern states and Canada. Whether Chinese balloons may be made able to disperse anthrax spores or other bioweapons over the U.S. is another matter to be considered. China IS, after all, our major enemy in the world today. I’d say bring it down and examine it to determine its purpose. Drifting over our defensive nuclear ICBM fields by an enemy balloon should not be allowed to proceed. Our government’s decision to allow it to continue its mission may have other reasons not yet explained, but could have traitorous implications.
WE CANNOT TRUST THE CHINESE. Just like they they didn’t launch the COVID? Shoot the damn thing down and check the facts!
It might be full of another germ warfare gift from ccp
Shooting it down is what the CCP would expect us to do. So is it loaded with another bioweapon like COVID that would be dispersed by such an action?
If it were loaded with a bioweapon that would be an overt act of war. If it caused a plague, we’d have the right to use nuclear weapons against China.
If it were shot down, any bioweapon would be INCINERATED.
The CCP balloon is a bioweapon. The CCP is distributing its new bioweapon—-Covid 20.
Perhaps, but more likely it’s being used for elint or sigint purposes. If it has bioweapons it is an act of war. That would be cause to retaliate with nuclear weapons against China.
Actually, the most likely scenario is this balloon is “proof of concept” for getting a weapon of some sort into US airspace. By that I mean, this balloon itself is harmless, but our allowing it to travel unstopped sets the president for an actual weapon to be sent on the next.
If anyone believes their statement they are a sad sad soul. It “unintentionally wandered” into the US. Montana is a fair way into the states through Canada. A balloon doesn’t just get that far.
Japan launched balloons into the US during WW2.
Is the military going to say the same thing when Missiles are flying overhead “ We do not want to shoot it in case the falling debris may hurt some one “. Just let it hit whatever target and it may not cause any damage !!!! Shoot the SOB Down over Montana Hell it has a very dense Population . Dumb Asses
This is a clear violation of our air space. There is no question that it should be shot down. It is likely surveilling our ICBM sites and preparing to drop a payload on one of their next balloon flights. Their excuse is disrespectful BS. The administration’s excuse is an insult to our intelligence. It is making America the laughing stock of the world, at least the military/geopolitical world.
The only plausible reason I can find that it wasn’t shot down is that Biden is on the Chinese payroll, and they didn’t give him permission to do so.
10%…
There is no such thing as a “civilian airship” in China. It’s China – they don’t have anything remotely civilian. They have Joe over a barrel because he’s been taking their money through Hunter for so long that he’s compromised.
More like a “Trojan horse’ testing how to place a high altitude EMP device where it can do its most effective strike. There is no better answer.
Nothing from China is civilian, everything is government owned.
The balloon accidentally wound up in…Montana???
Drag it somewhere away from the US and blow it up. Move it closer to them
Joe, once again, made us look even weaker than ever.