(Updated with Biden statement) Less than a week after US warplanes shot down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, President Joe Biden this morning ordered the military to destroy a self-proclaimed “altitude object” over Alaska.
When asked about the incident before the Brazilian president’s arrival at the White House, POTUS opted for rare brevity, calling it a “success.”
“President Biden ordered the military to demolish the property. And they did … in the last hour,” John Kirby, NSC’s strategic communications coordinator, said in the White House press room on Friday when he announced the mission. “The president will always act in the best interest of the American people and international security,” Kirby added in the order, which was issued at 1:45 p.m. ET.
“I think we will try to find out more,” the official added in remarks broadcast live on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in a slightly delayed, regularly scheduled briefing.
“I can tell you it was an object, it was at 40,000 feet and the president’s primary concern was the safety of the flight at that altitude,” Kirby said further of the shooting, revealing all the news about Biden’s just is, caught up. Travel to Poland later this month near the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Pentagon is trying to recover in frozen US territorial waters off the coast of Alaska, the NSC spokesman said of the now-crashed object.
With drama right out of the boss Franchise, fighter jets flew past the object last night and earlier today and, according to Kirby, “found it unmanned.” On the second approach of American jets, the object was shot down by order of Biden.
“I have no idea,” Kirby admitted when asked where the item came from and if it was government sponsored. The U.S. only became aware of the object late Thursday, Kirby noted, adding that he “has not classified it as a balloon right now.”
Noting the “reasonable threat” to civilian flights posed by the object over America’s northernmost state, Kirby told reporters that the object shot down today lacked the maneuverability of the Chinese balloon that flew on live television on February 4 was not destroyed.
The Chinese balloon sparked a diplomatic spat with Beijing, a media frenzy and the cancellation of Foreign Secretary Tony Blinken’s planned visit to the People’s Republic of China. the camera-friendly Kirby said Friday.
The Pentagon will provide another briefing on today’s shooting near the northern tip of Alaska near the Canadian border. At the same time, the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, would analyze the remains of the Chinese spy balloon for dates and more information.
Biden, currently at his best after delivering a successful State of the Union address earlier this week, was heavily criticized by Republicans after the Chinese balloon was first seen by South Dakota residents last week. The government said POTUS wanted the balloon launched immediately, but military officials urged caution and safety considerations in moving the spy object over water. This was clearly not part of the advice President Biden received today.
“As I said, the president accepts his obligations to protect our national security interests and the safety of the American people,” Kirby said at the end of today’s White House briefing. “And he will always decide and act in accordance with that duty.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
