Military brass have recommended against shooting down an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying over the US — for now
“The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
BY
BRANDI VINCENT
AND
JON HARPER
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Pentagon leaders have advised President Biden not to order the U.S. military to shoot down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that’s flying over the continental United States — but that position could change as the situations evolves, according to a senior Defense Department official.
The DOD has “very high confidence” that the recently spotted platform is a spy balloon from the People’s Republic of China, the official told reporters during a call on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
In a statement on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said: “The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
He added: “Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
https://defensescoop.com/2023/02/02/military-brass-have-recommended-against-shooting-down-an-alleged-chinese-spy-balloon-flying-over-the-us-for-now/
