Page 44 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2023 Edition

44 Chinese Spy Balloons Near Texas & Florida

Pentagon reports past

Chinese surveillance
balloons near Florida,

Texas

The Defense Department has notified
Congress of several previous incursions
of U.S. airspace by Chinese surveillance
balloons, with earlier sightings near
Texas, Florida, Hawaii and Guam, U.S.
officials said Sunday, as Republicans
criticized the Biden administration for
allowing a suspected surveillance balloon

to track across much of the United States
over the last week.

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a member
of the House Armed Services Committee,
said in an interview that defense officials
identified the locations in a discussion
with lawmakers and staff on Saturday,
States. foot water.
disclosing for the first time that similar
surveillance balloons had been spotted in
Several former Trump administration Top Republicans on Sunday criticized the
U.S. airspace near the continental United
officials, including former defense Biden administration for waiting to shoot
States before. The existence of such
secretary Mark T. Esper, said they do not down the latest suspected surveillance
balloons near Hawaii and Guam has been
recall reports of such balloons reaching balloon until it was over the Atlantic
reported previously.
their level, raising questions about how Ocean, arguing a more aggressive
they were handled at the time. response was needed in the face of
Two such incidents were reported near
obvious Chinese provocation.
Florida, while there was at least one each
A senior administration official, speaking
in the other three locations, Waltz said.
on the condition of anonymity because of “It’s not just the balloon,” Sen. Marco
the sensitivity of the issue, said Sunday Rubio (R-Fla.) said on CNN. “It’s the
The defense officials said that several of
that the previous occurrences were message they are trying to send the
those events occurred during the Trump
discovered after the Trump world: ‘We can do whatever we want and
administration, Waltz said. Officials had
administration left office. U.S. America can’t stop us.’”
also said that during a news briefing with
intelligence officials are prepared to offer
reporters on Saturday.
key officials from the Trump Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) told CBS, “I
administration briefings about the think this entire episode telegraphed
The Defense Department was not specific
balloon program, “which has not only weakness to [President] Xi [Jinping] and
about where in each state the previous
violated our sovereignty but the the Chinese government.”
incursions occurred, Waltz said. He
sovereignty of countries across five
added that officials did not say whether
continents,” the official said. House Republicans are also reportedly
the balloons made it into U.S. airspace,
considering passing a resolution
which extends 12 nautical miles from the
The official did not explain how the criticizing President Biden’s response on
shore, or over U.S. territory, too. Fox
information about the earlier balloons Tuesday, the day Biden delivers his
News first reported the additional
came to light, or if intelligence gleaned annual State of the Union address.
locations.
from the one tracked by the U.S. military Resolutions are nonbinding, primarily
over the last week played a role in better symbolic statements, often delivering a
The account, verified by two U.S.
understanding China’s surveillance message from one party to another.
officials speaking on the condition of
efforts.
anonymity because of the sensitivity of
The balloon — whose equipment was
the issue, adds to an issue that has
The newest disclosure came as U.S. Navy about the size of three large buses,
become vexing for the U.S. government.
and Coast Guard crews worked off the according to U.S. officials — was shot
Atlantic coast to recover debris from the down Saturday by a missile launched
One of the other officials, a congressional
shoot-down, including sensors. A senior from an F-22 Raptor, once it moved off
aide, said that the disclosure came during
U.S. military official, speaking on the the coast of South Carolina, ending its
a phone briefing with congressional
condition of anonymity under rules set by multiday journey.
leaders and national security committees.
the Pentagon, said the work could
The administration official briefing them
continue for days but will be aided by the (Continued on Page 45)
said the other incidents had mostly been
debris landing in relatively shallow 47-
along or off the coast of the United