Apparently almost every media outlet buried the lead. According to analysis from combined intelligence operations of the U.S government, last week the Biden administration ordered U.S. military fighter jets to launch missiles and shoot down of what is now believed to be “balloons belonging to private companies, recreation, or research institutions.” WATCH (w/ transcript below):
[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Last week, in the immediate aftermath of the incursion by China’s high-altitude balloon, our military, through the North American Aerospace Defense Command — so-called NOR- — NORAD — closely scrutinized the — our airspace, including enhancing our radar to pick up more slow-moving objects above our country and around the world.
In doing so, they tracked three unidentified objects: one in Alaska, Canada, and over Lake Huron in the Midwest.
They acted in accordance with established parameters for determining how to deal with unidentified aerial objects in U.S. airspace.
At their recommendation, I gave the order to take down these three objects due to hazards to civilian commercial air traffic and because we could not rule out the surveillance risk of sensitive facilities.
We acted in consultation with the Canadian government. I spoke personally with Prime Minister Trudeau and Ca- — from Canada on Saturday.
And just as critically, we acted out of an abundance of caution and at an opportunity that allowed us to take down these — these objects safely.
Our military and the Canadian military are seeking to recover the debris so we can learn more about these three objects. Our intelligence community is still assessing all three incidences. They’re reporting to me daily and will continue their urgent efforts to do so, and I will communicate that to the Congress.
We don’t yet know exactly what these three objects were. But nothing — nothing right now suggests they were related to China’s spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from other — any other country.
The intelligence community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research.
When I came into office, I instructed our intelligence community to take a broad look at the phenomenon of unidentified aerial objects.
We know that a range of entities, including countries, companies, and research organizations operate objects at altitudes for purposes that are not nefarious, including legitimate scientific research.
I want to be clear: We don’t have any evidence that there has been a sudden increase in the number of objects in the sky. We’re now just seeing more of them, partially because the steps we’ve taken to increase our radars — to narrow our radars. And we have to keep adapting our approach to delaying — to dealing with these challenges.
That’s why I’ve directed my team to come back to me with sharper rules for how we will deal with these unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing — distinguishing between those that are likely to pose safety and security risks that necessitate action and those that do not.
But make no mistake, if any object presents a threat to the safety and security of the American people, I will take it down. I’ll be sharing with Congress these classified policy parameters when they’re completed, and they’ll remain classified so we don’t give our roadmap to our enemies to try to evade our defenses.
Going forward, these parameters will guide what actions we will take while responding to unmanned and unidentified aerial objects. We’re going to keep adapting them as the challenges evolve, if it evolves.
In addition, we’ve derived — I’ve directly my National Security Advisor to lead a government-wide effort to make sure we are positioned to deal safely and effectively with the objects in our airspace.
First, we will establish a better inventory of unmanned airborne objects in space — above the United States’ airspace and make sure that inventory is accessible and up to date.
Second, we’ll implement further measures to improve our capacity to detect unmanned objecti- — objects in our airspace.
Third, we’ll update the rules and regulations for launching and maintaining unmanned objects in the skies above the United States of America.
And fourth, my Secretary of State will lead an effort to help establish a global — a globa- — a common global norms in this largely unregulated space.
These steps will lead to safer and more secure skies for our air travelers, our military, our scientists, and for people on the ground as well. That’s my job as your President and Commander-in-Chief.
As the events of the previous days have shown, we’ll always act to protect the interest of the American people and the security of the American people.
Since I came into office, we’ve developed the ability to identify, track, and study high-altitude surveillance balloons connected with the Chinese military.
When one of these high-altitude surveillance balloons entered our airspace over the continental United States earlier in the month, I gave the order to shoot it down as soon as it would be safe to do so. The military advised against shooting it down over land because of the sheer size of it. It was the size of multiple school busses, and it posed a risk to people on the ground if it was shot down where people lived.
Instead, we tracked it closely, we analyzed its capabilities, and we learned more about how it operates.
And because we knew its path, we were able to protect sensitive sites against collection.
We waited until it was safely over water, which would not only protect civilians but also enable us to recover substantial components for further analys- — for further analytics.
And then we shot it down, sending a clear message — clear message: The violation of our sovereignty is unacceptable.
We will act to protect our country, and we did.
Now, this past Friday, we put restrictions on six firms that directly support the People’s Republic Liberation Army — the People’s Lib- — the People’s Liberation Army aerospace program that includes airships and balloons, denying them access to U.S. technology.
We briefed our diplomatic partners and our allies around the world, and we know about China’s program and where their balloons have flown.
Some of them have also raised their concerns directly with China. Our exports [experts] have lifted components of the Chinese balloon’s payload off the ocean floor. We’re analyzing them as I speak, and what we learn will strengthen our capabilities.
Now, we’ll also continue to engage with China, as we have throughout the past two weeks. As I’ve said since the beginning of my administration, we seek competition, not conflict, with China. We’re not looking for a new Cold War.
But I make no apologize — I make no apologies, and we will compete. And we’ll be res- — we’ll responsibly manage that competition so that it doesn’t veer into conflict.
This episode underscores the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between our diplomats and our military professionals. Our diplomats will be engaging further, and I will remain in communication with President Xi.
I’m grateful for the work over the last several weeks of our intelligence, diplomatic, and military professionals who have proved once again to be the most capable in the world. And I want to thank you all.
Now, look, the other thing I want to point is that we are going to keep our allies and the Congress contemporaneously informed of all we know and all we learn. And I expect to be speaking with President Xi, and I hope we have a — we are going to get to the bottom of this. But I make no apologies for taking down that balloon.
Thank you very much.
(Cross-talk by reporters.)
Q Mr. President, why did you wait so long to address the public on this matter, Mr. President?
Q Sir, there’s been a criticism — there’s been criticism of this —
Q When are you speaking to President Xi, Mr. President?
Q Is this deal with China compromised by your family’s business relationships in China, President Biden?
THE PRESIDENT: Give me a break, man. (Laughs.) (Inaudible.)
Q Sir — Mr. President — Mr. President, there’s been criticism —
Q Did you overreact?
Q — Mr. President, there’s been criticism that this was an overreaction that was done because of political pressure —
(Cross-talk by reporters.)
THE PRESIDENT: I can’t —
Q Is your son still (inaudible) —
THE PRESIDENT: You can come to my office and ask the question when you have more polite people (inaudible).
Every cartoon I can recall tonight demonstrates how to catch one of these things:
big magnet
invisible plane and spidey web or Wonder Woman golden rope
how about a tractor beam
big butterfly net
bait trap
Worm hole.
I feel a lot safer now.
LOL!
That must be embarrasing for Trudeau. It shows his TV conference was a BS.
He is a psychopath and can’t be embarrassed.
However he looks more of a fool than ever..which is terrific.
Cheers!
Was gonna say “a psychopath cannot be embarrassed” = Justine Castreaux.
two angles of points (there are many more, but these two stand out to me)
this joe malarkey narrative (lie) does not match the press comments made by Senator Kennedy whom delivered them just after a IC briefing in the senate intelligence oversight committee.this point requires expansion2a. weather balloons are required by US law, international convention to broadcast transponder signals at all times, regardless if they are transiting commercial airspace corridors, altitudes. These so called objects NEVER broadcast adbs signals. So not only the violation of law, internationally recognized and standardized, but suggests strongly these were not private, or weather balloons. China transmits adbs signals in ALL commercial, private, and experimental air craft even in their own territorial air space. These “objects” were not transmitting.
2b. These objects traveled along the trajectory set by a strong and persistent and durable jet stream from west to east. To gain this precision to fly over specific military installations and other targets of interests would require precision timing and a specific location of launch site combined. All of these objects traveled almost exactly where you would want them to fly if those objects were the intention…This was not coincidental.
3b. the explanation that these balloons were “blown off” by unexpected weather events does not match up for several reasons. If that is a true, we would see quite a few weather balloons flying during the same time period also blown off course. We see only one. Out of 4/5 that “we know of”.
3c. weather balloons would be expected to send live data to ground and or intermediate satellites to reach back to china for processing. What would not be expected is that this live data be encrypted so intensively as to call into question just exactly why the need for that level of security. If you use a heavy armored bank vault door, there is something more than a few dollars in the vault you want to protect from seeing eyes, and thieving hands.
3d. and finally this: china NEVER notified the US or canada or any other country that these “objects” were going to intrude on, violate US airspace, and international rules regarding non-adbs transponder air vehicles.
noting: joe malarkey did not stay for any questions plainly because he was TOLD to. This is called blackholing an operation. It is both astroturfing and gas lighting…It is also a false limited hangout in intelligence community speak.
God Bless America
“Radio Audio From F-16 Shoot Down Of Object Over Lake Huron”
1000’s of these go up everyday. My question?
Where do they come down? You could say, polluting the planet is really not a priority. Those that cry about polluting the planet seems to be the ones polluting the planet?
Oh.. come on, man!
-Pricked himself
Meanwhile….
this is NOT GOOD. fortunately the AF (and joint forces elements) have inspected the fleet and while there WILL be some operational impact, the critical ability to conduct air refueling is not expected to be impacted by a serious margin.
I will be tracking this.
God Bless America
The CCP balloons mission accomplished.
The high school science projects were obliterated.
The southern border is open to the worlds terrorists.
Biden, and his puppet masters, are criminal psychopaths.
Our country is finished.
glum outlook but I can’t disagree
Hope in Christ!
not finished….incomplete and upset by scofflaws, usurpers and illegitmate mouth breathers.
but behind the scenes, far past the veneer of a bullshit regime occupying the white house are real patriot, real warriors who are doing more with less and even secretly to make sure that the worst possible scenario does not materialize.
I don’t expect most people to accept this..I understand. I really do.
It’s hard to imagine there are very competent fast runners who can overcome the deficiencies of the political joke that IS the illustrated mad magazine cow manure in DC and across nearly every departments.
But WE DO EXIST..and we will NEVER ALLOW the US political fraudsters to commit the worst kind of crimes.
we stand because we must. that’s the duty. that’s the sacred oath.
God Bless America
I started sweating and feeling faint when he referred to himself as the Commander in Chief!
Every time Biden opens his mouth, I wish this was his final year in office.
Let’s make that wish his “final minute in office”!
Thank goodness due to high winds our Aerostat hasn’t been in the air for last week or so.
Kept having cartoon image in my mind of some clueless snowbird seeing it for the first time and having a meltdown!
I happen to like seeing the blimpy whale in the sky!
Ft. Huachuca Aerostat Radar. You can see it with naked eye from at least 20 miles away! Do internet search and check it out.
Jimmy Carter is so happy tonight.
It is well past time that the entire O-Buy-Dung Administration stand down.
Liars. If you knew where it was going why didn’t you have salvage crews already on standby in that area?
Mind numbing INCOMPETENCE!
Intelligence is “still assessing the debris” and doesn’t know what they are but they do know they are research, scientific, and weather ballons that are no threat? Anothe crock of nonsense from our government!
one question, hazhizbutzbenwypt?
I notice plural “butz”. The one on his posterior and his mouth?
And this is supposed to make us feel better?
Joe is a parody of himself.
As long ago as WWII our military had gun cameras with video showing what the pilot saw. Are they now obsolete and we have to rely on the pilot alone to determine what he is shooting at from miles away at 600 mph using missiles? Is this really the best our woke military can do?
We definitely need to come up with some “special” mission badges for the pilots and have FJB personally award them since he ordered the shoot.
One suggestion was that the “victory badge” be a used condom – would work for both plane and pilot
Does it seem odd to anyone else that no one has claimed ownership of any of the downed balloons? Other than China of course for the first one. Seems to me if I were flying a research balloon that was shot down I might speak up.
Just saying!
Not if the government is shooting $400,000 missiles blindly, you wouldn’t. You’d keep your mouth shut because you don’t want them shooting at you.
People are well aware of what these criminals in DC will do if you cross them. They threatened the guy who turned in Hunter’s laptop and have ruined him.
And nobody dares protest because they don’t want to end up in the DC gulag.
Do not use the word “intelligence” in any discussion of American governmental leadership. It is the most inappropriate use of the English language we have ever heard or read. There is no “intelligence community” within this clown show.
I remember reading in Websters Dictionary of terms for various IQ numbers on the low side of intelligence.
Those found with IQ’s between 51 and 75 were defined as “morons.”
Those found with IQ’s between 26 and 50 were defined as “imbeciles.”
Those found with IQ’s below 26 were defined as “idiots.”
I honestly cannot see how any top people in the Biden Administration could rank above an IQ of 26 which would properly define them as “idiots.”
Those found with IQ’s below 25 are defined as career politicians.
The Government selects for devious and deceitful. Competent, honest, people are driven out.
This is true at all levels. Even the local public school looks for “bad thinkers” and drives them out.
As in our “intelligence agencies” had no idea what these balloons where or where they came from.. even the target practice aspect was a complete failure.. how did we get some many Peter principle employees making decisions ..?
Diversity for the sake of diversity.
This is what all that box – checking gets you.
During the Cold War, from a strategic place, a few of us made balloons out of dry cleaning bags, birthday candles and paper straws. One very cold, clear, peaceful night we launched one from a parade field. It went straight up about 400 feet. It was awesome! Then the air raid siren went off. Oops
F-16 jet fighter: $30 million
Single-use Sidewinder missile: $400,000
Using top notch military hardware to take out $100 balloons launched by hobbyist weather-nerds: Priceless.
Those were the hardest aliens,”balloons,” brainless Biden ever fought.
The intelligence community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research.
So……… Just shoot, blow up , kill what ever I tell you to and apparently they did. What happened to disobeying an illegal order. Never mind I forgot they got woked. Some how I’m kinda thinking the military is the only way really means their way and it ain’t good for us peons’
Kennedy’s mocking report of the briefing he received had the intended effect of forcing the regime to come clean.
Maybe the Biden administration (such as it is) wants everyone to feel satisfied with his explanation and then not think about it anymore.
LOL Joe sits on his hands, passively observing as a spectator while Xi’s CCP spy balloon completes its mission before shooting it down. Then to counter the narrative that he’s weak Joe starts blasting everything out of the sky, wasting $500K missiles destroying American weather balloons.
Can’t make this stuff up
The media buried the lead because they have more egg on their face than Biden. To his credit Biden did not say anything since last Friday when the “object” was shot down in Alaska. There were no accusations from the Biden administration that China was behind the last 3 shoot downs. Instead it was the media that conflated the last 3 shoot downs of “objects” with the first balloon which even China acknowledges is theirs. So it is the media who should be eating crow over this especially Fox which has been at an hysterical anti-China fever pitch the last week.
And the republican pukes go silent. These pin heads should be yelling and screaming about how screwed up mindless joe’s military actions have been. We are a disgrace.
“Joe, you mean you shot down corporate balloons ! ”
“As a bonafide leader of The UniParty you’re not supposed to do that , Joe !”
“Well, the heck with it, it’s time for your Saturday night bath anyways.”
“Joe, Joe, where did you go ?”
At the 0:32 mark Biden rubs his nose, at the 0:34 mark Biden begins with his big lie.
Exactly.. Every time he touches his face, it’s a tell.
every time he open his mouth.
every single moment of his LIFE, has been a lie..
one
after
the
next
(this is WHY he was installed)
God Bless America
Another tell: When he says “(That’s) no joke.”
Was there one sentence he read off the tele-prompter that was not a lie?
He forgot to add that this media circus also (purposefully) removed the ‘air’ from the Seymour Hersh revelation about Nordstream…..which was exactly the purpose of this balloon circus.
Essentially, it acted on misinformation and public pressure to do something. He should fire his fact checkers.
Frustrating and embarrassing. Where is the shame with our military leadership? Who would want to be part of such a pathetic regime?
Well, Milley and the guys in dresses and rouge.
As if we need any more confirmation that this administration is full of idiots.
I mean we knew FJB is a moron but could not foresee exactly how his moronic self would expose itself. Each week there’s another unexpected event, another lie, another phantom handshake, another goofy bike fall. It just gets weirder and weirder.
I think we’re all sick of it. And sick of watching the msm cover for him.
someday someone will make a great comedy movie about the incompetence of this administration.
So because this idiot had the sensors tweaked in a feckless attempt to solve the UFO myths his party believes, the US is now “defeating” intrusive research and weather balloons.
lying, dog face pony soldier. no more little lies, everything is now a lie.
He is an imbecile and his audience is other imbeciles. He correctly surmises that intelligent people will not be listening because they have exceeded their capacity to have their intelligence insulted by his ridiculous lies aimed at the under ten years old audience. All of this is mendacity, and attempts to soothe really frightened people who believe that pointless lists make the world a safe and comprehensible place.
… FJB… the American Tchernenko…
We always knew, from day one, that these were merely weather balloons. Furthermore, since both the [HAM …] radio frequencies and the data stream formats used by these transponders are public, we could have simply listened to them to know what they were. The courts should order the Feds to pay just compensation to these private property owners for the loss of their equipment.
And the American people for a couple million dollars’ worth of wasted jet fuel and missiles … 🤡
The “paths over sensitive military installations” were obviously just “the course of the jet stream at various altitudes,” which is precisely what these balloons want to measure. They are used by nations all over the world and can remain aloft for months, circumnavigating the planet many times.
All these lying politicians and media talking heads are an insult to the human species. Is it any wonder why our schools no longer teach critical thinking skills, math is racist and focus on CRT, multi trans genderism and glowbull warming. Academia has successfully dumbed down several generations of Americans. Meanwhile our universities are full of foreign (mostly Chinese) students getting STEM degrees while our dummies get degrees in wokeness. This will only get worse.
This madness is the result of God removing his hand from this Nation and turning us over to the evil desires of our hearts. We have reprobate minds and only want to do evil. We will not change because we cannot change without God`s help. We have been and continue to be under Devine Judgement probably since 1963 when God, prayer, and the Holy Bible were kicked out of Public Schools, and Government buildings. That was the beginning, in my humble opinion, of our downward spiral. We are not coming back from this because we are unable to on our own, unless God helps us, which He will not because we are under His Judgement right now and we have come up severely lacking.
Schools were successfully secularized from that ruling. I agree that has 95% to do with our current failed state.
The Heavenly Father does not Judge, He is not vengeful. he is not jealous. He is perfect Love and Truth He knows not these things,
The downfall of our country is not His judgement. It is the result of our turning our backs to his light and love. What happens is the result of our actions not his judgement. By turning away from His light, Love, and TRUTH which He freely gives. We have doomed ourselves
. All that is required to fix things is. We turn around embrace the light, Love the Father, and most importantly Repent. Forgiveness will follow.
It is that simple. But the simplest answers are the hardest to see when your eyes are blinded by wrong thinking (sin) and you do not follow your heart. Our Fathers holy word is written on every mans heart. All you have to do is learn how to read.
God has judged and will judge, but He is merciful and chastises us to persuade us to repent.
I think that is what we are seeing now.
With all due respect you do not speak for me or my family-I would agree that there are those who desire evil within our country but most citizens of the Heartland, for example, are not desirous of evil, imho, nor do I believe God has deserted me or my family or my fellow citizens who have a strong belief in Him and there are many in America –
Total truth ! Thanks for letting others know what you and I believe !
Homeschool your children and grandchildren.
If they can’t be exclusively home-schooled then make time daily to find out what garbage they’ve been fed at school that day and counter-act it.
Teach them to think critically about the garbage they’ve been fed at school.
Read to them when they are small, have them read aloud to you as they grow older. Choose the books they will read and ask them their opinions. Have them explain why they believe the things they believe.
TURN OFF the tv and phones and computers.
Sit down to dinner with your family. Talk to each other and really listen with respect.
Kids are not dumb, but if all they are fed is a steady diet of “junk information” they will turn into intellectually flabby-brained slobs.
Teach them proper morals and arm them with the capacity to think critically.
Then future generations will call you blessed.
Great comment!
Trump is being treated by the Biden, the administration, government agencies, and the media as more of a threat running for president because he doesn’t want to get into a war and negotiate for piece.
If I have to register my drone with the FAA, how is it that amateur balloon groups can fly unregistered aircraft? Something does not add up here.
My guess is they WERE registered and the owners are either complicit, were forewarned or are eventually finding out that their device(s) no longer exist.
I read somewhere that one of these was apparently similar to a Google device. I can’t recall where I saw that or what device it was, but when I saw Google was attached to it I immediately thought that they would be a willing participant to this distraction.
Edit: Just saw this article on Zero Hedge:
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/illinois-hobby-club-believes-pentagon-shot-down-their-12-pico-balloon
You didn’t pay off the right people
Yep, I called it a week ago when I commented here that the most likely source of the balloons was either a private company or an academic institution that was too afraid to come forward once the USAF started shooting $400,000 missiles at their inflatables.
If anybody tells you your government is run by intelligent people, remind them that their government just spent a couple of weeks shooting missiles at harmless balloons without even knowing the source.
How long do you wager until the brown shirts at Google start hiding the balloon fiasco in search queries…on orders from the FBI?