Greene calls for probe into why Trump was unaware of previous Chinese balloons

There was only one balloon.

 

The open skies treaty had that mechanism. It was deseigned to prevent another Powers incident in 1961.

Two Trump supporters said it didn't happen. But the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said he knew but didn't tell.

 

Biden did nothing and instead allowed the balloon to cross the entire nation.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/politics/military-intelligence-report-china-balloon-trump/index.html

"The April 2022 report, titled “People’s Republic of China High-Altitude Balloon,” found a Chinese spy balloon “circumnavigated the globe” in 2019 – while Donald Trump was president – at an altitude of roughly 65,000 feet, and “drifted past Hawaii and across Florida before continuing its journey,” the US Air Force document states."

Interesting that this story is supposed to be false when a report about the China balloons under Trump was written in April 2022. The Biden Administration must have invented a time machine.

 

Everybody in the Trump administration say it didnt happen. And thats a lie about Miley.

 

I have no doubt that the air force, norad, etc knew about these previous balloons in real time.
There may be good reasons why the current president wasn't made aware of it, and maybe multiple reasons.
I've read that the daily security briefings for Trump were "different" than other presidents, that's the way Trump wanted it.
He didn't want to have to read, so the briefings had to be oral or in pictures.
So, maybe some things that they deemed "less important" were not conveyed.
But, there is no doubt in my mind that the FAA and military knew, at the time, of their existence.
If for no other reason than air traffic control.
It's also possible that the Chinese found a "sweet spot" in altitude that was not closely watched, also. But I would strongly suspect NORAD knew of their existence.

 

So, if it didn't happen, why did the Air Force write a report about it in April of 2022? Did the Biden admin anticipate almost a year ahead that a Chinese balloon would fly over the US and they needed an excuse to point to Trump? See my previous post:

"https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/politics/military-intelligence-report-china-balloon-trump/index.html

"The April 2022 report, titled “People’s Republic of China High-Altitude Balloon,” found a Chinese spy balloon “circumnavigated the globe” in 2019 – while Donald Trump was president – at an altitude of roughly 65,000 feet, and “drifted past Hawaii and across Florida before continuing its journey,” the US Air Force document states."

Interesting that this story is supposed to be false when a report about the China balloons under Trump was written in April 2022. The Biden Administration must have invented a time machine. "

 

No, you don't understand. Hundreds of these balloons are released (maybe thousands) by many different countries: actual atmospheric weather balloons. But because they can also be used for spying, we track a large number of them. In the previous instances, the Chinese balloon incursions were only minimal, near our borders, so did not immediately cause any sirens to go off. This last incident, was much more blatant. It could mean that the Chinese had become overly confident in their ability to go undetected.

It is also possible that this was purposely done by the military, knowing it would draw attention, in order to hobble Xi's attempt for a "reset" in U.S.- China relations, because that element in the military prefers when our postures are on a more belligerent footing, as they have been becoming. This incident occurred, significantly, just before a scheduled, major meeting in China, w/ our Secretary of State, Tony Blinken. Because of the balloon, that meeting was cancelled.

Another possibility, might be that China expected this to provoke a reaction from us, which they could then condemn, both for domestic consumption, as well as to move the world spotlight off of themselves, being seen in the negative lights of the start of the Covid pandemic, of their saber rattling at Taiwan, not to mention their bullying attitude throughout the China Sea, and even regarding China's (some would call genocidal) policies, towards the Uyghurs. Obviously, though, this last speculation would only be true, if the balloon turns out not to have been being used, for spying.

 

Just read elsewhere the NORAD Commanding General is taking responsibility. The four balloons during the Trump era were near Guam, Hawai'i, Florida and southern Texas and he assessed them as non-threats.

 

That's funny, and true of Trump's interest in intelligence briefings, generally speaking but, it seems, not in this particular instance.

 

They didnt learn about the balloons until 2021 according to the current administration. There wouldnt of have been anything to brief Trump on.

 

"Near" as opposed to crossing over.

 

Not everyone, just two former DNI leaders who said it didn't happen. But as Quantem Nerd pointed out, an actual report by the Air Force said it did in 2019. But the two who said it, mostly former Rep Ratcliff, would say and do anything to protect and defend Trump. And it turns out they lied per the Air Force report in 2019 which he probably had access.

 

"...similar surveillance balloons had been spotted in U.S. airspace near the continental United States"

The Defense Department was not specific about where in each state the previous incursions occurred, Waltz said. He added that officials did not say whether the balloons made it into U.S. airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from the shore, or over U.S. territory, too.

Marco Rubio, Mike Turner criticize Biden over suspected Chinese spy balloon - The Washington Post

 

Made in China




Chinese balloon flew close to Mar-a-Lago when tfg was president.'

'A Chinese balloon floated over Florida when state resident Donald Trump was president, CNN reported on Monday, citing a U.S. military report. (Watch the video below.)

The account further refutes Trump’s claim that no Chinese surveillance balloons operated in U.S. airspace while he was in the White House. And this one hit somewhat close to home for Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago estate is in Palm Beach.

A U.S. military assessment in April noted that a high-altitude balloon from China “drifted past Hawaii and across Florida” in 2019 as it rounded the world at about 65,000 feet, according to CNN.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon flew across the U.S. last week until it was ordered shot down by President Joe Biden over the Atlantic Ocean. Republicans led by Trump criticized the administration for allowing a potential espionage tool to hover over the nation.'


cont:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dona...l&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=us_politics

 

Not true.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transc...merican-aerospace-defense-command-and-united/

 

…making the story even more pointless than I originally thought.

 

which is exactly what they are.

 

Those balloons were merely "near" the US, not traveling across the entire nation.

 

only near the base of our Pacific fleet, which would matter most to China…

the point is, this is another “gotcha” used by politicians to get their base all excited over nothing. The democrats did it with Russian collusion, which was BS, and now republicans are doing it with silly crap like this balloon, which is utterly meaningless compared to all the other means China has to collect intel on the US. This is all just another silly political game to keep the two sides distracted, divided, and at each others throats over nothing to make their respective parties appear relevant and important, which neither one is, at all.

 

The only silly crap is the claim that 3 balloons crossed the US during the Trump administration.

 

none of it matters. Not the balloons then, not the balloons now. It is stupid political games and division, that is all.

 

No, its a valid opinion that Chinese spy balloons should not be allowed to traverse the entire nation.

 

That is a decision for military and intelligence professionals to make. Instead, we have a bunch of squawking politicians getting involved, turning the whole thing into a political circus, and handing China a win.
If military officials thought it was a true threat, it would have been shot down long ago. What we are seeing now is nothing but scoring political points and a lot of finger pointing.