After a U.S Air Force F-22 Raptor shot down the Chinese surveillance balloon with a sidewinder missile on Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued an alternative-universe statement in which he lauded Joe Biden’s commitment to “always put the safety and security of the American people first.”
No, really. We’ll get back to that silliness in a bit.
Austin began by suggesting the “commander in chief” — I put that in quotes because Biden is pretty much not the commander of anything — was in charge from the outset.
This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high-altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace. The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters.
However, as we reported earlier today, Biden told reporters he ordered the Pentagon to down the balloon on Wednesday but was–in effect–overruled by U.S. military commanders.
Austin confirmed Biden’s statement.
On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon’s path. After careful analysis, U.S. military commanders determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload.
In accordance with the President’s direction, the Department of Defense developed options to take down the balloon safely over our territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities.
They have Nothing else to Brag about !!!! Biden Screwed Up & then they Lie & pat themselves on the back !!!!!
So did the Sec get his small stuffed animal from the boardwalk dart game?
They act like they shot down a Bomber !!!! LOL Only a Balloon !!
The Balloon could have been a weapon Like ANTHRAX Ricin Mustard Gas or anything else COVID !!!!
the chinese are coming and the people in charge are helping them
Austin and Milley both got us into the Afghanistan mess and caused the US to leave behind our own people, our allies and billions of weapons left behind to fall into our enemies hands to kill us with. These two should be court marshaled and stripped of their military rights and jobs.