US to take down any object posing threat: Biden
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US President Joe Biden said Washington was set to take down any aerial object that poses a threat to US security.
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US President Joe Biden speaks about the Chinese surveillance balloon and other unidentified objects shot down by the US military, February 16, 2023, in Washington, DC, the United States (AP Photo)
The United States will take down any object that poses a threat to the safety or security of Americans and will update the rules for launching unmanned objects in US airspace, US President Joe Biden said Thursday after Washington shot down four unmanned aerial objects this month.
"If any object presents a threat to the safety and security of American people, I will take it down," Biden said. "We'll update the rules and regulations for launching and maintaining unmanned objects in the skies above the United States of America."
This is Biden's first official remarks on the downing of the Chinese balloon over the United States in early February.
"We don't yet know exactly what these three objects were. But nothing right now suggests they're related to China's spy balloon program, or they were surveillance vehicles from other any other country," Biden said.
"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," the president added.
Bloomberg said the US head of state would speak about the issue, adding that he was going to reassure Americans that there are no reasons for concern over the downed objects.
US President Joe Biden is planning to make a public address about the United States downing a Chinese balloon over its airspace recently, Bloomberg said on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter who said the leader was planning on making the public address before his visit to Poland.
The White House answered several questions on Monday pertaining to the recent shooting down of three unidentified aerial objects over the past week.
White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre made it clear that there was no connection whatsoever to extraterrestrial activity with the last three aerial objects.
But the nature of the last three aerial objects remains unknown.
However, the White House said Tuesday that the US intelligence community is considering the possibility that "three mysterious unidentified objects shot down by US fighter jets were tied to a commercial or otherwise benign purpose."
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby, told journalists that "there was no indication that the trio of objects were tied to China's spy balloon program."
Meanwhile, Rising Tide Foundation Vice President Matthew Ehret stated that he doubts that the new policy was ignited by any actual threat.
"It is a psy-op to deflect the minds of thinking people away from the real issues [such as] the systemic meltdown shaping their dismal future and setting the stage for a new set of 'great narratives,’" Ehret added.
Ehret stressed that US and Western intelligence worked hard to fuel the flames of public frenzy on this, including Pentagon efforts to declassify UFO information.
Meanwhile, former CIA analyst Philip Giraldi acknowledged that President Joe Biden and his advisors aim at exploiting the incidents to boost dwindling domestic political support.
Political commentator Alex Krainer, founder of Krainer Analytics, shed the light on how the high-profile coverage came at the fleet of Hersh's report.
He also argued that train derailments in Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas are among scandals the US probably wants to downplay.
Biden to talk with Xi
President Biden underlined Thursday that he intended to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and maintain lines of communication between Washington and China following the downing of the Chinese balloon.
"We will continue to engage with China… I will remain in communication with President Xi," Biden said during a press conference. "I expect to be speaking with President Xi, and I hope we get to the bottom of this."
Furthermore, Biden said during the remarks that he would not apologize for his decision to shoot down the balloon, but remains dedicated to responsibly managing competition with China to avoid conflict.
