What Say You? – February 2, 2023

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NEW — Chinese nationals captured after crossing into Texas illegally, paid smugglers $35K each

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Maybe NOW our friends and family members will believe us when they say that our entire military and government is controlled by the CCP.

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Just another crazy story/ distraction.

The Chinese can do WHATEVER THEY PLEASE.

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-spy-balloon-seen-over-u-s-this-weekofficials-11675376397

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Suspected Chinese spy balloon has been hovering over the Northern United States for the past few days.

The Pentagon is tracking a “massive” high-altitude surveillance balloon over the United States.

The U.S. military is currently weighing options per officials.

The military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official.

The high-altitude balloon was spotted over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday. It flew over the Aleutian Islands, through Canada, and into Montana. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now.

On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened a meeting of senior military and defense leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, NORTHCOM/NORAD Commander Gen. Glen VanHerck, and other combatant commanders.

Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

The official said the U.S. military will continue to monitor it closely and will keep the option of taking out the balloon on the table.

“We are tracking it in minute detail in real time and we will constantly update our assessment,” the official said. “We are in constant surveillance of this thing through a bunch of different means.”

The official said there was a window while the balloon was over Montana Wednesday when they could have taken it down. NORAD sent aircraft — including F-22 Raptors from Nellis Air Force Base and airborne early warning aircraft known as AWACs — but the official would not say whether one of the options was to shoot the balloon out of the sky with a U.S. aircraft.

The U.S. military flights prompted a ground stop at the airport in Billings, with air traffic controllers citing a “special military mission.”

The U.S. is confident the balloon belongs to China, the official said, and they have communicated to the Chinese government “through multiple channels both here in D.C. and in Beijing.” The official did not say whether the Chinese admitted the balloon was theirs.

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Adding this

Tensions are high between the U.S. and China.

Today the Pentagon announced it would bolster the U.S. military presence near Taiwan, with plans to expand the number of U.S. military personnel in the Philippines.

Announced during Austin’s visit to Manila, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) designates four more bases where U.S. military personnel can now base in strategic areas of the country, adding to the five already authorized to house American troops.

Also..

In a blunt internal memo leaked to the media this week, Air Force General Michael Minihan predicted that the United States would be at war with China by 2025 and ordered his commanders to implement detailed preparations.

“My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Minihan declared.

Things are ramping up but all part of the plan and all warned about …

– Laura Wells

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