US military shoots down fourth flying 'object' in ten days
The suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA, on February 4, 2023. © RANDALL HIL / RUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
The United States military has shot down a new "object" at altitude, this time over Lake Huron, two elected officials announced this Sunday, February 12, the latest in mysterious flying objects that have placed the authorities of the United States and the Canada on high alert.
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It is the third "
object
" to be shot down in three days by the Americans in their country and in Canada, and the fourth in less than ten days, counting the
Chinese balloon
described by Washington as a
spy device
and which was targeted by a missile on February 4 after flying over part of the United States.
The new object “
was shot down by US Air Force pilots and the National Guard
,” Michigan Democrat Elissa Slotkin tweeted.
"
As a precaution and on the recommendation of military command, President Biden ordered that the unidentified object be shot down
," an administration official later added.
“
We assessed that there was no military threat to anything on the ground
,” he added.
The object has been downed by pilots from the US Air Force and National Guard.
Great work by all who carried out this mission both in the air and back at headquarters.
We're all interested in exactly what this object was and it's purpose.
1/ https://t.co/LsjwtjntCv
— Rep.
Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) February 12, 2023
Growing questions
"
The American people deserve a lot more answers than what we have
," added Jack Bergman on Twitter, reflecting the growing questions in the country and the political class about these events.
For elected Republicans, this series of events simply represents an "
act of war
" on the part of China, reports our correspondent in Houston,
Thomas Harms
.
“
When I see the sites that have been flown over, it is a clear provocation to obtain data on our three nuclear sites in this country.
They are looking at what our capabilities are in the event of a possible conflict with Taiwan
, ”reacted on American television, Michael McCaul, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
The United States believes that the first officially detected object, a balloon, was controlled by the Chinese military and was part of a
fleet sent by Beijing over more than 40 countries on five continents
, for the purpose of espionage. .
“
Flagrant delict of a lie
”
For the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, the Chinese pass for amateurs.
“
I think the Chinese have been humiliated.
They were caught in the act of lying.
It's a real regression for them
, ”launched ABC Chuck Schumer.
The Chinese government assures that it was a civilian aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological.
Two other flying objects were then shot down by American forces, one, Friday February 10, above Alaska, the other, Saturday February 11, in Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was expected in the evening in the province of Yukon, at the scene where the last was shot.
In a sign that authorities are on the alert, airspace over part of Lake Michigan in the northern United States was temporarily closed on Sunday for "national defense"
reasons
, according to the US civil aviation regulator (FAA).
►
To read also:
Balloons, pirates and cameras: when the United States and its allies accuse China of espionage
(
And with
AFP)
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