It turns out that the massive Chinese spy balloon equipped with sensors and surveillance equipment that traversed the United States before finally being shot down on February 4 was only round one of a larger crisis.
The news this weekend took an ominous turn with reports of three additional "objects" violating US and Canadian airspace. The first was shot down over Alaska, the second over Canada, and the third over Lake Huron. If the current pace continues, we will soon need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the intrusions.
No one should take comfort in the fact that the most recent "objects" were smaller than the initial spy balloon. Bad things can come in small packages. Even small objects can pose deadly threats to civilian aircraft.
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We now have a pattern of foreign intrusions into our sovereign airspace in less than two weeks’ time. The task of framing and explaining this threat is something the president can no longer afford to delegate.
President Biden missed an early opportunity during last week’s State of the Union to properly address the Chinese spy balloon. He barely mentioned China in the speech, stating, almost perfunctorily, that "if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country."
Since then, President Biden has left subordinates and spokespersons to explain the expanding crisis to the broader public. On Sunday, the Commander of US Northern Command General VanHerck stated he has not "ruled out anything," when asked about the most recent intrusions.
The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stumbled badly over the weekend trying to explain the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a binational US-Canadian military organization responsible for defending against foreign intruders.
The reticence by the Commander in Chief to speak about this crisis is concerning. The White House has briefed at least some members of Congress. It is now time for President Biden to engage the American people. This moment seems tailor-made for President Biden, who prides himself on straight talk.
His refusal to address the nation has created an information void, which China is more than happy to fill. On Monday, Beijing accused the United States of sending ten balloons over its territory since January 2020 (evidently Chinese fighter pilots are poor marksmen, for they have no wreckage to display). On the home front, the dearth of information has spurred a wide range of speculative theories about who may be directing the most recent aerial intrusions.
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The American people are savvy enough know the White House may not have all the answers at this point. It takes time, after all, to collect the wreckage from the recent shootdowns and scrutinize it for clues. However, they are right to demand a more complete accounting of what the administration does know at this point, and they deserve to hear this directly from the President. The sooner, the better.
As the Commander in Chief, President Biden needs to share what he knows about the sovereign airspace violations so far, and how he will deal with such violations in the future.
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He should emphasize that the United States will shoot down any unauthorized balloons or other foreign objects as soon as they pass over our territorial waters. His message here must be crystal clear: if it flies, it dies.
Moreover, since the State Department recently claimed Chinese spy balloons have flown over "more than 40 countries across five continents," President Biden should also explain what more we can and should be doing in concert with our allies and partners to deter such incursions in the future.
In the absence of a presidential address, the questions will continue to multiply. Where did the foreign objects over the weekend come from? Were they also sent courtesy of Beijing? Or is Moscow – or perhaps another bad actor -- also getting into the act?
Spartan Kings in ancient Greece were famously laconic, but American presidents are granted no such luxury. They are expected to address their constituents, especially during times of crisis.
This is why President Biden’s lack of engagement on this front is so troubling. Despite all this, there is still time to limit the damage, but only if the commander in chief levels with the American people in a forthwith and forthright manner.
