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Top lawmaker reveals Chinese spy balloon 'did a lot of damage' — and he connects the dots of its flight path
Blaze Media/News ^ | February 13, 2023 | CHRIS ENLOE

Posted on 02/14/2023 6:57:40 AM PST by george76

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul revealed Sunday that the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the United States "did a lot of damage."

Speaking on CBS News' "Face the Nation," the Texas Republican explained that by not preemptively downing the balloon, the Biden administration essentially allowed China to gather intelligence on areas sensitive to national security.

The noteworthy revelation came after host Margaret Brennan asked McCaul about new restrictions enacted on six Chinese companies whose technology was used in the spy balloon's construction.

"It will be one of my number-one priorities, as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in this Congress, to stop the export of technology to China that then goes into their most advanced weapons systems, in this case a sophisticated spy balloon that went across three nuclear sites," McCaul responded.

"I think it's important to say, in plain view of the American people, you know, in Montana — the triad site, air, land, and, sea nuclear weapons — in Omaha, the spy balloon went over our Strategic Command, which is our most sensitive nuclear site; it was so sensitive that President Bush was taken there after 9/11. And then, finally, Missouri, the B-2 bomber— that's where they are placed.

"It did a lot of damage," he said.

...

Publicly, the government has said it mitigated the spy balloon's intelligence gathering capabilities. But McCaul said he is not convinced.

"My assessment — and I can't get into the detail of the intelligence document — is that if it was still transmitting going over these three very sensitive nuclear sites, I think if you look at the flight pattern of the balloon, it tells a story as to what the Chinese were up to as they controlled this aircraft throughout the United States," he said.

"Going over those sites, in my judgment, would cause great damage. Remember, a balloon could see a lot more on the ground than a satellite," he added.

Later in the interview, McCall hypothesized that China sent the spy balloon to assess U.S. military capabilities in the event that China and Taiwan end their cold war.

"It was done with provocation to gather intelligence data and collect intelligence on our three major nuclear sites in this country," McCaul said.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Montana; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: attack; balloon; china; chinese; emt; emtattack; spy; spyballoon
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1 posted on 02/14/2023 6:57:40 AM PST by george76
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To: george76
The big guy just made the Clintoon’s look like pikers. Two U.S Presidents have been the greatest gift to China they have ever known.
2 posted on 02/14/2023 7:11:42 AM PST by liberalh8ter (The only difference between flash mob 'urban yutes' and U.S. politicians is the hoodies.)
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To: george76

Sooooo this Balloon was not just riding on the random currents of the wind? It was actually controlled and directed on a specific path.

Allowing this to happen, IS THIS TREASON YET?????


3 posted on 02/14/2023 7:14:32 AM PST by OHPatriot (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: george76

National security is on hold as long a Biden and crew are in charge the democrat party has created the infrastructure of corruption what isn’t for sale is traded for it’s gain of power.


4 posted on 02/14/2023 7:17:36 AM PST by Vaduz (LAWYERS )
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To: george76

National security is on hold as long a Biden and crew are in charge the democrat party has created the infrastructure of corruption what isn’t for sale is traded for it’s gain of power.


5 posted on 02/14/2023 7:17:45 AM PST by Vaduz (LAWYERS )
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To: george76

Sorry, I’m skeptical that the balloons gathered significant data. This politician adds nothing to our understanding.

For one thing, sensitive sites took security measures in advance of the arrival of the balloons.

And this politician spouted maybes:

“Going over those sites, IN MY JUDGMENT, WOULD cause great damage.”

“Later in the interview, McCall hypothesized ...”


6 posted on 02/14/2023 7:27:24 AM PST by cymbeline
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To: george76

Any number of millions of people could drive along the paths of these balloons.


7 posted on 02/14/2023 7:30:26 AM PST by jroehl (And how we burned in the camps later - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago)
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To: cymbeline

The balloon’s instruments were monitoring radio traffic, among other things. An antenna array that large would be able to triangulate the location of transmitters.


8 posted on 02/14/2023 7:32:15 AM PST by GingisK
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To: george76
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul‘s solution to the problem?

Open Borders and More Money to Ukraine!
9 posted on 02/14/2023 7:34:15 AM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: cymbeline

“Sorry, I’m skeptical that the balloons gathered significant data. This politician adds nothing to our understanding.”

Your check from China will be arriving shortly.


10 posted on 02/14/2023 7:39:57 AM PST by Pirate Ragnar (Be calm and act.)
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To: george76

The balloon overflights are the prelude to a possible EMT attack.


11 posted on 02/14/2023 7:40:43 AM PST by exPBRrat
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To: OHPatriot

“Sooooo this Balloon was not just riding on the random currents of the wind? It was actually controlled and directed on a specific path.
Allowing this to happen, IS THIS TREASON YET?????”

I sincerely don’t think that America has the guts to charge ANYONE WITH TREASON ANYMORE, no matter what they do. Looking at Biden is and the damage he has done to America makes my point.


12 posted on 02/14/2023 7:41:46 AM PST by kagnew
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To: exPBRrat

“The balloon overflights are the prelude to a possible EMT attack.”

Yes and also a biological attack. Prepare for the worst.


13 posted on 02/14/2023 7:43:22 AM PST by Pirate Ragnar (Be calm and act.)
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To: george76

My European family says the US is the only country who doesn’t know the US started WW3. We are actively engaged in war in Syria and Ukraine and now over our own soil.
I would like to know 2 things: what was the flight path of the “balloon” over Alaska….
And what in the universe is phosphogene doing on a train. My husband laughed that only I would zero in on that
Phophogene gas was burning in buttigiegs train. Where is he? He is doing for crumbling infrastructure money…. Far from this warzone.


14 posted on 02/14/2023 7:44:46 AM PST by momincombatboots (QEphesians 6... who you are really at war with)
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To: OHPatriot
Read an interesting perspective. I'll post an excerpt but a link to the site is not welcome on FR:

"At a more practical level, in terms of nuclear warfare, the 341st Missile Wing at Montana’s Malmstrom air base is at the far end of the military-dedicated 5G transmission lines that spans more than half the width of the American Continent. At certain points where a secondary line splits off toward another defense-related facility, relay hubs are disguised as an ordinary tract home or truck garage and other innocuous civilian structures, these sites housing power-boosting transforms, radio-wave relays for satellite communications and in certain sites decryption devices. Electromagnetic pulses and surges emitted from these secret defense-network sites were being tracked by the Ghost Airship, for mapping target coordinates for incapacitation by satellite-based laser strikes. Knocking out 5G communications would buy sufficient time for a first-strike without fear of retaliatory missile launches."

Now I can't vouch for the accuracy of it, but it certainly is possible.

The fact remains: that balloon was ALLOWED to traverse CONUS. All this other crap about other objects is chaff being thrown up to obfuscate.

My opinion: treason has been committed.

15 posted on 02/14/2023 7:48:18 AM PST by Tench_Coxe
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To: GingisK

So can someone driving around in a car.


16 posted on 02/14/2023 7:49:10 AM PST by TexasGunLover
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To: george76

I can believe that it caused damage to US national security. I also believe that McCaul is a war pig and will use any excuse he can to increase defense department spending.


17 posted on 02/14/2023 7:53:20 AM PST by steel_resolve (The Sleeper Must Awaken. )
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To: exPBRrat

The balloon overflights are the prelude to a possible EMT attack.


bingo. The stuff of movies could become reality....


18 posted on 02/14/2023 7:53:51 AM PST by patriotspride (Third generation Vet. Never forget the true cost of freedom)
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To: cymbeline

Your CCP handler is holding for you on line 2


19 posted on 02/14/2023 8:02:37 AM PST by Old West Conservative
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To: GingisK

“An antenna array that large would be able to triangulate the location of transmitters.”

The triangulation could be done utilizing the movement of the balloon.

The location of on-ground transmitters could also be determined by ground vehicles roaming around withing a few miles of the transmitters. Not to mention private aircraft that staid outside of no-fly areas.

Regarding transmissions from a sensitive site: Wouldn’t you think they’d locate the transmitter at a distance from the site and use an underground cable to get the signal from the site to the transmitter.

The balloon drama just seems stupid except for their ability to drop a bomb. The muddled response from our administration makes it look like something not obvious is going on, or the administration doesn’t know what’s going on, or they’re trying to cover up their own screw-up.


20 posted on 02/14/2023 8:23:06 AM PST by cymbeline
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