US intelligence officials are weighing the possibility that the alleged Chinese spy balloon was not deliberately maneuvered towards the US by the Chinese government. They are examining whether the object was blown off course by strong winds, several people briefed on the matter told CNN .
After the balloon took off from Hainan, China, last month, US officials monitored it as it crossed the Pacific, the sources said.
After tracking the balloon for a while, authorities believed it was heading towards Guam, where it would likely attempt to stake out military sites on the island.
But instead, the balloon unexpectedly went north and crossed into Alaska, Canada, and then downhill, re-entering the US through northern Idaho and moving towards Montana.
US officials are not sure this path was deliberate and could have been caused by strong winds.
Still, China retained some ability to maneuver the balloon. As the object flew over Montana, authorities believe the Chinese took advantage of its position to fly past sensitive locations and try to gather intelligence.
The balloon then moved east over the US and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th by US fighters.
Such as CNN reported, the US intelligence community last year developed a method of tracking what they say is a fleet of Chinese balloons operating around the world.
The reconstitution of the climate made by the CNN suggests that it is plausible that wind currents deflected the balloon north towards Alaska.
The Washington Post reported for the first time that officials are looking into the possibility that China did not intend for the balloon to travel over the US mainland.
Any intelligence information suggesting the overflight may have been unintentional could ease tensions between Washington and Beijing, offering both countries a way out of what has become a simmering diplomatic crisis.
exchange of accusations
A day after the United States publicly revealed that the balloon had been located, Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a trip to Beijing and accused China of deliberately sending in a call with diplomat Wang Yi, calling it “unacceptable and irresponsible.”
“I made it clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law, that it is an irresponsible act, and that the People’s Republic of China’s decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions we were prepared to have,” Blinken told reporters Feb. 2.
Blinken and Wang will attend the Munich Security Conference this weekend. US officials say a meeting between the two is not currently planned, but they haven’t completely ruled out the possibility.
It is not clear what information the US obtained for authorities to consider a credible possibility that the balloon’s trajectory may have been at least partially accidental.
The US intelligence community is also closely examining which members of the Chinese government ordered and approved the airship mission.
Both governments are publicly at loggerheads over China’s claim that it was a weather balloon that accidentally entered US airspace.
“Affected by the west wind and with limited capacity for self-control, the airship seriously deviated from the scheduled route,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged on Feb.
“China regrets that the airship diverted to the United States due to force majeure. China will continue to maintain communication with the US to properly handle the unexpected situation,” he stressed.
The US, however, insisted that the balloon was being used for surveillance and that it was not completely at the mercy of the winds. The Chinese government has launched similar surveillance balloons in continental US airspace in the past, including near Florida and Texas.
However, US officials recognized that the balloon’s maneuverability was limited.
Asked earlier this month whether the Chinese government is “controlling the balloon’s motion or just floating with air currents,” the Pentagon press secretary declined to comment in detail.
“I won’t go into any specific information we may have. Again, we know this is a Chinese balloon and that it has the ability to maneuver, but I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
*Jennifer Hansler, da CNN contributed to this report
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
