Top Republican Senators Press Pentagon for Unanswered Questions About Chinese Spy Balloon

Leading Senate Republicans criticize the Pentagon for failing to answer their questions on the Chinese spy balloon, which flew over the United States for several days before being shot down.

In a Letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the top Republicans on Armed Services and Intelligence Committees said their questions about the timeline of events prior to the balloon’s downing had not been answered. They asked why it took so long for them to send their questions to Austin and Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence. Letter February 8.

Austin and Haines were asked to answer a question in the February Letter. “a full accounting, with date and time stamps, of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs’ engagements with the National Security Council and the President of the United States, regarding the balloon and its trajectory.”

In their latest letter, senators noted that Colin Kahl was the Under Secretary for Defense Policy. He replied to their original letter on February 27, but it took 10 days for him to respond. They also stated that Kahl was not available to answer their questions. Senators suggested that they had already received answers to their questions in two briefings provided by the Biden administration to senators on February 9th and 14.

“This response, which we interpret as reflective of your position, is unacceptable,” The senators wrote. “We attended both briefings and can say with utmost certainty that Dr. Kahl’s contention is wrong: many of our oversight questions about the administration’s immediate response to the Chinese surveillance balloon remain unanswered.

“We need documentation to show when senior officials were informed about the balloon, and what point you and the President were offered response options. The letter’s purpose was to provide basic facts that would inform all members.”

Issues

One particular issue the two senators wanted clarification on was when Austin learned about the Chinese balloon. They noted that Gen. Glen VanHerck, the commander for North American Aerospace Defense Command, notified “His chain of command” when the balloon was over the Aleutian Islands on Feb. 28.

“We believe that you didn’t learn about the balloon until a few days after it had crossed Alaska and Canada. The balloon then re-entered the United States.” the senators wrote, referring to Austin.

On Jan. 30, the Chinese balloon entered Canadian airspace before reentering U.S. airspace over Idaho on Jan. 31, according to the Pentagon. The balloon was shot down The South Carolina coast, February 4.

“As the Department’s senior policy official, Dr. Kahl likely would have been involved in briefing you on the balloon and developing response options,” the senators wrote. “Alternatively, if Dr. Kahl did not play this role during the balloon crisis, learned of the balloon belatedly, or declined to provide response options while the balloon was over unpopulated regions of Alaska and Canada, that is something Congress should understand.

“Instead, Dr. Kahl is simply declining to answer our questions on your behalf.”

Trump Administration

The senators suggested that Kahl was “spearheading a communications strategy that aims to hide the administration’s early missteps,” saying that he “leaked previously classified information” about Chinese balloons during the Trump administration.

John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, previously said that similar balloons traversed U.S. airspace three times during the previous administration.

Former President Donald Trump and his officials have said they were never briefed on Chinese balloons entering U.S. airspace.

“It remains unclear whether this leak was cleared internally though the proper channels,” the senators wrote. “Either way, it was a brazen attempt to shift blame.

“We sincerely hope you will hold Dr. Kahl accountable for his politicization of previously classified material.”

Wicker and Rubio ended their letter by saying that they would continue to wait for their February questions to be answered.

“It is imperative for Congress to understand why this Chinese surveillance balloon was not stopped sooner so we can help the Department of Defense and the intelligence community better protect our airspace,” the senators wrote. “Please let us know as soon as possible when we can expect to receive these responses.”

On Feb. 17, the Northern Command issued a statement announcing that it had concluded its recovery efforts to collect debris from the Chinese spy balloon. It added that the last of the balloon’s debris was being sent to an FBI laboratory in Virginia for “counterintelligence exploitations.”

The Epoch Times has contacted the Pentagon for comment.