US Senator Cotton said on Thursday that it was a "bad mistake" to allow China's balloon to traverse across the continental US rather than shooting it down when it was initially detected
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) US Senator Cotton said on Thursday that it was a "bad mistake" to allow China's balloon to traverse across the continental US rather than shooting it down when it was initially detected.
"I think it was a bad mistake to let a Chinese spy balloon float all across America and only to leak it to the New York Times when some amateur photographer in Montana spotted it," Cotton said during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing.
"I suspect if they hadn't, it would have floated on its merry way all across America and this would have never become public. And I think that is a dangerous precedent to set not just with China, but with all of our adversaries," he added.
Cotton confirmed with NORCOM Commander Glen VanHerck at the hearing that he had four armed fighter jets ready in the air to shoot down the balloon on January 28, the day after VanHerck was informed of its existence by the intelligence community.
