<div dir="ltr">One theory I heard that I think is very plausible is that the balloon was supposed to self-destruct before reaching the mainland, but the mechanism(s) failed. While true the balloon complements satellites well, I can't help but think China would have completely expected the thing to be shot down over Alaska. If not, then we are in even bigger trouble than I thought. That's not to say they weren't collecting the whole time, because why not? They have been doing stuff like this for years and nobody has cared. Our government certainly did nothing about it. They used to at least have the decency to pretend their computer networks and "private servers" were hacked. Now our entire government more or less just feigns surprise or outrage that China is overtly stealing state secrets in broad daylight while they look on clutching their pearls and shouting, "Somebody should do something!" This is just one example:<div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/fbi-investigation-huawei-china-defense-department-communications-nuclear/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/fbi-investigation-huawei-china-defense-department-communications-nuclear/index.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>Far more disturbing is the fact that the IC clearly withheld past overflights (slight as they were) from the previous administration because...reasons. In fact, it was a racist conspiracy theory to even whisper a hint of wrongdoing by [unnamed country] during that entire administration. A member of the intel committee slept with a Chinese spy and any talk at accountability for that was dismissed as partisan bickering. That is to say nothing of the seasoned Senator who had a Chinese spy as her longtime domestic employee. Now, the same government intel complex that committed completely to a fake dossier to overthrow an American President while slowly replacing the Taliban with...well, the Taliban, is shocked, SHOCKED to discover spying going on. </div><div><br></div><div>As long as China keeps making cheap junk and "reinvesting" back into American corporations...and politics, they can do literally whatever they want. At least I tell myself that. It is far more comforting to me than a reality where all this can simply be chalked up to incompetence at the highest levels of our government. </div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Feb 7, 2023 at 11:11 PM Marc Liebman <<a href="mailto:marc@marcliebman.com">marc@marcliebman.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg1212002636674958211">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">The advantage of the balloon is staying power, i.e. it can stay in one place for longer than a satellite can. We used have charts that showed the path of Soviet and
PRC satellite that gave is swath and times and we used to operate accordingly. <u></u>
<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">So, the question is why did the PRC send it? Was it a provocation? Or did they need better intel? This is typical of the regime, i.e. always poking sharp sticks at
their adversaries – Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the list goes on.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Again, why? What did they hope to gain? Clearly, they understood the political risks.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand",serif">Marc Liebman<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif"><a href="http://www.marcliebman.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">www.marcliebman.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Author of</span></u><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Cherubs 2<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Big Mother 40<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Render Harmless<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Forgotten<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Inner Look<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Moscow Airlift<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">The Simushir Island Incident<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Raider of the Scottish Coast<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Carronade<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Flight of the Pawnee<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif">Failure to Fire<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></i></p>
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</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"American Typewriter",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">Helobubbas <<a href="mailto:helobubbas-bounces@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas-bounces@helobubbas.com</a>> on behalf of <a href="mailto:ahaefner@aol.com" target="_blank">ahaefner@aol.com</a> <<a href="mailto:ahaefner@aol.com" target="_blank">ahaefner@aol.com</a>><br>
<b>Date: </b>Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 12:31 PM<br>
<b>To: </b><a href="mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas@helobubbas.com</a> <<a href="mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas@helobubbas.com</a>>, <a href="mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas@helobubbas.com</a> <<a href="mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas@helobubbas.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [Helobubbas] China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A Larger, More Troubling Pattern<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">I tend to go with the official statements that the balloon couldn't collect any intell that their low satellites aren't already collecting, but that doesn't answer the dilemma of
the Trojan Horse; what else could be in the belly of the basket? <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Is that why you wait for a safe zone to take it down? If so that doesn't answer the question of what were you going to do if it started to descend on a path to a major city/base etc
(target)?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Just wondering what we really knew and didn't know as it first entered our airspace over Alaska?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">W/r, AL <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><br>
In a message dated 2/4/2023 11:08:36 AM Pacific Standard Time, <a href="mailto:russ.smith@me.com" target="_blank">russ.smith@me.com</a> writes:
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">And, the gov’t needs to retrieve it within 12 miles of the coast to prevent “an international incident”… maybe a few well place shots with steel bullets to start its deflation/ descent before that?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div id="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678yqt45746">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5pt;margin-bottom:5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt">On Feb 4, 2023, at 09:58, Marc Liebman <<a href="mailto:marc@marcliebman.com" target="_blank">marc@marcliebman.com</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<blockquote style="margin-top:5pt;margin-bottom:5pt">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div id="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678yqt05069">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The warrior in me says shoot it or them down. That’s what the PRC, DPRK, Soviet Union/Russia does when our recon planes came near their borders.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">So, I don’t understand the reasoning. The PRC is going to poke and prod until we do something. If this balloon goes down over Montana, what is it going to land
on, some cows? The payload would be worth its weight in gold in that we’ll learn more about their capabilities and see what IP was stolen.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The cynic in me says we have nothing to shoot it down with….</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Marc Liebman</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><a href="http://www.marcliebman.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Old serif",serif;color:rgb(5,99,193)">www.marcliebman.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><u><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Author of</span></u><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">:</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Cherubs 2</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Big Mother 40</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Render Harmless</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Forgotten</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Inner Look</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Moscow Airlift</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>The Simushir Island Incident</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Raider of the Scottish Coast</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Carronade</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Flight of the Pawnee</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em>Failure to Fire</em><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em> </em><u></u><u></u></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><strong><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">From:
</span></strong><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">Helobubbas <<a href="mailto:helobubbas-bounces@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas-bounces@helobubbas.com</a>> on behalf of Harold Brattland <<a href="mailto:habrattland@arvig.net" target="_blank">habrattland@arvig.net</a>><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Date: </span></strong>Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 11:45 AM<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To: </span></strong>Helobubbas <<a href="mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com" target="_blank">helobubbas@helobubbas.com</a>><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Subject: </span></strong>Re: [Helobubbas] China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A Larger, More Troubling Pattern</span><u></u><u></u></p>
</div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal">So who has the catchers mitt, Coasties or Navy, to catch the balloon when it comes down off-shore?? Maybe those MH-53 with their tow gear to sweep-up the parts?<br>
AF Mid Air Retrieval Gear is in the bone yard, as is the old balloon chasers!<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal">h<u></u><u></u></p>
<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal">Sent from my iPad<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5pt;margin-bottom:5pt">
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt">On Feb 3, 2023, at 23:02, James Gould <<a href="mailto:nado.dad@gmail.com" target="_blank">nado.dad@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></p>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote style="margin-top:5pt;margin-bottom:5pt">
<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal">To allow this balloon to fly over one millimeter of U.S. territory is unconscionable! To allow it to continue over most of the country is treason.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"> <u></u><u></u></p>
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<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal">On Fri, Feb 3, 2023, 11:52 Michael G. Brattland <<a href="mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com" target="_blank">mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></p>
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<div>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/chinas-spy-balloon-over-montana-is-part-of-a-larger-more-troubling-pattern" target="_blank">https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/chinas-spy-balloon-over-montana-is-part-of-a-larger-more-troubling-pattern</a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><em><b>CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) </b></em><a href="mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org" target="_blank"><em><b><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">mgbrattland@brattland.org</span></b></em></a><em><b>
</b></em><a href="mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com" target="_blank"><em><b><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com</span></b></em></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_7418203923301145268yiv8875350678msonormal"><a href="mailto:retiredaffairs@navalhelicopterassn.org" target="_blank"><em><b><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">retiredaffairs@navalhelicopterassn.org</span></b></em></a><em><b>
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