Biden: Aerial objects shot down not linked to China

ALBAWABA - U.S. President Joe Biden said that the three aerial objects shot down in North American airspace are likely from private entities and are not linked to China.

U.S. fighter jets shot down an unidentified object in Canadian territory close to the country's border with the United States on Feb. 11, the third aerial object to be shot down in North American airspace, including in Alaska and Lake Huron, in as many days.

The incidents came after the U.S. said it brought down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. Declassified documents released by the State Department said the balloon was equipped with antennas meant to detect the locations of communications devices.

Biden said in his first formal remarks on the objects shot down from the sky that Washington does "not yet know exactly what these three objects were, but nothing right now suggests they were related to China’s spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from any other country."

"The intelligence community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research," the president explained in a speech Thursday.

Biden’s White House speech to address the matter four days after the last known object was shot down comes after the president faced increasing pressure in Washington to be more transparent about the situation and his decision making as commander-in-chief.