President Joe Biden talks a great deal about the importance of democratic accountability and good government. The public has a right to expect the federal government to provide timely and accurate information on important matters. This is worth emphasizing as America grapples with the recent shooting down of several unidentified flying objects.
A stigma attached to the term "UFO" means news media and the military refer to the latest airborne targets merely as "objects" or "flying objects," so as not to trivialize them or turn them into a joke. But since last Friday, the military has destroyed three different unidentified flying objects over the Alaskan coast, Canada's rugged Yukon territory, and Michigan's Lake Huron. Until we know what they are and who controlled them, they will be UFOs in the purest sense.
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Gen. Glen VanHerck leads Northern Command, responsible for U.S. and Canadian air defenses. He explicitly distinguishes the latest three objects from the Chinese spy balloon shot down over the Atlantic on Feb. 4. He noted on Sunday, "I'm not going to categorize [the three most recent objects] as balloons. We're calling them 'objects' for a reason." He added, "I'm not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system." Asked by a journalist whether the UFOs could be operated by extraterrestrials, VanHerck responded, "I haven't ruled out anything at this point."
Efforts to recover debris are underway. But VanHerck's words indicate that he has imagery or other intelligence that makes distinctions possible. This is striking, coming from a senior officer of his high rank.
A spate of shootdowns and a lack of government clarity about what they are and what they were doing is fueling public speculation and legitimate concern.
The new objects may be conventional flying machines, but uncomfortable alternatives need to be considered. UFOs have drawn increased attention from Congress, the military, and the intelligence community in recent years. While most UFOs are found to be weather balloons, spy balloons, drones, or other objects that can be conventionally explained, a small number defies conclusive description.
Since as early as World War II, highly trained and trusted military personnel and sensor systems such as radar and sonar have reported UFOs with unconventional technical capabilities , possibly beyond the know-how of any known Earth nation. Some are able to accelerate to hypersonic speeds instantly, while others move underwater at speeds greater than 100 knots. These movements subject the machines and any occupants to more than a hundred times normal gravitational forces. The UFOs have no obvious means of propulsion or of staying aloft. When intercepted by our military, these UFOs respond in ways that suggest they are guided by a controlling intelligence.
The last seven days have established some stark facts. The military has suddenly become engaged in combat against flying objects the origin, engineering, and purpose of which are unknown to the public. It is likely that they have conventional explanations, including foreign spying, domestic corporate, or government activity — or even a science project gone awry.
But it is inexcusable that Biden has not given the public an explanation. As commander in chief, his responsibilities do not begin and end with ordering the military to shoot flying objects down. He is our civilian leader and must give answers and, where possible, assurances to the citizens he serves. If there are no good answers, Biden should say so and commit to working to find them.
This may be politically uncomfortable. But the president should tell us what he knows and how he intends to find out more. His present approach stokes conjecture and fear.
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This data comes from MediaIntel.Asia's Media Intelligence and Media Monitoring Platform.