United States: The White House wants to reassure about mysterious drones

A White House spokesperson assured Monday of the drones and flying devices observed in the northeastern United States that “all were operating legally and in an authorized manner.”

“We are trying in good faith to be as open and forthright as possible,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said after President-elect Donald Trump asked the administration Biden to say more about this mysterious phenomenon, widely commented on on social networks.

“The government knows what is happening,” said the Republican, who will take power on January 20, during a press conference at his Florida residence. “The military knows and the president knows. But for one reason or another, they want to keep the suspense,” said the 78-year-old billionaire, judging that “something strange was happening.”

“A million legal drones”

Donald Trump said that as a precaution he was not going to his golf course in Bedminster, located east of New York, next weekend, assuring that the drones were “very close” to this place. John Kirby pointed out that this golf course was already the subject of an overflight ban.

“There are more than a million legal drones in the country and every day several thousand fly in a legal and authorized manner”, whether for leisure, for economic activities or for law enforcement operations, he added.

The spokesperson specified that the devices seen in the north-east of the country were drones, planes, helicopters and even “stars” confused with drones, insisting that the authorities had not “detected no anomaly or safety risk.”

Controversy

A controversy has grown in recent days around the multiplication of reports of drones or unidentified flying devices by residents of the New York or New Jersey regions, to which the national authorities are accused of not providing a sufficient response.

Videos of lights in the sky are circulating on social networks and certain Republican elected officials have mentioned, without substantiating them, threats from foreign states.

A year and a half ago, the United States shot down a balloon coming from China, which it claimed was carrying out espionage operations, which Beijing disputed.

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AFP

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