78% of Americans believe government is withholding drone details

[ryan robertson]

THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF AMERICANS THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS HIDING SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THOSE DRONE SIGHTINGS ON THE U-S EAST COAST. THERE’S A NEW CBS NEWS/YOUGOV POLL SHOWING 78% OF AMERICANS SUSPECT THE GOVERNMENT IS WITHHOLDING INFORMATION. AND ABOUT HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED SEE THE DRONES AS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO SUSPECT FOREIGN ENTITIES MAY BE INVOLVED.

THE FBI AND FAA SAY MORE THAN 5,000 DRONE SIGHTINGS were REPORTED IN RECENT WEEKS,MOST CASES REPORTEDLY INVOLVE LAWFUL DRONES, MISIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT, OR EVEN MISIDENTIFIED STARS. BUT ANSWERS LIKE THAT AREN’T CUTTING IT FOR MANY AMERICANS INCLUDING SOME ON CAPITOL HILL.

INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS RECENTLY HELD A CLASSIFIED BRIEFING FOR LAWMAKERS. AGENCIES LIKE THE CIA AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORTED NO EVIDENCE TYING THE DRONES TO FOREIGN ACTORS OR MALICIOUS ACTIVITY. WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY SPOKESPERSON JOHN KIRBY SAID THE SIGHTINGS LIKELY INVOLVE COMMERCIAL, HOBBYIST, OR LAW ENFORCEMENT DRONES.

SOME LAWMAKERS, HOWEVER, REMAIN DISSATISFIED. REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY CRITICIZED THE LACK OF DETAILED INFORMATION SHARED DURING THE BRIEFING, ANDREPRESENTATIVE RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (krish-nuh-more-thee) CALLED FOR MORE DATA TO SUPPORT CLAIMS THAT “MANNED AIRCRAFT” WERE MISTAKEN FOR DRONES.

AGAIN, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TYING THESE DRONES TO ANY FOREIGN ACTORS–BUT THAT’S NOT STOPPING THE SPECULATION FROM SPREADING THAT FOREIGN ACTORS COULD BE INVOLVED. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL MCCAUL SUGGESTED CERTAIN DRONES COULD BE LINKED TO CHINA, DESCRIBING THEM AS “ADVERSARIAL.” FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND OTHERS CALLED FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY OR, FAILING THAT, IMMEDIATE ACTION TO REMOVE THE DRONES FROM U.S. AIRSPACE.

IF THIS IS A U-S MILITARY EXERCISE–LIKE A TEST TO SEE HOW OUR AIR DEFENCES MIGHT DO DETECTING SMALLER DRONES–IT’S VERY POSSIBLE CERTAIN ELEMENTS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING, BUT CAN’T PUBLICLY DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION FOR OPERATIONAL SECURITY.

WITH INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING, HOWEVER THE GAP BETWEEN OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONS AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS REMAINS WIDE. AND FEDERAL AGENCIES WILL CONTINUE FACING PRESSURE TO PROVIDE CLEARER ANSWERS AS CONCERNS OVER THESE DRONE SIGHTINGS GROW.

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