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Chinese Spy Balloon Originally Flagged As Not Urgent; Security At The Super Bowl. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired February 10, 2023 - 04:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What`s up, lovely people? The weekend is just around the corner. Friday`s rock.
We are fueled up, ready to share the best 10 minutes in the news with you. I`m Coy. This is CNN 10. Let`s finish this week strong.
We`re going to start today with an update from a story earlier this week, the Chinese spy balloon. The past few days, a new timeline of what happened
has come into focus, and it turns out, a day before the suspected Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace over Alaska, the Defense Intelligence
Agency sent an internal report that a foreign object was headed towards U.S. territory, but the report was not flagged as urgent in top defense
officials weren`t immediately alarmed.
But when the balloon entered Alaskan airspace and then turned south, officials began to think the balloon might have been sent as part of a spy
mission. And when the balloon hovered over areas in the United States that are deemed to places of top security, including sensitive military
facilities the real mission of the balloon came into focus.
The Biden administration says the timeline of events helps explain why U.S. defense officials didn`t act immediately, even before the balloon had
crossed over into U.S. territory.
But some Republicans have criticized the government for not acting sooner and not seeing the balloon as an urgent threat. They argued that they
should have shot the balloon down before it even crossed into the continental U.S. But other officials within the administration have argued
that the benefits of gathering additional intelligence on the balloon outweigh shooting it down immediately.
We`ll keep you posted and updated as the situation unfolds.
We`ll hear now from Selina Wang, a CNN correspondent based in Beijing, with more analysis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beijing is hitting back at Washington`s statements about the suspected spy balloon. The Pentagon said on Tuesday
that China refused a conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin following the downing of the balloon. Well, now, China`s defense ministry
is saying they rejected that call because the conditions were not right, given the U.S.`s, quote, irresponsible and seriously wrong approach.
We`ve seen Beijing`s rhetoric hardened significantly after the U.S. military shot down the balloon, after initially expressing regret for what
they claim is a weather balloon that flew off course. Beijing is now accusing the U.S. of overreacting and violating international practice.
The contrast between what Beijing and Washington are claiming is only getting starker. You have China on one hand doubling down on its claim this
was a civilian balloon that took an unplanned course that was out of their control. On the other hand, the Pentagon has said it has 100 percent
certainty that the downed Chinese balloon was not being used for civilian purposes.
CNN has reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe the balloon is part of an extensive military run surveillance program that involves a
fleet of balloons spanning five continents. China`s ministry of foreign affairs said that claim is, quote, likely part of the U.S.`s information
and public opinion warfare and accuse the U.S. of being the world`s largest surveillance reconnaissance country.
The Pentagon has said that maintaining open lines of communication with China are particularly important in moments like this. The question still
remains as to whether this balloon incident will lead to long-term damage to the relationship between the U.S. and China that is already extremely
tense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning. It was so powerful
that it was felt as far as Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel. But this region is no stranger to earthquakes so why was this one so devastating.
This is one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in about a century and it was followed by dozens of aftershocks, some almost as powerful as
the initial quake. And then there`s the question of how shallow this earthquake was at the epicenter, just 18 kilometers deep, causing severe
shaking on the ground. This is an earthquake more powerful than the one that hit Haiti in 2010, causing utter devastation. And this region is
located on a major fault line.
In the disaster zone, thousands of homes have collapsed. Now many of Turkey`s apartment blocks are built to modern design standards but still
about 20 percent of its urban environment is not.
And then when you take a look at Northwest Syria, well, that country has been battle scarred. There, many of the structures were extremely
susceptible to collapse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Ten-second trivia:
The Roman numeral LVII represents which of these numbers? 107, 52, 57, or 102?
The answer is 57 and Super Bowl LVII kicks off this Sunday, marking the 57th edition of the big game.
It`s estimated that two-thirds of the U.S. population watched last year`s Super Bowl. That`s more than 200 million people, and that`s why a 30-second
commercial during this year`s game cost $7 million. So, yeah, all eyes will be on Glendale, Arizona, this Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs face off
against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some watch the game for the commercials. Others watch for the halftime show, which this year will be headlined by none other than Rihanna. But no
matter how you look at it, the Super Bowl is big business. In fact, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce said last Super Bowl they hosted here in 2015
generated about $720 million for the city, but they`re expecting close to one billion dollars for this one.
And for the first time, the area is expecting more than a million visitors to the city at the same time, with so much action happening in one place,
keeping the event fun and safe is a major concern for security experts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): What are U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re flying about 500 feet.
FLORES: A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All clear.
FLORES: And an F-16 fighter jet doing over Glendale, Arizona?
They`re tasked with guarding the skies over Super Bowl LVII. With nearly 200,000 fans expected for the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and
the Philadelphia Eagles, security is a multiagency effort.
From this operations center, the FBI, alongside more than 40 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies will use these 360-degree cameras to
have eyes on every inch of the stadium.
Sky patrol is in the hands of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations.
When your teams are patrolling, what could they be looking for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to look for anything out of the ordinary. It could be anything from smoke to disruptions.
FLORES: CBP Air and Marine Operations will be able to fly over the stadium during the big game, but no other aircraft will because the FAA will be
imposing a flight restriction that`s 30 miles wide.
Those flight restrictions will be enforced by NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, with these Air Force F-16 fighter jets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since 9/11, we`ve been able to safely escort out any aircraft that`s violated restricted airspace.
FLORES: NORAD is taking no chances. This KC-135 Stratotanker is part of the fleet on hand.
This aircraft can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel. There are 10 tanks on board including some on the wings.
And it can refuel an F-16 midair in minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It prevents us from having a return for fuel on the ground. So it`s absolutely critical.
FLORES: The fighter jets refuel from a receptacle that`s right behind the pilot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And my job as the pilot is just to remain within the basket in a safe controlled stable position.
If the FAA`s flight restrictions are broken, NORAD or CBP air and marine operations will engage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Sunday`s game is considered one of the most evenly matched Super Bowls ever and experts are divided on who they think is going to win. But
for today`s story getting a 10 out of 10, what does the animal kingdom have to say?
Apparently, a lot. In Iowa, a baby giraffe at the Blank Park Zoo stuck its neck out and chose the leafy snack that represented a Chiefs win. In
Maryland, a bear at the Salisbury zoo disagreed and went for the box with Eagles logo on it. Kansas, this orangutan said she`s sticking with her
hometown heroes, the Chiefs.
But what about a groundhog? This one at the Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey said, forget wintertime, she`s got the Eagles as champ.
Let`s keep in touch this weekend. I`m @coywire on Insta, Snapchat and TikTok. We want to give a special shout out to Marrington middle school of
the Arts in Goose Creek, South Carolina, we see you.
Remember, you are more powerful than you know.
I`m Coy. This is CNN 10. It`s been a blessing to spend this week with you.
END
