BREAKING UPDATE: Edward Snowden claims U.S. using balloons to create panic

07:00 (February 14) – Former U.S. intelligence officer Edward Snowden, now a Russian citizen, has accused the U.S. of creating distractions to deflect attention from more important issues.

Writing on Twitter Snowden said: “I’d like it to be aliens, but it’s not aliens, it’s just an old artificially induced panic, an attractive (attention-grabbing) nuisance that ensures that national security reporters (natsec reporters) are tasked with investigating balloon nonsense, not budgets or explosions (a la Nord Stream).”

it's not aliens

i wish it were aliens

but it's not aliens

it's just the ol' engineered panic, an attractive nuisance ensuring natsec reporters get assigned to investigate balloon bullshit rather than budgets or bombings (à la nordstream)

until next time

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) February 13, 2023

Snowden, wanted in the U.S. for revealing state secrets, continues to accuse the U.S. of trying to create hype around mass surveillance. He has also accused the country of involvement in secret operations including the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipeline, which Seymour Hersh a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist claimed they did in partnership with Norway.

Hersh was one of the journalists working on the Watergate scandal and uncovered the secret bombing of Cambodia back in the 70s.

14:05 (February 13) – Jens Stoltenberg, the General Secretary of NATO, has said that the balloons are part of a pattern of increased surveillance of member countries by China and Russia.

Speaking on Monday, February 13 he said that there is clear evidence that the two countries are using whatever means are available to spy on NATO Allies.

#BREAKING: Spy balloons are a part of a pattern, according to Jens Stoltenberg, general secretary of NATO.

He goes on to state that Russia and China are "intensifying their intelligence and surveillance activities against NATO allies." pic.twitter.com/oGoGWVWMaz

— Verdade Ufo (@VerdadeUfo) February 13, 2023

Continuing the press conference Stoltenberg said that NATO was not involved in the conflict in Ukraine but that some member countries were. He added that Ukraine can win the war and that it is important for world peace that the conflict is brought to an end.

Referring to weaponry supplied by allied countries he said there was a need for Ukraine to be able to defend itself and that is what allies are working to achieve. He continued saying that the invasion was illegal as were the actions of Belarus which had allowed its sovereignty to be used by Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Stoltenberg reiterated the need for urgent assistance for Ukraine but said that for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone would mean that the organisation would become directly involved in the conflict. Making the call on members of the free world he showed clear frustration with the limits of assistance that countries were providing Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine´s President had expressed the same frustration but many are concerned that greater assistance could worsen rather than lessen the conflict, this becoming more apparent as NATO accuses Russia and China of increased surveillance of NATO member countries.

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