21,000 OF THOSE OWED LESS THAN $1000.

BRANDIS.

>>> PARIS, SINCE THE UNITED STATES DOWN A CHINESE SPY BALLOON JUST OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST ON FEBRUARY 4th, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS ORDERED THREE MORE OBJECTS OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN SHOT OUT OF THE SKY.

THE INCIDENCE HAVE CREATED A DIPLOMATIC WITH CHINA AND CREATED THE IMPRESSION THAT NORTH AMERICAN SKIES ARE TEAMING WITH POTENTIALLY HOSTILE UFOS.

HERE'S A LITTLE OF WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD TO SAY YESTERDAY ABOUT HIS DECISION TO HAVE THOSE THREE OBJECTS SHOT DOWN LAST WEEKEND.

>> INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY'S CURRENT ASSESSMENT IS THAT THESE THREE OBJECTS WERE MOST LIKELY BALLOONS TIED TO PRIVATE COMPANIES , RECREATION, OR RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS TO STUDY WHETHER OR CONDUCTING OTHER SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE , IF ANY OBJECT PRESENTS A THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, I WILL TAKE IT DOWN.

>> Reporter: JOINING US NOW TO DELVE INTO THIS BALLOON SLAPPED OUR PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, AND A SPECIALIST ON INTERNATIONAL LAW AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY , AND CRAIG TO VOHRA, A NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY SPECIALIST AT THE CHICAGO COUNCIL ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

CRAIG, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

THE DRAMA OVER THE CHINESE SPY BALLOON CREATING QUITE A STIR.

COMMENTATORS CRITICAL OF THE PRESIDENT MIGHT GET DECISION TO ALLOW IT TO FLOAT ACROSS THE U.S. BEFORE SHOOTING IT DOWN.

DO YOU THINK THAT WITH THE RIGHT DECISION?

SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT EARLIER?

>> I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION MADE THE RIGHT DECISION HERE.

I THINK THAT'S THE CASE FOR THREE REASONS.

SO FIRST OF ALL, AND I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY TO AMERICANS WHO ARE UNDER THE FLIGHT PATH, SHOOTING DOWN A BALLOON WITH THAT LARGE OF A PAYLOAD MEANS THAT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF DEBRIS FALLING OUT OF THE SKY, AND FROM A FAIRLY HIGH ALTITUDE.

NOW, SOME OF IT WAS OVER SOME FAIRLY RURAL AREA, BUT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, POTENTIALLY INJURING PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IS SOMETHING THE ADMINISTRATION CLEARLY WANTED TO AVOID.

CAN THEY, BY KNOWING THAT THIS BALLOON IS THERE, THE UNITED WAS ABLE TO USE ITS OWN SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITY , FORCES, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BALLOON TO SEE WHAT KIND OF THINGS IT WOULD TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE TO GET A REALLY GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST.

AND THEN, THIRDLY, BY WAITING FOR IT TO TRANSMIT OVER SOME FAIRLY SHALLOW WATER OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO RECOVER THE DEBRIS, WHICH THEY'RE CURRENTLY FISHING OUT OF THE SEA.

>> IAN HEARD, HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS HOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HANDLED THIS BALLOON CRISIS?

>> I THINK IT'S DONE RELATIVELY WELL, LARGELY BECAUSE IT HAS AVOIDED ESCALATING THINGS AND, AND FREAKING OUT, TO BE HONEST.

IT'S NOT FREAKED OUT.

SO IT'S BEEN QUITE MEASURED.

IT'S TAKEN IT'S TIME.

IT ONLY TOOK A FEW DAYS TO IDENTIFY THESE OBJECTS.

SO IT'S DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF NOT ESCALATING THINGS.

IT'S UNNECESSARY WEIRDNESS.

>> Reporter: WHAT IMPACT, IF ANY, DO YOU THINK THE CHINESE SPY BALLOON WILL HAVE ON RELATIONS?

>> FOR SURE.

DIFFERENT OBJECTS ARE VERY -- FIRST ONE WAS CLEARLY -- AS YOU SAY, AND THE OTHER -- TRASH.

SO -- ISSUE IS -- ONE FOR AMERICAN -- TYPES TO CONSIDER -- WHAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT -- AIRSPACE BETWEEN WHERE SATELLITES FLY AND WHERE AIRPLANES FLY .

BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DANGER FOR MANY OF THIS , THE WAY WE SEE IT RIGHT NOW.

THE TRASH PROBLEM IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT'S A REMINDER THAT THERE'S A LOT OF JUNK FLOATING AROUND IN THAT SPACE, AND IT CAN GET IN THE WAY OF AIRPLANES, IT COMES DOWN, IT CAN DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND BE , YOU KNOW, A PROBLEM, JUST LIKE POLLUTION IN THE OCEAN IS A PROBLEM.

AND NO ONE'S PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THAT UNTIL NOW BUT >> CRAIG, SAME QUESTION TO YOU.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THE DOWNING OF THE CHINESE BIBLE AND COULD HAVE ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES?

>> WELL, THIS REALLY DID, AND AN UNFORTUNATE TIME FOR U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS.

THERE WERE SOME SENSES THAT CHINA WAS ATTEMPTING A BIT OF A DIPLOMATIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN .

JUST MENDING TIES WITH AUSTRALIA RECENTLY.

THERE WERE PLANS FOR SECRETARY LINCOLN TO TRAVEL TO BEIJING JUST A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THIS BALLOON ENTERED U.S.

AIRSPACE.

OBVIOUSLY, THIS PUT A CABBAGE ON THAT.

AND SO NOW YOU'RE WAITING, MAYBE, FOR BLINKEN TO TALK, POTENTIALLY TO SPEAK IN MUNICH.

IT HAS PUT THINGS OFF COURSE.

THE OTHER CONCERNING SIGN, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE U.S. AND DRC HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ENGAGE IN MILITARY TO MILITARY TALKS FOLLOWING THE DOWNING OF THIS, THIS BALLOON.

THIS HAS BEEN A REPEATED PROBLEM IN U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS IN THE PAST, WHEN THERE IS A CRISIS AND YOU HAVE A HOTLINE, BEIJING DOESN'T ALWAYS PICK UP THE OTHER END OF THAT PHONE.

HOPEFULLY, THE TWO SIDES WILL BE ABLE TO RESUME SOME TALKS SOON AND GET THINGS ON A BIT OF A MORE STABLE COURSE.

>> NOW, AS I MENTIONED, SINCE DOWNING THE CHINESE BALLOON, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS ORDERED THREE OTHER OBJECTS TO BE SHOT DOWN.

AT LEAST ONE OF THESE OBJECTS APPEARS TO BE, TO HAVE BEEN A BALLOON LAUNCHED BY THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS BOTTLECAP BALLOON BRIGADE .

THAT HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN CONFIRMED YET, TO BE CLEAR.

CRAIG, IS THIS AN EMBARRASSMENT AT ALL?

THE PENTAGON HAS APPEARED TO USE A $4000 SIDELINE MR. TO POTENTIALLY SHOOT ON A $12 HOBBY BALLOON PRINT >> IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF A BLACK MARK FOR THEM.

I THINK THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS BOTTLECAP BALLOON BRIGADE SHOULD TAKE IT AS A MARKER.

NOT EVERYONE CAN SHADE IT HAD EIGHT BALLOON SHUT DOWN BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE.

BUT THIS IS ANOTHER REMINDER, I THINK, JUST HOW MUCH STUFF IS FLOATING IN THIS ZONE, BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AIR TRAVEL AND THESE REALLY, REALLY HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOONS.

THESE THINGS GET OFF COURSE.

THEY LOSE SIGNAL.

PEOPLE LOSE TRACK OF THEM, AND THEN THEY'RE JUST FLOATING OUT THERE.

NORAD ISN'T NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR THOSE TYPES OF OBJECTS.

THEY'RE GOING TO MISS THEM.

>> IAN HEARD, PRESIDENT BIDEN MENTIONED THAT NORAD IS NOW DOING MORE TO TRACK SLOW-MOVING OBJECTS IN U.S.

AIRSPACE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT NORAD HAS EVER SHUT DOWN OBJECTS IN U.S.

AIRSPACE LIKE THIS.

DO YOU , DO YOU THINK THE ADMINISTRATION MAY HAVE OVERREACTED?

>> IT'S HARD TO SAY.

I THINK IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE GOOD IF THEY DID NOT MAKE A HABIT OF DOING THIS SORT OF THING, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF FLOATING AROUND UP THERE, AND IF YOU START SHOOTING AT IT AND STABILITY, EVENTUALLY SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET HURT.

YOU'RE GOING TO SHOOT ON A PLANE BY ACCIDENT.

YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE.

HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE THE REACTION.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THE BORDERS HAVE BEEN KIND OF, LIKE, IMPERMEABLE BARRIERS AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH A FLAG LINE THAT SEPARATES THE INSIDE FROM THE OUTSIDE, AND THAT'S NEVER BEEN THE CASE.

IT'S JUST A MYTH.

ALL KINDS OF THINGS ARE CROSSING BORDERS ALL THE TIME, WEATHER RADIO WAVES, BALLOONS, AND WATER AND POLLUTION AND ALL THIS STUFF.

SO WE LIVE WITH BORDERS THAT GET CROSSED BY LOTS OF THINGS ALL THE TIME, AND IT'S NOT REALLY A PROBLEM.

WE MAY NEED TO GET A LITTLE BIT LESS ANXIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE BORDER MEANS, AND APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF LOW BACK AND FORTH ACROSS BORDERS, AND THAT'S JUST LIFE.

>> CRAIG, IS THIS IN ANY WAY WAKE-UP CALL THAT THE U.S.

NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB MONITORING IT AIRSPACE?

>> I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WORD YOU'VE HEARD FROM NORAD THAT THEY ARE GOING TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON LOOKING FOR THE SPECIFIC KIND OF SIGNATURES THEY SEE FROM THESE REALLY HIGH-ALTITUDE ESPIONAGE BALLOONS.

THEY'VE NOW SORT OF REPORTING THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER BALLOONS SIMILAR TO THIS SPY BALLOON DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION YOUR OTHER U.S. MILITARY BASES, ESPECIALLY IN THE PACIFIC, AND YOU'VE SEEN FROM U.S.

ALLIES, TOO.

JAPAN HAS REPORTED THAT THEY THINK THREE FLIGHTS LIKE THIS TOOK PLACE OVER JAPANESE TERRITORY BETWEEN THE 2019 AND 2022.

SO I DO THINK FOLKS IN