Austin held a press conference at the Pentagon with US Chief of Staff General Charles Brown. Austin said that the incident of four Chinese and Russian warplanes intervening in international airspace off the coast of Alaska by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint organization of the US and Canada, was “not a surprise” and noted that they were constantly monitoring developments in the region.
“I’m not going to discuss intelligence here, but this is the first time we’ve seen these two countries flying together,” Austin said.
“WE ARE READY TO INTERVENE”
Stating that Russian and Chinese planes did not enter the US and Canadian airspace, but came within 300 kilometers of the border, Austin said they were always ready to intervene in such cases.
When asked whether Russia and China were testing the United States at a time when US President Joe Biden has withdrawn his candidacy, Austin said, “They test us all the time, and it’s no surprise to any of us.”
MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL
Asked about the security impact of Vice President Kamala Harris, who was nominated to succeed Biden, Austin said, “I won’t get into political commentary, but having met with her and observed her for the last 3.5 years, she is always prepared and provides very useful input on complex issues.”
Describing Harris as a “key player,” the Defense Minister said: “She has represented this country in the international arena many times and has done so very professionally and effectively.”
Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement in Congress yesterday, in which he asked the US to “give us the weapons quickly, let’s finish our job in Gaza quickly,” Austin said that they had provided security assistance to Israel “at a record pace” after October 7, 2023, and that this was continuing, and stated that he would not comment on Netanyahu’s statement.
In response to similar questions, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Charles Brown argued that he had “not seen figures that would confirm or deny” Netanyahu’s claims about civilian casualties in Gaza, and contented himself with saying that in every meeting with Israeli officials, they pressed for a reduction in civilian casualties and for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
Source: www.star.com.tr
