On Thursday, the White House sought to allay fears about the danger that Russia’s “anti-satellite capability” poses to the United States, while confirming that the national security threat that was raised by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee the day before is indeed related to this.
“This is not an active capability that has been deployed,” stated John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, on Thursday. “There was no immediate threat to anyone’s safety, though it is troubling that Russia is pursuing this particular capability.”
We are not discussing a weapon that can harm humans or do physical damage on this planet, Kirby clarified.
Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, caused a stir on Capitol Hill the day before Kirby’s remarks by declaring that the committee had “information concerning a serious national security threat.”