Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Former Sr Fellow @CFR_org. Recipient of Pulitzer Prize, Polk (3Xs) and Peabody Awards. Author: IHeard theSirensScream, TheComingPlague, Ebola & BetrayalofTrust.

Feb 16, 2023, 10 tweets

I’m just spit-balling here, not more than that. Work with me on this silliness.
What if this story (from PRC State media) is actually true: ??
Meaning, something that seems like #SpyBalloons are drifting over #China
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2/
If I were writing a movie script, my opening fast/cut scenes would depict “#SpyBalloons ” causing panic in Canada, the USA…and then in China. Cross accusations would heighten tensions between East & West.
Cut to Scene 2 --MORE

3/
Scene: a #Russian dictator is in his war room, going over plans to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the “liberation” of #Ukraine. He asks a General, “When do we start launching the rest of the diversionary balloons? Are the ones for Straits ready?”
Cut to Scene 3 MORE

4/
Scene: U.S. Congressman shouting in a press conference, “We are spending billions of tax-payer $$s sending tanks, missiles & other armaments to Kyiv for an endless war with Russia, but Biden can’t keep damned Chinese Communist balloons out of our skies!”

Cut to Scene 4 MORE

5/
Scene: Prime Minister’s residence, Tokyo: Foreign Minister briefing PM, pouring over satellite images. FM tells PM, “We can’t be certain, of course, but this row of 3 balloons over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands appear to be from China's Hainan region."
Cut to Scene 5
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6/
Scene: closed door session UN Security Council. Cross accusations & shouting about who is sending balloons to spy on whom.
Cut to Scene 6, Feb24: #Russian President & staff watch live vid of Russian tanks pouring across the border towards Kharkiv and Kyiv...
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...with bombing sorties ahead of them “softening things up.” Russian President raises a shot of vodka to a general, chuckles & says, “Thanks for the balloons, Boris.”
Laughter. Clinking glasses.

Cut to Scene 6 MORE

8/
Scene: Back at fighting at UN Sec Council. Russian Ambassador is listening as China, Japan, Canada and US trade insults & accusations. His phone pings. Text is a URL link sent from Moscow.
Ambassador puts ear plugs into the phone, clicks on URL, and grins.
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9/
Cut to the URL that is making the Russian Ambassador grin:

Good thing I'm not writing intel briefings, or movie scripts. Just spit-balling...

Or this...prescient?

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