The spokesman, without a hint of panic, began, “This Russian journalist friend should have just heard the Japanese side explain the specific situation. They discovered that a large amount of fuel had been lost from the icebreaker.”
“We have reason to suspect that this fuel was used in some exploration equipment, and we also have reason to suspect that members of the rogue Japanese research team used the fuel for environmental destruction.”
“Besides, no one knows what kind of exploration they’re doing. What if it’s an act of terrorism?”
“If we don’t intervene in time and it leads to very serious consequences, then who will be responsible for Antarctica and the world community?”
The Russian journalist, taken aback by the boast, immediately retorted, “Your explanation is far-fetched. I don’t believe a group of members of a scientific expedition would do anything that would endanger Antarctica or humanity.”
The spokesman scoffed, “That’s because you have absolutely no experience and no lessons learned from frontline counter-terrorism operations. Think about 9/11. Before that happened, who would have thought that a few passengers would conspire to carry out such a horrific terrorist attack?”
“If we had tightened security checks on all passengers before then, would you have sued us for violating human rights?”
The Russian journalist was speechless, confused by the question and could only answer awkwardly, “You are confusing the issue.”
The spokesperson shook his head and said, “The United States has been deeply involved in counterterrorism for many years. To paraphrase our president, no one understands counterterrorism better than we do, and no one understands terrorists better than we do.”
“Therefore, we simply cannot wait until something happens to reflect on what we have overlooked. We must eliminate all risks at their source, wherever possible.”
“There’s an ancient Chinese saying, ‘Prevention is better than cure,’ and I completely agree with the philosophy it conveys. So, in that very rushed situation, we didn’t have enough time to consult with the United Nations and then hold a vote.”
“Under normal circumstances, the entire process would take at least 48 hours, and no one can guarantee that the United Nations will approve it after 48 hours. What if your country uses its veto power during the voting process? Wouldn’t that delay the process even further?”
The Russian journalist stood up in displeasure and said, “I think your speculations offend us!”
The spokesperson shook his head and said, “I’m not targeting anyone or any country. I’m simply saying that if this issue isn’t resolved and acted upon immediately, there’s a high risk of delay or even cancellation.”
“If those traitors do something unforgivable in Antarctica and cause irreparable damage, the damage will not only be to Antarctica, but to all of humanity.”
At this point, he sighed and said seriously, “Of course, as you just said, we did violate the Antarctic Treaty. That is an indisputable fact, and we don’t intend to make any excuses. But as the Japanese spokesperson just said, and as I have already explained, our intention is not to deliberately send troops to Antarctica or to deliberately violate the Antarctic Treaty.”
“We are acting responsibly towards our allies, Antarctica, and all of humanity. Therefore, we will submit a statement to the United Nations regarding this matter, and we are prepared to accept any punishment from the UN.”
“Of course, our soldiers did engage in some inappropriate behavior on the front lines. For example, at the request of the Japanese side, they inflicted some physical injuries on members of the research team.”
“We will also order the military to take this matter seriously and apologize to the victims and their families. Thank you, RIA Novosti reporter, and thank you all. Next question.”
The media reporters at the scene were stunned. No one expected the White House spokesperson to resolve almost all the issues in just the first round.
However, even if the journalists behind them were armed with guns and cannons to attack them, it would be difficult to achieve the desired effect. In fact, it could be said that the United States has become immune to artillery fire in this regard.
No matter how much they attack afterward, the damage they cause will only be superficial. In fact, if they continue to harass in this state, it would seem rather shameless.
Everyone knows that the White House won what was initially a very difficult public relations battle, mainly because Japan attracted attention and strengthened their position.
Then, realizing that the wind had changed, the reporters stopped asking questions about the previous troop deployment and the mistreatment of the Japanese research team members.
Instead, they focused on what the Japanese research team members had actually done in Antarctica, what damage and impact they had caused, and when the US military would withdraw from Antarctica.
These questions were not a big deal for the White House, so the spokesperson answered all the questions honestly.
For example, what exactly were the Japanese research team members doing in Antarctica? The spokesperson told everyone: “Actually, we don’t know yet. Because all their behavior is very strange. These people are exploring the Antarctic ice sheet, but everyone knows what’s beneath the ice sheet.”
“It’s nothing more than native Antarctic rocks, so it’s unlikely there will be any new findings. We will continue our in-depth investigation with the Japanese side, and as soon as any new discoveries are made, we will immediately hold a press conference to announce them to the world.”
Regarding the damage in Antarctica, a White House spokesman said, “We don’t have very specific data on the damage yet, but we know that they have been conducting large-scale, secret exploration in Antarctica for over a month.”
“The exploration area is very large, so if we want to assess the damage, we may need to slowly reconstruct their entire exploration process and identify any problems along the way. As before, we will release any results as soon as possible.”
At this point, the White House spokesperson added: “Regarding the troop withdrawal issue, I can give you a very clear answer. We have already arranged personnel and equipment, and we will definitely complete the necessary preparations within 24 hours and leave the Antarctic continent. We will not leave a single soldier or ammunition in Antarctica, so please don’t worry!”