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Pentagon Will Send Fighter Jets to Protect Pelosi if She Visits Taiwan: Report

Ships and other military systems would also be used to protect the House speaker’s plane in the contested region.

The Pentagon is drawing up complex plans to protect Nancy Pelosi’s plane if a controversial visit to Taiwan goes ahead. U.S. officials told the Associated Press that fighter jets and warships would be used to defend the House speaker from any potential threats as she entered one of the most militarily contested regions on the planet. Defense officials say they believe it’s unlikely that an attack would be mounted on Pelosi, but they are preparing for every eventuality. If Pelosi does go to Taiwan—a self-ruling island nation which China considers part of its own territory—she will become the first elected U.S. official to visit the country since 1997. Asked about plans for defending Pelosi on such a trip, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that “if there’s a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit,” adding that specific plans are still premature.