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4h ago

Report: Trump-Approved 2019 SEAL Mission in North Korea Killed Civilians

The report details a lack of congressional notification alongside a secret review that deemed the shootings justified.

US President Donald Trump speaks as he stands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting on the south side of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone on June 30, 2019.
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Overview

  • The New York Times reported Friday that SEAL Team 6 set out in early 2019 to plant an electronic device to intercept Kim Jong-un’s communications during sensitive nuclear diplomacy.
  • Red Squadron operators rehearsed for months and deployed from a U.S. nuclear submarine using two mini-subs, operating with no overhead drones or real-time communications.
  • SEALs opened fire on a small boat of two to three unarmed shellfish divers, then allegedly sank the bodies; the team aborted and the device was never installed.
  • The Trump administration did not brief key congressional overseers, and a classified Pentagon review later concluded the killings were within the rules of engagement; an independent review ordered in 2021 under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains classified after select lawmakers were briefed.
  • The mission required President Trump’s direct approval, according to the report, and on Friday he said he was hearing about it for the first time as the White House and Pentagon declined public comment.