Illustrative image with an American military helicopter. Photo: Douglas Wojtarowicz | Dreamstime.com
The SEAL forces of the US Navy killed a number of North Korean civilians during a failed secret mission in which they were trying to install a listening device in the country equipped with nuclear armament during the 2019 high stakes, reported The New York Times (NYT) on Friday, according to Reuters.
The American publication, citing sources whose identity has not been disclosed, including current military officials and officials, who know classified details, argues that the operation was approved by Donald Trump in the first mandate at the White House, when he was involved in a series of historical discussions with the North Korea dictator, Kim Jong Un.
The White House, Pentagon and US Embassy in South Korea did not respond at the time to comment on the subject.
According to NYT, civilians seemed to sink after crustaceans when they were wrong over a US Navy Seal Detachment trying to get to the shore at night. The American forces opened the fire and killed all the people on board the small fishing vessel, writes the publication, without mentioning the exact number of victims.
A classified analysis of the Pentagon later concluded that the killings were justified in relation to the fire opening rules, NYT notes.
The discussions between the US and North Korea failed, and after the last summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong, the Phenian went on with his program of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
American Senator Mark Warner, the main Democrat in the Intelligence Commission, said he could not confirm or denied anything in the NYT material, but said: “If there is ever a time when we need the Congress to exercise its proper supervision, it is now.”
Photo: Douglas Wojtarowicz | Dreamstime.com
