Secret Mission to Spy on North Korea Goes Catastrophically Wrong

A secret mission to install a listening device to spy on North Korea, greenlit by Donald Trump in 2017, went horribly wrong when US commandos killed three civilians and failed to plant the device. The operation was reportedly planned by the US Navy SEALs, who spent months gearing up and pinpointing the ideal time to strike. However, the mission unraveled when the SEALs encountered a North Korean boat with flashlights and voices, leading them to open fire.

Key Takeaways:

• The mission was planned by the US Navy SEALs, who spent months gearing up and pinpointing the ideal time to strike.
• The operation aimed to plant a listening device to spy on North Korea, but the device was never planted.
• The SEALs killed three civilians during the mission, who were on a North Korean boat that had not been accounted for.
• The mission highlights a problem that plagues Special Operations, which requires extreme care and precision but is exceptionally vulnerable to failure.
• The US government has acknowledged that the mission went wrong and that there is often little public accountability for such operations.
• The details of the failed mission were reported based on interviews with dozens of people, including officials and former SEAL team members.

Statistics:

• 3 civilians were killed by the US commandos during the operation.
• 8 SEALs were involved in the mission to install the listening device.
• The mission was greenlit by Donald Trump in 2017.
• The operation was reportedly planned to take place at night, with the SEALs dressed in black wetsuits and armed with untraceable weapons and ammunition.
• The SEALs spent months gearing up and planning the mission, which was designed to be a covert operation.

Sources:

• New York Times - no specific date mentioned, but reported on the same day as The Mirror.
• New York Times - no specific date mentioned, but reported based on interviews with officials and former SEAL team members.