Concerns Raised Over North Korea Mission Leak

Former US Navy Seal Officer and Republican Montana Representative Ryan Zinke expressed his concerns during an appearance on CNN’s “Jake Tapper’s Lead.” He suggested that a leak might have contributed to North Korea’s unsuccessful Seal mission.

A report from The New York Times highlighted the 2019 Seal Team 6 Red Squadron operation, which aimed to install electronics in North Korea. Zinke’s comments came after Tapper emphasized that Congress had not been briefed beforehand about the mission.

“It’s deeply disturbing. Back in World War II, there was this saying: loose lips sink ships. The nature of this operation indicates a leak had to originate from somewhere—the details are too significant,” Zinke stated. “This suggests that there are probably more operations that have been conducted since then.”

Zinke continued, “When details of such operations are disclosed, it puts everyone—every Seal, every warrior, all special operations personnel, soldiers, sailors, airmen—at risk for future missions. I find it irresponsible that The New York Times would publish something like this. They should trace the source and hold them accountable.”

The New York Times detailed that the operation aimed to enable the US to intercept communications from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, especially as tensions spiked after nuclear negotiations fell apart during the February 2019 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Preparation for the mission reportedly spanned several months, but once the team reached North Korean waters, boats appeared, prompting them to fire and resulting in fatalities.

The report also mentioned that Congress lacked information about the operation before and after it took place. Additionally, President Donald Trump had to personally approve the mission due to its risks. During a press conference on Friday, Trump denied any prior knowledge of the operation. “I don’t know anything about it, no,” he said.

At the 2019 summit, Trump abruptly ended discussions, refusing to agree to North Korea’s demands to lift all sanctions in exchange for a partial denuclearization. Following the breakdown of talks, Trump made headlines as the first sitting US president to enter North Korea for a face-to-face meeting with Kim.