BRIT PLANES TO SPY ON KIM’S NUKE BASES
Americans ask RAF for help hunting North Korean despot’s missile stocks
RAF planes could be sent on a mission over North Korea to hunt for nuclear weapon sites.
The US wants Britain to deploy Rivet Joint aircraft to spy on Kim Jong-un. A source said: “NATO must stand behind the US.”
AS North Korea ramps up threats to unleash missile strikes, the US has called on Britain to help find Kim Jong-un’s military bases.
The RAF has been asked to join an international spy operation over the rogue state to pinpoint nuclear sites and artillery batteries.
US military chiefs hope the surveillance mission would help them prepare for a massive strike or for war.
If the Commons backs the request, at least one of Britain’s three Rivet Joint spy planes could fly to a base in Japan within a fortnight. A source said: “Although a conflict between North Korea and America and their allies is unthinkable, everything that can be done is being done to prepare for that if it happens.
“Western war planners are keen to minimise the death toll and that means a massive stepping-up of intelligence gathering against North Korea.”
The source added: “NATO needs to stand behind the US as this situation could impact everyone.” The £800million spy plane would pry on communications chatter in North Korea.
The RAF crew would be joined by US personnel who speak the language.
Britain has also put intelligence agencies on high alert. MI6 and the listening station GCHQ are gathering information to learn how other nations are preparing to take on tyrant Kim.
An intelligence source told the Mirror: “This is all about making sure every step is taken to avoid something going wrong as efforts are made to solve this crisis through diplomacy.
“They are monitoring how Japan and China and other surrounding countries are reacting to each development.”
REVELATIONS that British warplanes could soon be running spy missions over North Korea raise fears of Britain being sucked into a nuclear war.
With each day, tensions in the Far East seem to keep rising and neither Donald Trump nor Kim Jong-un shows any sign of backing down.
Of course it is right that Britain should stand by its US ally in an hour of need but – with Trump in the White House – our military planners must proceed with extreme caution.
This erratic, bullying and boorish President has neither the skill nor the diplomacy to deal with an international crisis. And right now the stakes could hardly be higher. If Britain is to assist the US military during this terrifying stand-off then it can only be on the understanding the President agrees to rein in the rhetoric immediately.
No more tweets. No more threats. No more macho posturing.
A wrong move now by either side could trigger a tragedy on an unprecedented scale.
Britain must use whatever sway it has to avoid such an unthinkable outcome.