The President's Daily Brief - April 25th, 2024: IDF’s Rafah Strategy, Outer Space Showdown, & Terrorism Down Under

Episode Date: April 25, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We look at the impending IDF offensive in Rafah as Israeli forces stand by for government approval, potentially marking the final stage of the conflict with Hamas. A tense standoff at the UN, where the United States and Russia clash over the militarization of space and Russia's alleged development of an anti-satellite nuclear weapon. We discuss the controversial UN decision to omit Hamas from its list of groups implicated in sexual violence for 2023, and what this means for international relations and Israel's global standing. In the Back of the Brief, we cover the arrest of Islamic extremists in Australia, unveiling the network behind the stabbing of a Sydney bishop. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Get up to 40% off at shopbeam.com slash PDB and use code PDB. It's Thursday, 25 April. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll start off today's show with the latest news from Israel. After months of preparation, the Israeli defense forces, the IDF, are now awaiting the government green light to begin their offensive in Rafah, setting the stage for what may be the final showdown between the IDF and Hamas. Later in the show, a confrontation between the United States and Russia in the

UN over nuclear weapons in outer space. The fight comes amidst accusations that Moscow is developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon. So it's like a laser beam, calling it the Alan Parsons Project. No? Okay. Anyway, plus, the UN shows why they are the world's most feckless organization by excluding Hamas from its blacklist of parties guilty of sexual violence for the year 2020. Yeah, apparently, the video evidence taken by Hamas members, along with eyewitness accounts from the medieval 7 October attacks, not to mention evidence from released hostages, well, apparently that wasn't sufficient for the UN to decide that Hamas was guilty of sexual violence. And in today's back of the brief, Australian police arrest a network of Islamic extremists linked to the stabbing of a popular bishop in Sydney earlier this month. But first, today's PDB spotlight.

It's beginning to look like Israel's long-delayed Rafa offensive is now just over the horizon. A senior Israeli defense official told Reuters on Wednesday that Israel's military has completed all necessary preparations for the assault and can launch the operation the moment it gets the green light from the Israeli government. Israeli media also noted that the plans for the operation have already been presented to American officials. We're also getting our first glimpse into what the Rafa offensive is going to look like and how they plan on minimizing civilian casualties. According to reports, the whole operation is going to begin with a multi-week mass evacuation of over one million Palestinians from the city. Those civilians will be moved to tent complexes that have been set up by international aid organizations. The military operation itself will move forward in stages, targeting specific areas of the city. At each stage, the IDF will inform the local population before the advance into each area,

allowing time for evacuation before the IDF moves forward. Now, in total, officials estimate that the fighting in Rafah will go on for approximately six weeks. In addition to advising the United States of the forthcoming operation, Israeli intelligence and military officials reportedly held a secret meeting with Egypt's intelligence chief and other key officials in Cairo yesterday. According to our report in Axios, Egyptian officials remain concerned that the Israeli operation could lead to tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians

entering their territory, meaning Egyptian territory, potentially involving a breach of the Rafah border crossing, which would then pose a threat to Egypt's security. One more quick update, and that's on the situation in northern Israel, with the IDF continuing its efforts against Lebanese Hezbollah, On Wednesday, Israeli fighter jets and artillery struck approximately 40 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including storage facilities and weaponry.

The latest strikes are, of course, part of the near-daily skirmishes between the two sides since the start of the war in Gaza. In a video statement, Israeli defense minister Yov Ghalan announced that the IDF has made significant progress in dismantling the terror organization, saying they've already eliminated about half. of Hezbollah's commanders in southern Lebanon. He went on to say that the goal of the current offensive in southern Lebanon is to restore border security and allow tens of thousands of evacuated Israeli residents to return home. Now, a quick note for premium members to the President's Daily Brief. This weekend, I'll be hosting the April edition of our monthly Ask Me Anything sessions, so be sure to submit your questions. And as the name implies, well, you could ask me anything,

as long as you stay away from math problems or anything involving physics. If you'd like to join us, you can become a premium member by going to PDB Premium.com. In addition to our monthly AMAs, you'll be able to listen to the PDB ad-free, along with other exclusive content. All right, coming up after the break. Tensions escalate at the UN. The United States and Russia lock horns over the militarization of outer space, with Moscow under scrutiny for reportedly developing a nuclear weapon capable of targeting satellites.

Plus, a contentious decision by the UN, as it omits Hamas from its annual list of states or non-state actors guilty of sexual violence. And when I say a contentious decision, I really mean to say a completely anticipated decision based on the UN's politics and bias. I'll be right back. Welcome back. The U.S. and Russia had something of a showdown at the United Nations on Tuesday over the potential threat of nuclear weapons in space. Russia vetoed a U.S. drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called on countries to commit to preventing an arms race in outer space, as rumors swirl that the Putin regime is pursuing space-based weapons, that's according to a Reuters report.

The draft resolution aimed to affirm an obligation for countries. to comply with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. You didn't know that was a thing, did you? The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans signatories, including Russia, from placing nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction into orbit. Russia was the only veto on Tuesday, though China abstained. Really?

China abstained? They couldn't decide yea or nay on this one? Nah, I'm kidding. China almost always abstains. it's their signature move. Russia's UN ambassador called the draft a, quote, joke of a resolution ahead of the vote, dismissing it as a Western fear tactic.

Moscow had countered with a proposed amendment that would ban the deployment of all weapons in space, not just nuclear, but it failed to garner enough support. The story of secret Russian space nukes has been percolating in the press since February, after intelligence emerged, that the Kremlin was mulling the various possibilities for those weapons. However, leaders in Moscow have consistently denied the reports. Well, that should do it.

Russia's veto on Tuesday, however, has raised eyebrows in the international community. U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas Greenfield, called their rejection of the resolution, quote, baffling and a shame. Thomas Greenfield said, quote, today's veto begs the question, why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding? End quote. Well, I don't know, Ms. Sembaster. Maybe they're hiding their outer space weapons.

Yeah, that might be it. As we've previously discussed on the PDB, U.S. officials believe Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon that could shut down everything from military communications to civilian phone-based services and apps. Oh, there goes TikTok, if detonated. Three unnamed U.S. intelligence officials have

told Reuters that the weapon would trigger an electromagnetic pulse across low-earth orbit that would disable dozens of critical satellites and have a catastrophic effect on any ground-based devices that rely on satellite connectivity. While the Biden administration declined to comment on U.S. intelligence ahead of the vote on Tuesday, the White House has previously stated that there's no immediate threat, nothing to see here, as Russia has not yet deployed such a weapon. Russia, meanwhile, and this will shock you, of course, continues to feign ignorance and claim they have no plans to put nuclear weapons in orbit. Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but space, well, it's already been weaponized. In reality, look, the next major global conflict will play out, in large part, in space and cyberspace. Every nation with the resources and technological ability already has a game plan involving.

the targeting of critical satellites and communication systems, the potential for EMP attacks, and the use of cyberspace to target the other side's critical infrastructure at home. All right, after that cheery note, shifting gears, while the Biden administration may be sending more aid to Israel, America is increasingly, it appears, abandoning its key long-time partner in the Middle East inside the halls of the United Nations. An annual report on sexual violence, by UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez, released on Tuesday, omitted Hamas from its blacklist of state and non-state parties guilty of sexual violence in 2023, claiming a lack of evidence. While the UN acknowledged reports of sexual violence that took place on October 7,

they claimed there was not enough verified information to include Hamas on the UN blacklist, and that's according to a report by the Jerusalem Post. Now, to make matters worse, the U.S. did not speak out of her come to Israel's defense regarding the omission. Instead, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas Greenfield, praised the fact that the report even mentioned sexual violence by Hamas on 7 October, and opted to completely ignore the fact that the U.N. did not include Hamas on their blacklist. Yeah, as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., you certainly wouldn't want to take a stand on this one. I mean, you wouldn't want to agitate the Hamas supporters there at the United Nations. Israeli officials were understandably incensed by the glaring omission, calling it blatant

anti-Semitism. Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said he was disgusted by the report, adding that it was just the latest, quote, failure in a long series of failures by the UN. He noted that the international body has not once formally condemned Hamas for the Savage 7 October attacks on Israel, despite a U.S. UN report issued in March that detailed the extreme acts of depravity carried out by Hamas terrorists during the attack, particularly sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women. And yet, that UN report apparently wasn't sufficient enough for the UN to actually

take a stand against Hamas. As we previously covered on the PDB, that 24-page report issued in March was compiled by a team from the UN's Office of the Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict, and they found numerous instances of sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli citizens on October 7th, as well as evidence of ongoing abuse against the hostages still being held by Hamas. Katz said, quote, Gutierrez has turned the UN into an extremely anti-Semitic and anti-Israel institution during his tenure, which will be remembered as the darkest in the organization's history, end quote. Nah, I'm sure they'll have darker. I don't think the UN is at the bottom of the barrel just yet. Katz further underscored what many have called the moral bankruptcy of the

UN, saying, quote, if the crimes of the Nazis had come up for debate, Gutierrez would have refused to announce them if it suited his political interests, end quote. Officials for the UN defended the decision, claiming the blacklist attached to the report was based only on, quote, UN verified information. They claimed a full investigation, which the report calls for, would be needed to determine if Hamas belongs on the blacklist. Did I already mention the report that was done by the UN itself back in March and confirmed sexual violence? So apparently a UN report doesn't qualify as UN verified information.

Advocacy groups were unimpressed with the UN's rationale. The CEO of the Association of Assistance Centers for Victims of Sexual Assault called the decision to omit Hamas cruel and accused the UN of legitimizing the terrorist group and their crimes against humanity. The group said, quote, this is a slap in the face to basic humanity and humanitarianism and to all the women and men were now being tortured in the Hamas tunnels. Gutierrez shames his position and the entire UN organization. Now, as an interesting aside, and yet another example of how feckless the UN is, despite acknowledging that Russia has engaged in sexual violence during Putin's invasion of Ukraine, well, the UN also opted not to black.

blacklist Russia. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Australian police dismantle a web of Islamic extremists tied to the recent public stabbing of a high-profile bishop. More on that when we come back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive. magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch. Solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy, ultra-concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power. Find your euphoria. Discover the euphoria elixir collection by Calvin Klein.

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connected to the stabbing attack of a popular Assyrian Orthodox bishop on April 15th. Now, many of you have probably seen the video of this incident, which was widely circulated on social media. Bishop Emmanuel Marmari, whose sermons are viewed by millions of people online, was stabbed by a 16-year-old Muslim during a church service that was being live-streamed. The bishop was seriously injured, along with several church members who came to his aid. He's still recovering from his wounds. Yesterday, more than 400 police conducted raids across Sydney, apprehending seven people allegedly involved in the attack. Somewhat surprising is the age of the plotters, according to reports, the seven.

people arrested will all boys between the ages of 15 to 17. New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told reporters, quote, we will allege that these individuals adhered to a religiously motivated violent extremist ideology, end quote. Now, there's one more angle to the story that I wanted to touch on briefly. As I said earlier, the video of the stabbing went viral on social media, a fact that Australian officials claimed sparked a riot in its immediate aftermath. As a result, an Australian court ordered that social media companies remove the video from their platforms. Well, that didn't sit well with ex-owner Elon Musk. In response, Musk agreed to block the posts from Australian users, but has refused to censor it universally.

The decision has led to a nasty back and forth between Musk and Australian officials, with the country's prime minister, Anthony Albanyes, calling him an arrogant billionaire who believes he's above the law for his refusal to scrub the footage. Well, that sounds like the complaining of an arrogant politician. Musk is now locked in a legal battle with the Australian government, but he's receiving support from a surprising source. Bishop Marmari, the bishop who was attacked. According to a lawyer for X, the bishop has written an affidavit arguing against the removal of the video. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 25 April. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me. at PDB at thefirstTV.com.

And you can listen to the show ad-free. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.