The President's Daily Brief - August 16th, 2024: U.S. Doubts on Gaza, DoD Spy Busted, & Palestinian Captured at Border

Episode Date: August 16, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We'll start with the latest developments in Gaza, where U.S. officials are now suggesting that Israel may have reached the limits of its military campaign against Hamas, raising doubts about whether the terror group can be completely eradicated. A major case of attempted espionage: an electrical engineer working for the Department of Defense has been arrested for printing over 150 pages of 'top secret' government documents and attempting to flee to Mexico. We'll turn our attention to the southern border, where Border Patrol agents in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, captured a Palestinian migrant on a terror watchlist, previously flagged for involvement with explosives and firearms. In today's Back of the Brief, an update on anti-Semitism on America’s college campuses as Columbia University President has announced her resignation following months of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. 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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Go to blackout coffee.com. promo code PDB for 20% off your first time purchase. It's Friday, 16 August. 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 today's show with the latest from the war in Gaza, where U.S. officials are now suggesting that Israel may have reached the limits of its military campaign against Hamas, raising doubts about whether the terror group can be completely eradicated. Now, to be fair, when Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke of... eradicating Hamas, he was likely being more aspirational than literal. Look, Netanyahu has been around too long and is too versed in the dynamics of terrorism and Iran's terror proxies to believe that you can completely eradicate them. Later on, a major case of espionage, luckily thwarted by

U.S. authorities. An electrical engineer, a dual U.S. Turkish citizen, working for the Department of Defense, has been arrested for printing over 100. 150 pages of top secret government documents and attempting to flee to Mexico. Also, we'll turn our attention to the U.S. southern border, where Border Patrol agents in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, captured a Palestinian migrant who happens to be on a terror watch list, previously flagged for involvement with explosives and firearms. And in today's back of the brief,

an update on anti-Semitism on America's college campuses, as the Columbia University President has announced her resignation following months of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas War. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll begin in the Middle East with an update regarding the war in Gaza as mediators reconvene in Qatar for emergency ceasefire negotiations. Negotiations that are taking place without Hamas, which, under the new political leadership of hardliner Jaya Sinwar refused to attend.

Timed with the start of Thursday ceasefire talks, current and former senior U.S. military officials are speaking exclusively to the New York Times and saying that at this point in the conflict, they don't believe that Israel and the Israeli military can make further gains against Hamas or achieve their stated objective of completely eradicating the terror group. According to the report, the general consensus in the U.S. is that further offensive operations or bombing campaigns by the IDF in Gaza will only increase risks to civilians and diminish the chances of securing a deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. That message has also reportedly been communicated directly to Israel by senior members of the Biden administration.

The Israeli Defense Force, the IDF, was quick to respond. to the report telling the times, quote, the IDF and its commanders are committed to achieving the goals of the war to dismantle Hamas and bring home our hostages and will continue to operate with determination to achieve them, end quote. Now, the remarks did not appear to be a rebuke of the Israeli military's tactics, as the national security officials also noted that Israel's campaign has been successful in severely diminishing Hamas's capabilities. In fact, Israel has achieved far more success against the terror group than many U.S. officials thought possible.

General Joseph Vodal, the former head of U.S. Central Command, told the times, quote, Israel has been able to disrupt Hamas, kill a number of their leaders, and largely reduce the threat to Israel that existed before October 7th, end quote. The officials noted that Israeli personnel can. now largely move freely across Gaza, a sign of how fractured Hamas's commanding control structure has become. The Israeli military has killed and captured some 14,000 Islamic militants, and decimated Hamasasasasasasasasasasasam brigades, eliminating half the military wing's leadership, including Mohamedif and Marwan Issa. Still, the officials said they now believe that Israel

has achieved all it can in its military campaign and must now shift to longer-term plans, for how to contain the terror group. The assessment echoes the sentiments of Israeli defense minister Yov Gallant, who said Monday at a classified briefing in Tel Aviv that Prime Minister Netanyahu's talk of, quote, total victory over Hamas was pure nonsense. Gallant reportedly spoke in favor of a hostage deal

and prolonged ceasefire, arguing that Israel cannot afford a protractive war with the Lebanese-based Hezbollah to their north. That Iranian-backed group has veiled to continue their attacks, of course, on Israel, until a truce is reached in Gaza. But Deniahu and his allies, well, they appear to disagree. A former national security advisor and IDF Major General warned the times that, quote, if Israel evacuates his forces now, within a year, Hamas will be strong again, end quote.

Well, he's not wrong. Still, the majority of current and former U.S. and Israeli officials who spoke with the times said that given the current state of the region, the only remaining viable path forward was to secure the release of the remaining 115 living and dead capitives in Gaza through a ceasefire deal with Hamas. On that score, an Israeli delegation arrived in the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday to join the talks, though Hamas is notably absent, complicating any hopes, of course, of an imminent breakthrough.

Netanyahu has reportedly granted his negotiating team significant leeway on a few of the disputes that remain with Hamas, though details are unclear. As a reminder, both Israel and Hamas tentatively agreed to a ceasefire framework in early July, though both sides have since tacked on additional requests and clarifications that have caused substantial friction. Hamas has also vacillated on whether they will agree to a deal that does not guarantee a permanent. end to Israel's military operations. While Hamas is not in attendance, the group is urging mediators to press Israel to agree to implement their preferred ceasefire proposal from back in early July. Now, obviously, a great deal hangs on these talks. It's a statement of the obvious, of course, as Iran has indicated that they will move forward with any direct retaliation on Israel over the assassination of Hamas chief, Israel, if an agreement with Hamas,

is not reached. All right, coming up after the break, a contractor for the Department of Defense is arrested for printing top secret documents and attempting to flee to Mexico. Plus, border patrol agents in New Mexico capture a Palestinian migrant on a terror watch list for explosives and firearms. I'll be right back. Choice hotels get you more of what you value. Here's a little tune to help you remember same drive different day don't you wish you were getting away pack your bags and come on through Texas Ohio Alaska we're up there too comfort in it's calling your name save on the stay oh and free waffles are yours to claim well I hope you like my little song book direct at storeshill tales.com some follow the noise Bloomberg follow

the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back to the PDB. I want to turn your attention stateside where a contractor with the Department of Defense has been charged after trying to flee to Mexico with top secret documents. The contractor, identified as a 50-year-old Gokon gun, worked as an electrical engineer, with the U.S. Air Force. Now, he's accused of printing more than 150 pages of top-secret government documents and was formally charged on Tuesday in federal court with unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, and it's according to a report from Fox News. Authorities snabbed gun last Friday,

just as he was preparing to depart to the airport for flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. While executing a search warrant at his home in northern Virginia, FBI agents found documents marked as top secret inside a backpack at the front of his home. That's a clue, as well as stacks of documents on his dining room table with various classification markings, including Top Secret and SCI, known as Sensitive Compartmented Information. Gunn told the FBI agents that he was heading to Mexico for a fishing trip. Oh, of course, the old fishing trip alibi, very popular amongst those committing espionage. Now, that's a story that investigative called, quote, nonsensical in court documents. The court documents say that during his interview

with agents, Gunn made numerous false statements, including that he never took any classified documents home, and that if he did, their classifications had expired. Gunn reportedly popped up on the FBI's radar back in March, and he's been under surveillance since. In early August, authorities observed him exiting his workplace with a bag full of hard copy documents that he took to two different residences he owned, one in Fairfax and the other in Falls Church, Virginia. And you ask yourself, how does somebody who works in a building where there are top secret classified documents walk out with a bag of them? So that might call into question the security protocols currently in place there. He apparently had a habit of hoarding government documents, reportedly printing more than

3,400 pages of classified non-classified materials. Yeah, that would be a habit since starting his contracting work with the Air Force in 2020. He'd just like to take his work home with him. It's unclear what the contents of the documents in question are, and, of course, his motives remain a mystery. It's worth noting, however, that Gunn, who was born in Turkey, is said to have dual Turkish American citizenship, only getting his U.S. citizenship back in 2021. Prosecutors asked for Gunn to remain in prison, citing him as a flight risk, given his history of international travel, and the fact that his parents still live in Turkey. Now, Gunn faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, that's all,

though authorities said they plan to file additional felony charges. All right, I want to move to the U.S. southern border, where Border Patrol agents apprehended a Palestinian migrant by the name of Omar Shahada, whose name happens to be on a terror watch list. Shahada's arrest is the latest in a string of incidents, emphasizing the growing concern over potential national security threats at the poorest U.S. southern border. Shahada's journey began in Madrid last month, taking him through Colombia, Panama, and El Salvador,

before reaching Santa Teresa, New Mexico in the El Paso sector. Now there, he was apprehended, according to a leaked memo cited in a New York Post exclusive. Shahada, who was flagged for his involvement with explosives and firearms, remains in custody, pending. removal from the U.S., which, of course, could take months. Well, at least they didn't release him into the country and ask him to appear in court sometime in the future. This arrest is part of a broader trend, with a number of migrants on the terror watch list caught at the U.S.-Mexico border surging under the Biden-Harris administration. For comparison purposes, border agents intercepted 26 suspected terrorists between October 2016 and September 2021.

That number rose dramatically, with 98 suspects caught between October 2021 and September 22, and then it rose to 169 the following year, and 93 from October 2023 to June of 2024 this year, according to agency data. The increase in apprehensions suggests that terrorist organizations may be seeking new routes to infiltrate the U.S., making the work of Border Patrol and intelligence agencies, of course, more critical than ever. In July, Border Patrol agents captured three other suspected Palestinian terrorists at the California border. One of those individuals was reportedly found with incriminating photos on their phone, including an image of a masked man holding an AK-47 rifle.

That could be a clue. Nearly a year ago, Border Patrol issued a warning about Palestinian terrorists, possibly crossing the border following the brutal 7 October Hamas at terror attacks on Israel, the alert emphasized that individuals, inspired by or reacting to the Israel-Hamas conflict, might attempt to travel to or from the Middle East via the southern border. Shahada's arrest occurred just one day before four congressmen sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Ray, raising concern

about previous reports of individuals with potential terrorism ties being detained at the Mexico border. As I've said before, and I suspect I'll be saying in the future, you can't have national security and homeland security without a secure border. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, the president of Columbia University steps down after facing criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups for her handling of campus protest. over the Gaza War earlier this year. Sounds like she pissed off both sides.

More on that after the break. This episode is brought to you by Ultima Replenisher. Health is all about balance, like a salad with fries. So why not have balance in your hydration? With six essential electrolytes and no junk, Ultima provides balanced hydration you can enjoy every day. That means no sugar, calories, or carbs, and it's not loaded with sodium.

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Find your euphoria. Discover the euphoria elixir collection by Calvin Klein. In today's back of the brief, Columbia University President Manus Shafik announced her resignation this week months after protests over the Israel-Hamas war divided her campus. Her departure marks the third resignation of an Ivy League president within eight months, following contentious appearances before Congress regarding anti-Semitism. on their campuses. Shafiq, who became Columbia's president in July of last year,

faced intense scrutiny from activists after summoning police to disperse pro-Palestinian student protesters, and I say student protesters in air quotes, resulting in over 100 arrests, and that's a significant number of whom, of course, were not actually students. On the other side, university donors criticized Shavik for not doing enough to protect Jewish students throughout the protests, creating a deep divide, of course, within the university's community. The protests escalated in May when Columbia's Faculty of Arts and Sciences passed a no-confidence resolution against Sheffi, accusing her of violating the academic freedom of students' right to protest and be anti-Semitic. In her resignation letter on Wednesday, Shafik cited the toll on her

family and community for her immediate departure. Shafik now transitions. get this to a new role with Britain's Foreign Secretary to lead a review of the government's approach to international development. I did not see that coming. Shafiq's brief presidency illustrates the challenges faced by university leaders today, particularly when dealing with anti-Semitic outside activists and agitators doing the bidding of the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies. All right, okay, fair enough, maybe that last part just makes me sound churlish. Anyway, in the face of campus protests, concerns over student safety and calls to defend academic freedom,

her tenure, one of the shortest in Columbia's history, ended with unresolved tensions still simmering. The university's board of trustees swiftly named Dr. Katrina Armstrong, a medical doctor in the current chief executive of Columbia's medical center interim president. Dr. Armstrong braces for a potentially turbulent fall semester, The board has not specified as timeline for appointing a permanent president, leaving the university uncertain, of course, less than three weeks before the start of the academic year.

Now, students, some, of course, well-meaning, some completely gormulous, some enamored with the excitement of belonging to a group, and some who just, I don't know, dig the chaos and graffiti and vandalism and chanting and lack of hygiene, and of course all organized resource trained and supported by professional outside activists, well, they vowed to resume protests in the fall, of course they do, demanding the university divest from companies involved in the occupation of Palestinian territories. And that, my friends, is the president's Daily Brief for Friday, 16 August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

And as a reminder, to listen to the show ad-free, well, become a premium member of the president's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. Of course, as the weekend approaches, and I believe that it is approaching, don't forget our PDB situation report. New episodes air every weekend on the first TV, our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief, and of course, all podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. The next one's here for MintMobil, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop.

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