The President's Daily Brief - August 2nd, 2022. Drone Strikes in Afghanistan Kill Al-Qa’ida Leader. Is America Headed for Civil War?

Episode Date: August 2, 2022

It’s August 2nd. You’re listening to the President’s Daily Brief. Your morning intel starts now. ------ First, Al-Qa’ida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri is dead. I’ll give you the latest on this very good news, to include what this death means in our War on Terror. As always, I’m keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put these two on your radar. First, you may have seen the headlines about the horrible fires in Europe over the past couple weeks. Media outlets blamed climate change. But there was an arrest last week in France that suggests otherwise. We’ll discuss that sobering news. Second, American car companies are building more electric cars, which means they need more batteries. That’s leading many of them to sign deals with the Chinese. I’ll share the latest. And finally, the last thing before I let you go. An email from Charlie in Twin Falls, Idaho. He worries that America is cracking apart, and that maybe we are headed for a civil war. So we’re going to talk about that, and see if you agree. ------ 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

It's August 2nd. You're listening to the President's Daily Brief. I'm your host and former CIA Officer Brian Dean Wright. Your morning intel starts now. First up, Al-Qaeda's leader, Amin Al-Zawahiri, is dead. I'll give you the latest on this very good news to include what this death means for our war on terror. As always, I'm keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put these two on your radar. First, you may have seen the headlines about the horrible fires in Europe over the past couple of weeks, media outlets blamed climate change, but there was an arrest late last week in France that suggests otherwise. We'll discuss that sobering news. Second, American car companies are building more electric cars, which means that they need more batteries. Well, that's leading

many of them to sign deals with the Chinese. I will share the latest. And finally, the last thing before I let you go, an email from Charlie in Twin Falls, Idaho. He worries that America is cracking apart. and that maybe we are headed for civil war. So we're going to talk about that and see if you agree. But let's first get started with today's main brief. Big news out of Afghanistan yesterday, the head of al-Qaeda, a terrorist named Amin al-Zarahiri, was killed in a drone strike in the capital city of Kabul.

So this morning we're going to talk about how the strike likely went down and what it means for our war on terror. We're also going to talk about whether Joe Biden gets credit for this kill or if that even matters. So let's dive into it. What we know this morning is that Al-Zahiri was in a safe house, in other words, at home controlled by al-Qaeda or one of their supporters. Now, there are early reports that this safe house in Kabul was owned by a senior member of the Hakani family.

Now, this family deserves its own special PDB, but for now, you should know this. The Hakhanis are a part of the Taliban's leadership, which now governs Afghanistan. So if al-Qaeda is in fact being protected by the Haqqqaeda, it means that the Taliban is actively aiding al-Qaeda and its revival. And that's a big deal, because it's a direct result of our retreat last August. And that's exactly what many of us in the intelligence community were worried about. We'll come back to that in a minute. But moving on for a moment, the terrorist leader Al-Zara-Hiri was probably moving from place to place. He stopped at this particular house for a while and a very long time.

intelligence source notified us. So let's talk about the key takeaways from what we know so far. First, today is a good day. An evil man is dead. And no matter who's president, no matter what your party affiliation might be, it is a good day. Second, you should know that America and our allies have been hunting this man for over 20 years. So however this went down, in other words, whatever the intelligence was that led to his location, well, the tale of collecting that intelligence is, many, many years long. And the success belongs to thousands of officers at the CIA, the Department of Defense, and our allies abroad. But does that mean that Joe Biden gets no credit for this? And does that even matter? Well, let's talk about that first part, whether or not he deserves credit.

So there are drone strikes where you can and should give credit to a president for having the courage to pull the trigger. I can't get into specifics here, but sometimes there are targets in sensitive areas where if it goes wrong or you will likely kill innocent people, it's smart for a president to weigh in on the pros versus the cons, and then he makes the final call on the shot, probably the last possible moment. But based on conversations that I've had with a number of people, no one believes that this particular shot required a thumbs up from the president or his senior team members. Now, that doesn't mean Biden didn't give that final thumbs up. In fact, some media outlets are saying that he did. But if that's true, if he were that deeply involved in the operational

planning, well, that's really odd in this case. The house that was struck and the drone that was used just didn't call for it. But does it matter who pulled the trigger? No, frankly, what matters is this. What does this drone strike mean about al-Qaeda, our war on terror, and specifically our ability to hunt and kill terrorists in Afghanistan? So let's start first with how this will likely impact al-Qaeda. I can tell you that, operationally speaking, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Al-Zawahiri wasn't especially involved in the day-to-day fight. He was more of a figurehead, and he was never like Osama bin Laden. So Al-Qaeda will replace him with a new guy, frankly, and fairly quickly. Of far greater concern to me and others that I've spoken with is that

Al-Zawahiri was in Kabul, and he was protected by the Taliban and the Hakanis. Now, what that means is that al-Qaeda now has a safe haven in Afghanistan, just like they did years ago when they were led by Osama bin Laden. And that's exactly the fear that so many people like me had after Biden's retreat last August. There wouldn't be a residual network of fighters or spies to kill the radical Islamic terrorists once we left. Now, some of you might rightfully wonder, wait a minute, Brian, we got intel that Al-Zarhiari was in Kabul and we killed him. So that suggests that our intel networks are good and strong. Well, in fact, that is exactly what Joe Biden said last night in his press conference, defending his retreat from Afghanistan and announcing Al-Zari

Hei's death. Here's the quote. I made a promise to the American people that we would continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. Well, we've done just that. How true is that statement? How strong are our intel networks in Afghanistan? stand? See, I can't go into particular details, but remember this. We have been hunting this particular terrorist for 20 years, and so too have our allies. So it's quite possible that our allies helped us on this one, or that part of our old network was salvaged for this one particular target. Now, if that's true, and I'm not saying it is, the best way to determine how good our informant networks really are, well, that's not going to be seen in a one-off

killing like this Al-Zawahiri strike, but rather a pattern of this targeted activity across the country over many months. Because that would tell you that Joe Biden is right. He may have retreated, but he salvaged enough of our intel networks to continue the fight. But if we don't see countrywide strikes of the course of many months, it tells you that our networks were totally degraded. Now, for what it's worth, this is the first known drone strike of any terrorist since we've left. So keep that in mind when looking for a pattern because right now it just doesn't exist. And that says something important about our intel networks. Meanwhile, there is one thing that is especially disturbing in all this news. And I mentioned it at the top of the brief.

Al-Zal-Rahiri felt so safe in Afghanistan that he went to the capital city under the likely protection of the Taliban. And that is a very bad sign. And it supports a previous brief that I gave you that al-Qaeda is being protected. In fact, they're regrouping. And though they are degraded, they will likely be strong enough to strike the American homeland in about two years' time. Look, the bottom line here is that I'm very happy this morning.

An evil man is dead. But my concerns about the health of our informant networks in Afghanistan all remain. And that's all because of how Biden retreated last summer. So instead of taking comfort and his promises, I'll be watching for an ongoing pattern of these kinds of strikes with multiple targets over time. And if I see that development, it means that my fears were overblown.

But if these targeted attacks are few and far between, as they are right now, it means that we are in trouble. And Joe Biden and his CIA aren't being honest with us yet again. Regardless, I'll keep you posted. Coming up, a closer look at what's on my radar. Two quick stories, one about fires in France and the other about batteries from China. We'll be right back. As always on the PDB, I'm watching a few other stories this morning.

Put these two on your radar. First, you all may have seen the terrible video or headlines of fires in Europe over the past couple of weeks, especially in France. Thousands of acres burnt, people fleeing their homes, absolutely terrible stuff. Well, the reporting on much of that blamed climate change. Headlines from the National Geographic, the British Broadcasting Company, and France's leading newspaper Le Monde all said that climate change was driving these fires. Consider this quote from Le Monde from a victim of the fire.

Quote, we are climate change refugees, end quote. Meanwhile, ahead of the local fire company said, quote, we are not reaching out and touching global warming. It's hitting us full in the face, end quote. It turns out, however, that that's not exactly true. Last week, French authorities arrested a fireman from the south of France for setting a series of those fires. So the man wasn't named, but he was described in France's press as a volunteer fireman who was looking for, quote, an adrenaline thrill. They further described him as a pyromaniac who set fires on three different occasions, May 26th, July 21st, and July 26th, all with his favorite lighter.

Anyway, he told police that he also sought social recognition for his crimes, although he has since expressed regret and shame. I'm not sure how sincere those feelings might have been, but there you are. If convicted of the charges against him, he faces 15 years in prison and a 150,000-year-old fine. So this case is actually similar to that of Gary Maynard, who was a professor at the Santa Clara University and the Sonoma State University in California. last summer he went on an arson spree that fed the record-setting Dixie fire where climate change was also blamed. By the way, Maynard was a professor who taught criminal justice studies specializing in cults and deviant behavior.

How appropriate. Unfortunately, this trend of crazy people setting fires has continued into this summer's fire season here in the United States, case in point. A man named Trenton Smith was arrested late last week in Oregon. for setting fires in the rural southwestern part of the state. So the good news here is that residents grew suspicious of him, confronted the man, and when he got a little sassy with him,

they tied him up on a tree until authorities arrived. At any rate, I provide these updates from France, California, to Oregon, because we are in the middle of a fire season in this country, and some observers, frankly, lazy observers, will likely blame at least some of these fires on climate change. However, smart PDB listeners, There's no two things. First, we are in the midst of a triple dip laninia, which is a weather event that I briefed you on previously that helps explain the hot temperatures and the severe drought,

especially in the southwest and the western part of the United States in general. And now with this update, you all have another arrow in your quiver when you have those respectful conversations with people who try to tell you that climate change and climate change alone are driving these summer fires. Because regardless of your views, on global warming and such, the facts suggest that it's a little bit more complicated than only climate change. Final radar story for you this morning. If you're in the market for a Tesla or any electric vehicle this summer, you might want to

keep this in mind. Over the weekend, two Chinese battery companies announced that they signed deals to provide cobalt and lithium ion batteries for Tesla's cars. That means that Tesla is joining two other American car manufacturers and growing closer to Asian companies to supply critical parts for their cars. General Motors, for instance, announced recently a deal with South Korean battery maker LG Kim. Ford, meanwhile, announced a deal last month with Chinese battery maker contemporary Amperix technology to support their electric vehicles. Plus, they signed up to other foreign companies in Indonesia and Argentina, also for

battery materials. So I share this quick update with you because as we rush into the electric car era, it's important to remind ourselves and our family and our friends that there are hidden costs to this energy revolution that we are all living through. And like all revolutions, sometimes they end bad. The question is what will happen on this one, as corporate America partners up once again with Chinese companies who hate America and also steal our intellectual property. And, oh, by the way, are subject to the whims of the demands that their communist government gives them. So I don't think that is especially smart. I'm not sure why corporate America is doing this again, but I will leave it up to you to decide

if this is all something that we will probably come to regret. And with that, one more thing before I let you go. An email from Charlie in Twin Falls, Idaho, he worries that America is cracking apart and that maybe we are headed towards a civil war. So we're going to talk about that and see if you all agree. We'll be right back. All right, ladies and gentlemen, one more thing before I

let you go. This is week two of my new segment where I read your emails and your comments about previous briefs. So this morning, we've got Charlie from Twin Falls, Idaho. He had this to say. Brian, overall, I feel like the news is telling us that America is heading in a very bad direction. Civil War, probably. It seems like you are less pessimistic. You encourage people to contact politicians on your podcasts. And in interviews, I've heard you talk about that people should run for school boards and whatnot. Why are you more hopeful than pessimistic? Well, this is a good one. Charlie, I'll tell you, my time in the CIA took me to many places around the world. Most of them were terribly corrupt, more than a few were ripped apart by tribal warfare. And I will tell you that war in general

and civil war in particular are very, very awful. So no matter how much I do or don't like the other side politically, I will not entertain dividing the country up because that process would be more bloody and more vicious than your worst nightmare can imagine. There is no such thing as a clean division here. And I promise you that even if we try to respectful divorce, our enemies, most especially China, would make sure that it ended in a brutal fashion. So I won't even entertain the idea of breaking up America. Plus, I actually take some comfort in our hands. I actually take some comfort in our history. As I mentioned to you all in previous briefs, men like Elliot Ness, who stepped up and cleaned up our corrupt cities like Chicago with the untouchables. And I also think about this little

footnote in American history. It's the disputed presidential election of 1876. If you don't know that history, it's really fascinating. On one side was a man named Samuel Tilden, and on the other was the president-elect Rutherford B. Hayes. Now, Tilden supporters of the time were were absolutely convinced that Hayes would bring about the end of the nation once he took over the White House. So as one of Tilden's voters put it, quote, goodbye free government, goodbye free elections and free speech, goodbye free press, and all civil liberties. Now, this sentiment of being frightened and angry and distraught, well, it wasn't an isolated one at the time. In fact, there was a man named Joseph Pulitzer. He was a Democrat newspaper owner and the namesake actually the

Pulitzer Prize that you might have heard of. Well, he called for 100,000 armed Tilden supporters to storm Washington, D.C. to prevent Hayes from assuming office. The point is that the nation was on edge, on verge of profound violence, civil war maybe. But Mr. Tilden made a choice. He decided that whatever the merits of his cause, it wasn't worth the destruction of the nation. So he gave a respectful concession speech and he retired to New York. Now that couldn't have been easy and I'm sure he was still enraged at some level, but he made the right call and the country lived on. Now I believe that that spirit is still alive and well in this country. Maybe there are fewer of us these days, it's true, but as I've lived and traveled around America, I found that generally we are still a really

good people. But I have to tell you, Charlie, I want to honor what you're feeling because I think that I share the same core sentiment. You know, I too believe that we are walking down a very dangerous path right now in this country that if we don't correct it, it could lead us right off a cliff towards, God forbid, armed conflict. But I think you probably sense that, don't you? You probably hear it in my briefs. But the good news is that we are still here to talk about it, to warn each other, to get organized long before that dark day arrives when we can't salvage the nation any longer. Because I'll be honest with it, Charlie, it's true that all nations eventually come to an end. I'm just not prepared to accept that it'll happen in my lifetime.

And that's because that I think you and I and everyone else listening still have a chance to set things straight. We just got to get busy. And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes your morning brief. As always, we close out the show, reminding each other why we are here, talking about our country and our world. It's the creed of every good spy and every smart American. It's from John chapter 8, verse 32. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Good day.