The President's Daily Brief - August 30th, 2024: Top Terrorist Neutralized, Russia's Google Grab, & Sullivan Confronts Xi

Episode Date: August 30, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A major development in Israel's ongoing operation in the West Bank, as Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirms the death of one of its top commanders, a man notorious for orchestrating deadly attacks, including a recent shooting that claimed the life of an Israeli civilian. Russia seizes over $100 million from Google, fueling its propaganda machine in support of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine—a move that’s forced Google’s Russian division into bankruptcy. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's rare visit to China, where he confronted President Xi Jinping over escalating economic security tensions, as the U.S. takes action against Chinese tech imports. In today's Back of the Brief, an update on Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who faces preliminary charges in France for allegedly enabling criminal activity on his app. 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] 🏅 Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade. Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Bad advice? You talking to me? Kayak, got that right.

This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Now, protect your retirement assets and safeguard your future. Talk with the experts over at Patriot Gold. They have been the top-rated gold IRA dealer. Forget this, seven years in a row. Go to patriotgoldgroup.com or call 1-88-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Friday, 30 August. Almost at the end of the month, can you believe?

that. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First up, we have a significant update on Israel's ongoing operation in the West Bank. Palestinian Islamic jihad has confirmed the death of one of its top commanders, one of Israel's most wanted men, notorious for orchestrating deadly attacks, including a recent shooting that claimed the life of an Israeli civilian. Later in the brief, we examined report. We examined reports. that Russia has seized over $100 million from Google, using the funds to fuel its propaganda machine in support of President Putin's war in Ukraine. That's a move that forced Google's Russian division into bankruptcy. Plus, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made a rare visit to China,

meeting with President Xi Jinping and others over escalating economic security tensions, as the U.S. makes moves against Chinese tech imports. And in today's back of the brief, an update on Telegram CEO Pavel Dirov, who faced preliminary charges in France for allegedly enabling criminal activity on his app. But first, today's BDB spotlight. As major Israeli offensive operations enter their second day in the West Bank, Israel's military said it has killed one of the most wanted jihadist militant leaders in the region. Officials with the IDF confirmed the death of Mohamed Jabber and five other militants on Thursday morning in a shootout near a mosque

in the West Bank city of Tukharam. Jaber was the commander of a local battalion of the Al-Quds Brigades, and that's the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. And that's according to a report from the Washington Post. Jabber was described as one of Israel's most wanted men for his role in planning and executing attacks on Israeli civilians. Most recently, he was tied to the June killing of an Israeli citizen in a shooting in the West Bank. But he had proved incredibly elusive. Now, back in May, Israeli media reported Jabber's supposed death in an IDF raid, only for him to surface days later at a funeral where he received a hero's welcome from local Palestinians.

This time, however, the Tokarum branch of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed that, quote, assassination of our leader in a statement on telegram. Later on Thursday, Hamas offered condolences to their terrorist brothers, threatening that the killing, quote, will explode the volcano of anger latent in the West Bank, end quote. Now, Jabber's death came as hundreds of Israeli troops launched raids into several areas of the northern west bank on Thursday. carrying out mass arrests and engaging in several firefights with armed militants. As an aside, most of the militants are armed with weapons provided by the Iranian regime. The raids followed one of Israel's largest assaults on the Palestinian territory in years on Wednesday morning.

The air and ground assault targeted Iranian-linked terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian territory, where Iran has long smuggled in weapons to their various proxies. During the initial phase of operations on Wednesday, the IDF said they had killed at least nine militants, while detaining an unknown number in the West Bank cities of Janine and Tokarum. Palestinian health authorities claimed that at least 12 people had been killed so far in the raids, though obviously it's almost impossible to confirm those figures. On Thursday, the health ministry for the Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the West Bank, accused the Israeli military of blocking access to local hospitals, though Israel vehemently denied

such claims, noting they are coordinating the entry and exit of ambulances to ensure those who need care are treated. The IDF said they seized control of several regional hospitals to prevent militants from embedding themselves inside and turning them into conflict zones like Hamas has done in Gaza. A recent spike in violence from militants in the region prompted the Israeli operation, with officials noting that over the past year, they've seen more than 150 shooting and explosive attacks originating from the West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the threat requires a Gaza-style strategy to destroy Iranian terrorist infrastructure, warning that the Mullahs in Tehran have been working to

establish an eastern front against Israel in the region. As we discussed earlier this week on the PDB. Iran has gone to great lengths to foment violence in the West Bank, regularly smuggling in advanced weaponry to sympathizers via routes that have been established for years now through Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Such munitions include large quantities of anti-tank mines, grenade launchers, fragmentation bombs, C4, and firearms. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez, who really, frankly, is never one to miss an opportunity to berate Israel, condemned the operation, of course, he did, and called for an immediate cessation of fighting. Israel, for their part, is not yet elaborated on a timetable

for its ongoing West Bank operation. Elsewhere in the Middle East, ceasefire negotiations for a hostage deal in Gaza continued on Thursday. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed the talks had progressed in recent days and were now focused on the remaining, quote, nitty gritty details. He actually said nitty gritty. But we've heard this optimism before from the Biden administration, frankly, only for talks to fall through. Hamas continues to accuse the U.S. and Israel of making unreasonable demands. That's rich for Hamas to claim that the other side's making unreasonable demands. And Egyptian mediators have expressed skepticism about a breakthrough. Sullivan hedged a statement, adding, quote,

at the end of the day, nothing is done until it's done. That's an actual quote from our actual national security advisor. Let me repeat that. At the end of the day, nothing is done until it's done. And that's the sort of insightful analysis that makes Sullivan the Dugie Hauser of national security advisors. All right.

Coming up after the break, Russia seizes over $100 million from Google to fuel its war propaganda, forcing Google's Russian division into bankruptcy, while U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and I, look at him, he's all over today's brief, confronts China's President Xi over rising economic security tensions. Now, I think the word confront might be overagging the pudding. Let's just say he met with China's Xi and other officials and raised some concerns.

We'll have those stories when we come back. Wireless can feel like a world of traps, but now we're not. with Visible. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot. Powered by Verizon for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. Plus, for a limited time, new members pay just $20

a month for one year on the Visible plan using the code Fresh Start. Refresh your wireless with Visible. Tap the banner to switch today. Terms apply. Limited time offer subject to change. See Visible.com for plan features and network management details. How many discounts does

USA Auto Insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount. Safe driver discount? New vehicle discount. Storage discount. How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. Welcome back to the BDB. Shifting gears to the shenanigans and tomfoolery of the Putin regime, reports emerged this week

that in the early days of their war against Ukraine, the Kremlin rated the accounts of Google, funneling the stolen money into their war effort. Now, typically, shareholders hate that sort of thing. Court filings reviewed by the Telegraph reveal that Russia seized more than $100 million from Google's Russian bank accounts shortly after their invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Now, the brazen theft, which bankrupted Google's Russian division that same year, came after a court in Moscow ordered Google to financially compensate three Russian television channels for deleting their accounts and removing them from YouTube to comply with Western sanctions.

The massive sum of cash was reportedly transferred directly to the accounts of Russian state-owned TV channels RT and Sargrad TV, that's Sargrad, and used to fund propaganda campaigns within Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. Now, I'm sure that none of that money ended up in Putin's pockets or the pockets of his minions. Absolutely none. Even after the seizure, however, it appears that the Putin regime is not ready to turn the page on Google. They're not done. The state-owned outlet at Zargrad is pursuing Google's assets in Turkey, South Africa, and Serbia. The outlet is currently suing Google in Turkey, claiming they're owed roughly $360 million.

We should note, Russian courts, and I use that term loosely, have stipulated that the penalty to Google doubles every 24 hours. Let me repeat that. So the Russian courts have approved a plan where the penalty against Google doubles in amount every 24 hours, which means that the sum that they are demanding could end up exceeding Google's $2 trillion market capitalization, depending on how long this legal battle drags out. Google, for their part, filed a lawsuit last week while it's about time in U.S. and English courts countering Russia's claims, saying they had, quote, levied unprecedented fines, you think, and arbitrary legal penalties against Google

in an attempt to limit access to information on our services and as a punishment for our compliance with international sanctions, end quote. In their court filing, Google noted that Russia seized $100 million when the stated judgment by the Moscow court, at the time, was for less than $12.5 million. Google is hoping their litigation can prevent further seizure of their assets by the Kremlin. Yeah, I wouldn't count on that. All right. Turning now to Beijing, where U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan capped a three-day visit on Thursday aimed at stabilizing

communications with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials. The meetings come as relations between the world's two largest economies have grown increasingly strained, of course, with the South China Sea emerging as a significant flashpoint, particularly due to Beijing's aggressive territorial claims, and of course, also tensions over ongoing trade disputes. In response to these tensions, both nations have adopted measures to safeguard their national security interests. For the U.S., this includes maintaining tariffs and export controls on Chinese goods and technology, citing concerns over espionage and national security. China, in turn, has restricted the export of key materials necessary for producing high-tech goods, a move seen by foreign

businesses as protectionist. During his visit, Sullivan raised these concerns directly with Chinese officials, emphasizing the negative impact that such practices have on Western businesses and the broader global economy. According to Sullivan, the discussions were intense, I'll bet they were, with both sides engaging in a, quote, vigorous give and take. However, no concrete agreements were reached. President Xi stated he had conveyed to Sullivan that Washington would find, quote, right path for maintaining relations. Sullivan also met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Central Military Commission Vice Chairman General Zhang Yohsiah. These talks were part of ongoing efforts to restore military communication, a critical component, of course, given the heightened tensions

in the South China Sea. Now confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships have raised concerns with the U.S. considering measures such as escorting Philippine vessels through disputed waters, as we reported earlier this month on the PDB. Sullivan's trip, on behalf of President Biden, wait, remember him, stressed the importance of managing the U.S.-China relationship ahead of the upcoming transition to a new administration in January. The visit, occurring just over a month

after President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, also included discussions about Vice President Kamala Harris, with Xi reportedly telling Sullivan, that there's no Chinese translation for the English phrase word salad. I fine. She said no such thing. Although he did ask Sullivan, who exactly is making the decisions at the White House. No, wait, you know, I made that up as well.

Sullivan underscored Harris's role as a key member of Biden's foreign policy team, noting that she's well-known to Chinese leaders, what? Including President Xi and will be central to U.S. foreign policy going forward. He conveyed Harris's shared commitment to managing the U.S. China policy responsibly, ensuring that it does not escalate into open conflict. Okay, hands up if you'd like to know whether Jake Sullivan was able to keep a straight face while issuing that talking point. Sullivan's visit marks the first time a U.S. national security advisor has traveled to China

since 2016, and that was when Susan Rice visited Beijing during the Obama administration. This trip reflects the ongoing efforts by the U.S. the White House to maintain open lines of communication with China, despite the challenges in the bilateral relationship. All right, looking ahead, both Sullivan and the White House indicated that President Biden, remember him, and President Xi, plan to hold a phone conversation in the coming weeks, with a potential in-person meeting later this year at a multilateral conference. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, has been released from

police custody in France after being charged with complicity and numerous crimes by failing to moderate content on his Telegram app, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and fraud. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, French authorities filed preliminary charges against Pavl Durav, the CEO and founder of Telegram, for allegedly allowing criminal activity on his app. Now, they're not. They're not. They're This development has sparked international debate and challenges in policing illegal online activity. On Wednesday, the charges included, quote, complicity in managing an online platform to allow illicit transactions by an organized group,

and quote. And that's a severe crime under French law, and they could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of over $550,000. Duraugh was detained on Saturday at Le Bourgete Airport in Paris. as part of this sweeping investigation and held for four days before being released on Wednesday. Although released, Durab is subject to stringing conditions, including a bail over $5.5 million, being barred from leaving France and reporting to a police station twice weekly. The Paris Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the charges are preliminary, meaning that while there is substantial evidence to suggest a crime may have been committed,

further investigation is required before any final decision on prosecution is made. The case has drawn international attention in Russia, where Dürov holds citizenship, and in addition to his French and UAE citizenship, government officials criticize the charges as politically motivated, pointing to, this is Russia, mind you, pointing to what they see as a double standard in the West's approach to free speech. This criticism from the Russian regime is particularly striking, given Russia's own attempt to ban telegram in 2018, a move that was eventually reversed in 2020. Not to mention that, well, of course, nobody loves protecting free speech like Putin loves protecting free speech. In contrast, Iranian authorities, oh, they're weighing in,

who officially banned telegram but continued to see widespread use of the app, responded with a mix of caution and failed approval. No pun intended. Iran's supreme leader, I had told Ali Khomeini praised France for its, quote, strict approach to internet governance, aligning with his government's hardline stance on controlling digital platforms. French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, responding to the growing controversy, has defended the actions of French law enforcement, of course he has, asserting that Durav's arrest and the subsequent charges are part of an independent legal investigation and not politically motivated.

Telegram maintains that it complies with EU regulations and, standards, asserting that its moderation practices are, well, continuously improving. The company's defense underscores the broader challenge that tech companies face, balancing the need to protect user privacy with the obligation to prevent their platforms from being used for illegal activities. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday, 30 August. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. listen to the show ad-free, I suspect you may have heard this before, become a premium member

of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. It could not be any easier. And of course, as you discovered when you woke up this morning, well, today is Friday, which can only mean one thing. And that's that a brand new episode of our PDB Situation Report hits the airwaves this evening at 10 p.m. on the first TV. And it will, of course, be available on our much-loved YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief, as well as all the podcast platforms where you get all your podcast stuff. Tune in. We've got excellent guests this week, as usual.

We have excellent guests every week with terrific insight and analysis on key issues. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today, by the way, with the PDB afternoon bulletin. And until then, well, I'm sure you know the drill. Stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.