The President's Daily Brief - December 11th, 2024: Who’s Running Syria’s New Government? & Fighter Jets For Kim

Episode Date: December 11, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   Syria forms a new interim government under the relatively unknown Mohammed al-Bashir as Israel dismantles Assad's remaining war machine. UNRWA faces new scrutiny as documents reveal Hamas fighters among its top school administrators. Russia reportedly provides fighter jets to North Korea in exchange for thousands of troops, strengthening their alliance. And in today's Back of the Brief: The suspect in the murder of United Healthcare's CEO is extradited to New York to face charges.   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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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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 begin today's show with the latest news from Syria, where a new interim government is taking shape under a relatively unknown figure, Muhammad al-Bashir. This development comes as Israel intensifies its campaign, dismantling what remains of the former President Assad's war machine. Later in the show, the U.N.'s Palestinian Relief Agency, UNRWA, is back in the news for its links to the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas. Newly uncovered documents reveal that top administrators at UNRWA schools were, in fact, Hamas fighters, not that the UN is going to care.

Plus, new developments in the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea, as reports suggest that Russia is supplying fighter jets to Pyongyang in exchange for thousands of North Korea and troops. And in today's back of the brief, we'll have the latest on the slaying of the United Healthcare CEO, as the man suspected of killing him is fighting extradition from Pennsylvania to New York to face the murder charges. But first, today's PDB spotlight. As the dust settles in Syria following the overthrow of the Assad regime, the outlines of a new government are beginning to take shape. Now, Syrian state television reported on Tuesday that the coalition of Islamist rebels have named

Muhammad al-Bashir as Syria's new caretaker or interim prime minister. In that role, he'll oversee a transitional Syrian government until March of 2025, when the rebels hoped to establish a more permanent administration chosen by the Syrian people, and that's according to a report from Bloomberg. While an unknown on the international stage, Al-Bashir has a long history with the dominant militant rebel group in Syria, known as Hayat-Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led the 12-day revolt against Assad. A former electrical engineer, Al-Bashir, has been serving as the head of a quasi-government setup by HTS in 2017 called the Syrian Salvation Government, or SSG, because you have to have an acronym.

Headquartered in the Idlib province, the SSG is governed territory and rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria for the better part of seven years, providing assistance to Syrians that were cut off from government services during the Civil War. Al-Bashir served in a number of ministerial positions over the years before being named the prime minister of SSG last January. The decision to tap him to lead the transitional government reportedly came after a meeting earlier this week between al-Bashir, HDS leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, and the outgoing Syrian prime minister. Speaking with Al-Jazeera following his appointment, Al-Bashir said the transitional government will be made up of members of both the previous administration and officials from the SSG in order to provide some stability. and, quote, facilitate all the necessary works for the next two months until we have a constitutional system to be able to serve the Syrian people, end quote. Alba Shire's appointment appears to have brought a fragile sense of stability back to Syria. The capital of Damascus showed signs of a return to normalcy on Tuesday with banks and shops

reopening, but there remain widespread concerns over a return to sectarian violence and a resurgence of extremism, particularly among the international community. Critically, it remains unclear who will take over from al-Bashir come March and how Al-Julani, a former Al-Qaeda operative, will position himself within the new power structure. But whatever the new government ends up looking like, it's going to need to build its military back from scratch thanks to a series of preemptive strikes by Israel. Now, Israel has left little in a chance regarding their concerns about the large sea change in Syria, launching some 350 air strikes on targets across the country since Sunday.

The operations are intended to neutralize military assets that Israel wants to keep out of the hands of the Islamist rebels, given their ties to radical extremists. On Monday, the IDF targeted chemical weapons caches, along with critical missile and air defense systems. Later that day, the IDF confirmed that they had carried out attacks on Syria's naval fleet, with footage showing extensive damage to vessels at two ports. on their western coast. They've also taken out an unknown number of weapons warehouses and ammunition depots. Israeli leaders who said their only motivation is to destroy strategic capabilities

that threaten the state of Israel. Additionally, Israel sent troops into a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights after armed men breached the area and attacked UN peacekeeping forces over the weekend. The IDF confirmed Tuesday that a limited number of troops were also operating inside Syrian territory. but stressed it was in areas near the border of the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the military maneuvers are temporary until an agreement can be reached with Syria's new rulers. Netanyahu said, quote, if we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria,

that's our desire. But if we do not, we will do whatever it takes to defend the state of Israel and the border of Israel, end quote. All right. Coming up after the break. Newly uncovered documents link UNRWA school administrators to Hamas fighters and Russia reportedly trades Kim Jong-un fighter jets for thousands of his North Korean troops. I'll have those stories when we come back.

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UNRWA, is back in the spotlight over its ties to Hamas. Records seized from the terror group during Israel's campaign in Gaza and reviewed exclusively by the New York Times, reveal that at least two dozen teachers, counselors, and administrators at UNRWA schools across the online. are members of Hamas or other terror groups. Hamas reportedly used its influence within UNRWA, which administered roughly 288 schools across Gaza before the war began, to foster hatred against Israel and encourage radicalism. The New York Times report identified 24 employees across 24 different UNRah schools,

mostly principals or deputy principals, who were registered members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Even more damning, the record should. show that at least half of those identified participated in training exercises with the terror groups, and were provided with lethal weaponry, including assault rifles and hand grenades. Well, every teacher needs a hand grenade. Nothing to see here, folks, just some good-hearted teachers and school administrators trying to help the children. Despite the UN's many denunciations of accusations made against the agency, its deep ties to Hamas were apparently an open secret inside Gaza. One school principal

knew was issued both an assault rifle and handgun by Hamas as a photo of himself posing in front of a Hamas banner on his Facebook page. Well, that could be considered a clue. Another educator, according to residents in Gaza, could regularly be seen after-school hours patrolling the streets in Hamas fatigues while carrying an AK-47. Well, but to be fair, maybe he was just heading up the after-school program for anti-Semites. The records also confirmed past reports

detailing the presence of extensive tunnel networks used by Khamas underneath UNR schools and facilities, including at the organization's headquarters in the Gaza Strip. The reporting from the New York Times coincides with the release of a report from the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch, which also revealed, quote, high-level UNR staff who are complicit with terrorists, end quote. That report even implicates the UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazareni, showing pictures of him meeting with alleged terror leaders in the years before the 7 October. over attack on Israel. That's according to Fox News. Echoing the New York Times, the U.N. Watch report also highlights the influence of Hamas on the curriculum at UNRWA schools, where educators

reportedly taught students to, quote, fight back and resist and to, quote, kill the Jews. Again, those could be clues. Israel has provided written warnings to UNRWA countless times about the extremist ties of their employees, only to be ignored. The organization did fire nine employees in August over their involvement in the 7 October attacks, some move that Israel said was, frankly, too little, too late. Israeli intelligence previously estimated that some 450 terror operatives in Gaza are employed by UNRWA, and that more than 1,000 employees have some type of link to either Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Representatives for UNRWA, of course, meanwhile, claim that Israel is engaged in a targeted campaign to

discredit the agency and ultimately shut it down. responding to the report from UN Watch, a spokesman based in Washington, D.C., implied the accusations were, quote, disinformation meant to, quote, create chaos and divert attention from the political aims to dismantle the agency, end quote. The spokesman added that reporting of this so-called disinformation is, quote, putting other people's lives in danger, end quote. Well, maybe he's got a point you certainly wouldn't want to put Hamas terrorists' lives in danger.

officials of the UN have said that given the politics of the region, it is next to impossible to guarantee that none of the employees are militants. We can't help that, says the UNR. Still, they say the UNRWA remains the best way to provide education and humanitarian assistance to the millions of Palestinians in Gaza. The officials said, quote, hey, if UNRWA doesn't do it, who else is going to teach the kids to hate the Jews? End quote. Okay, well, fair enough, that last quote was made up. But perhaps you get my point. Okay, turning to the alliance between North Korea and Russia, we now know that Pyongyang is receiving Soviet-era fighter jets from Moscow in a trade for the thousands of North Korean troops the regime has sent in October to bolster Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. According to the head of the Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, the agreement includes MiG-29 and SU27 fighter jets, first introduced over 40 years ago, but still considered. quote, formidable by modern standards. These aircraft would bolster Myeongyang's aging fleet, which currently is made up of Soviet-era and Chinese-supplied aircraft. This development

aligns with Pentagon confirmed reports that at least 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's Kursk region where they're positioned as a second echelon behind Russian forces. Although Admiral Paparo stated that the North Korean troops have not yet engaged in combat, his remarks stand in contrast to Ukrainian President Zelensky's claims that they're already active on the front lines. The military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang extend well beyond aircraft, of course. South Korea's defense minister accused the Kremlin of providing advanced air defense missiles to North Korea, while the latter is alleged to have sent thousands of shipping containers

of munitions to Russia, replenishing its depleted stockpiles. This cooperation, of course, has drawn sharp criticism from the U.S. and its allies, who warned that the partnership could accelerate North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs, both of which are heavily sanctioned by the United Nations. Meanwhile, we're getting new reports about what North Korean troops are doing on the battlefield in Russia, and the answer is, well, reportedly, not that much. Reports from Ukraine's National Resistance Center on Monday suggests that North Korea has now stationed thousands of troops at observation posts and checkpoints in the Kursk region.

It's important to note that while these troops are not directly involved in combat, echoing Admiral Paparo's statement, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reports that their deployment does allow Russian forces to reposition for frontline duties. Ukrainian officials claim that the North Koreans are operating under Russia's 11th Airborne Assault Brigade and have been tasked with guarding Russian troop concentrations. Adding to the tension, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman revealed that separately, roughly 2,000 North Korean troops have been embedded within Russian marine and airborne units. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, the latest on the killing of United Health Care's CEO,

with the suspect now fighting extradition to New York to face murder charges. I'll be right back. Make Mother's Day even more special at Whole Foods Market. Kick off brunch or dinner with quality cheese and charcutory with no synthetic nitrates, then go seafood. There's an abundance on sale at Whole Foods Market. Food's Market, where it's all sustainable while caught are responsibly farmed.

At the bakery, grab seasonal treats like their strawberry pretzel cream pie, and you can't go wrong with a ready-to-heathe Kish Lorraine, Deviled Eggs, and fresh-cut fruits to go. Celebrate Mom with Whole Foods Market. In today's back of the brief, the latest on Luigi Mangoni, the man now officially charged with murder in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The accused killer has decided to fight extradition to New York after being denied bail in Pennsylvania. As he was being taken into the Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday, Menjone resisted officers shouting, quote, this is clearly an injustice and an insult to the intelligence

of the American people and their lived experience. Ah, ah, the old lived experience trope. I guess Brian Thompson won't have that opportunity now. Inside the courtroom, the accused killer seemed a bit more docile, dressed in an orange jumpsuit. He sat silently through much of the hearing as his attorney advised against speaking. Manjone only spoke twice saying, I do when sworn in, and yes, sir, to the judge when asked if he understood his right to contest arrest. According to CNN, New York Governor Kathy Hokel has vowed to ensure Manjone's trial in New York by submitting what's called a governor's warrant. Pennsylvania prosecutors have indicated their intent to cooperate, noting that the charges in New York are, quote, more serious. The Manjone family has expressed shock and devastation over his arrest.

A cousin of the accused, who also happens to be a Maryland state delegate, issued a statement on behalf of the family, saying, quote, we only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news, end quote. Now, Manjone revealed his motive in a brief manifesto, which frankly reads more like a 260-word confession letter. He described health insurance companies as, quote, parasitic and decried corporate greed for driving up profits without improving life expectancy. And, of course, you can do all those things without actually killing someone. The manifesto went on to say that he viewed the killing of Thompson as a symbolic act, calling himself, quote,

the first to face corruption and greed with such brutal honesty. Oh, end quote. As of now, Manjone remains in custody in Pennsylvania as extradition proceedings unfold. Perhaps now, I suppose. of his lived experience will be spent behind bars. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, 11 December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And if you're hankering for an ad-free PDB experience, well, we can make that happen.

Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.