The President's Daily Brief - December 20th, 2023: Truce Talk, Wagner Defection, & Midterm Meddling

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   We examine the latest indications from Israel suggesting a readiness to halt hostilities, and uncover the alarming use of hospitals by Hamas as command centers.   A former Wagner group lieutenant colonel defects from Russia, exposing supposed Kremlin-ordered war crimes.   Finland fortifies its defense ties with the U.S., defying Putin's stark cautions.   Our Back of the Brief segment scrutinizes a declassified intelligence report revealing attempts by China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba to sway the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.   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 Wednesday, December 20th, 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 lead off today's show with the latest signals indicating Israel's readiness for another pause in fighting, along with new revelations about Hamas's use of hospitals in Gaza as operational bases. Later in the program, we'll discuss how a former lieutenant colonel from the infamous Wagner group defected from Russia and is now revealing alleged war crimes directly ordered by the Kremlin. Plus, we'll cover Finland's signing of an agreement to bolster military cooperation with the United States

in the face of Vladimir Putin's saber-rattling and warnings. Finally, in today's back of the brief, we'll dive into a now-declassified intelligence report that unveils efforts by China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba to influence and interfere in America's 2022 midterm elections. Spoiler alert, they're going to do it again in 2024. But first up, the PDB spotlight. In the latest sign of growing pressure on Israel to bring an end to its military campaign against Hamas and Gaza, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has indicated Israel's willingness to engage in a second foreign-mediated truce with Hamas. As with the last truce, Herzog indicated that it would primarily aim to recover hostages held by Amas

and facilitate the provision of aid to the beleaguered Palestinian enclave. Now, it's important to recognize that the president's role in Israel is primarily ceremonial, and any decision regarding the truce would require the approval of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his war cabinet. But Herzog's statement should be seen as a good indication of which way that wind is blowing. On the Palestinian side, reports suggest that Egypt is applying pressure on Hamas to consider a truce similar to previous agreements. This would involve an exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for hostages taken on October 7. However, publicly, the terror organization,

they don't seem interested. In a statement on telegram, the group said it is, quote, categorically rejecting negotiations over prisoner exchange while Israel's attack on Gaza is ongoing. I also wanted to return to a topic that's fallen out of the headlines in recent days, and that's the topic of Hamas's use of civilian infrastructure inside Gaza, specifically hospitals, and specifically the allegations that they're being used as military facilities and operational command centers by Hamas. The past week has seen some fierce fighting in Gaza City's Jabaliyah neighborhood. It's one of northern Gaza's final pockets of resistance. It's also the location of Kamal-Adwam Hospital, where, according to the IDF, Israeli forces detained some 90 terror operatives, some of whom had

participated in the October 7th massacre. The hospital appears to have been used as a base of operations for Hamas, and the IDF reportedly seized numerous weapons, including assault rifles, RPGs, and explosive devices throughout the medical facility. In addition to the claims of the IDF, we now have direct testimony from the man who ran the hospital. Akhmed Kalot, the hospital's director, admitted during interrogation that the Kamal-Adwan Hospital had been converted into a military facility under Hamas's control. According to Kalot, who identified himself as a lieutenant colonel in Hamas since 2010, the hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, contained numerous Hamas operatives and members of the Palestinian Islamic jihad's Al-Qudsk brigades. Now, Kallot's

interrogation revealed a number of disturbing details, including the presence of designated areas within the hospital for senior Hamas officials and spaces allocated for interrogations and security operations. He also disclosed the existence of private phone lines within the hospital for security purposes. In a candid critique, Khalot labeled Hamas leaders as, quote, cowards, accusing them of abandoning their operatives while hiding in secure locations. All right, when we come back, a former officer with the infamous Wagner Group is revealing alleged war crimes directly ordered by the Kremlin. And Finland thumbs its nose at Vladimir Putin,

signing an agreement to bolster military cooperation with the United States. I'll be right back. Rodriguez, the unraveled press North America with special guests. Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodriguez.com. Exema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with Epiglis. a once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month- or longer dosing phase, about four-in-10 people taking ebbglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks,

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Welcome back. We pick up with the story of a man who claims to be a former Russian colonel and member of the Wagner Group and alleges that Russia has committed vast war crimes in Ukraine. While the press cannot yet verify his background, Igor Salikov says he's a 25-year veteran of the Russian military and the infamous Wagner Group, Putin's paramilitary organization. He arrived at the Hague's International Criminal Court, the ICC, in the Netherlands on Monday to provide testimony regarding alleged Russian war crimes that have taken place in Ukraine since Putin's invasion. Salikov told local press that he has, quote, witnessed atrocities against

civilians, including the abuse and execution of prisoners of war, according to a report by Politico. He added that he is also witnessed, quote, the Secret Services, taking large numbers of children without parents across the border into Belarus. Now, the revelations are very important. Now, the revelations are not altogether surprising, given past rumors and secondhand reporting coming out of the war zone over the past two years. However, his insights do offer a rare firsthand glimpse into Russia's behavior on the front lines. He alleged the orders for such brutal tactics came directly from Russia's defense ministry and President Putin. Salikov claims he, quote, lost faith in the Russian cause and ultimately fled the country after he refused orders to.

execute civilians in Ukraine. He added that during his previous service for the Wagner Group in the Donbass region in 2014, he witnessed similar atrocities, including civilians being threatened and murdered. As we noted, the press cannot yet independently corroborate Salikov's account. His claims, however, do align with several reports regarding war crimes, including child abductions that have come out of Ukraine in the past. The ICC, for example, issued a largely symbolic arrest warrant for Putin in March of this year, following reports that his regime was engaging in the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Obviously, that is a flagrant violation of international law. As we recently covered on the PDB, the U.S. has also been pursuing justice for alleged war crimes

committed against American citizens during Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. In an indictment unsealed on December 6th, the U.S. Department of Justice charged four members of Russia's military with the abduction and torture of an American in Ukraine. It marked the first time that the U.S. has brought charges under the War Crimes Act. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that the DOJ is also actively investigating other potential war crimes committed by members of the Russian military. Garland suggested that the symbolic charges would be the start of the war. of longer-term efforts to ensure that those who have participated in war-trim atrocities eventually faced justice. Garland compared the strategy to allied efforts following World War II to identify and charge Nazi war criminals. All right, staying with our coverage of the Putin regime.

I want to provide an update on the rising tensions between Russia and Finland, a relationship that has significantly deteriorated following Finland's entry into NATO earlier this year. Now, Finland entered into a new defense agreement with the U.S. on Monday, aimed at expanding their access to military aid as they contend with an increasingly aggressive Russia. As part of the agreement, the U.S. will participate in joint training exercises with the Finnish military and will be allowed to store military equipment and ammunition at sites along Finland's border with Russia. The agreement was signed just a day after Putin issued a French threat at his Nordic neighbor. Putin claimed in remarks on Sunday that the U.S. had, quote,

dragged Finland into NATO and that Finland would now face problems for this decision. He signaled his intention to build up Russia's troop presence on their border with Finland. Amid the threats, the Finnish defense minister said the new agreement is a, quote, strong sign of U.S. commitment to the defense of Finland and the whole northern Europe. Moscow, however, as you might guess, was not pleased with the news. The Kremlin summoned Finland's ambassador on Tuesday and issued a statement claiming the pact poses an obvious threat to Russia. Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakarova said they would, quote, not leave unanswered the buildup of NATO military potential on our border, adding that they would take the necessary measures to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland

and its NATO allies. Finland's border with Russia, it stretches 800, and 30 miles and strategically serves as NATO's northeastern flank. As we've previously discussed on the PDB, the situation between Finland and Russia intensified in November as a migrant crisis broke out along the Finnish border. Finnish leaders have accused Russia of surging their border crossings with displaced migrants in an effort to overwhelm their resources and destabilized security in the country. Roughly 900 migrants from the Middle East and East in Africa, attempted to cross the border without proper visas and documentation in November, and that's a surge from fewer than one a day over the previous months. This prompted Finnish officials

to temporarily close all of their border crossings with Russia in late November. They briefly reopened two of the crossings last week, only to close them again the following day. Unsurprisingly, Russia has denied any role in fomenting a crisis at the border, that is, unsurprising. But it's worth noting that the Putin regime had promised to retaliate against Finland with what they called countermeasures, following Finland's decision to join NATO earlier this year. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, a declassified intelligence report unveils efforts by China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba to influence and interfere in America's 2022 midterm election.

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Bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network. A better deal. No surprises. That's Verizon. Best Network based on Route Metrics, Best Overall Mobile Network Performance, U.S. Second Half 2025, All Rights Reserved. It must provide a recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person who are giving me the deal,

terms conditions and restrictions apply. How many discounts does USAA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount, safe driver discount, new vehicle discount, storage discount, legacy. How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. In today's back of the brief, a declassified intelligence report is shedding light on the foreign interference in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, revealing a more diverse and robust effort compared to the 2018 elections. Even though the intelligence community didn't find any direct evidence that specific orders were handed down by any foreign leaders, the assessment still reveals significant activities by the nations of China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba. China's involvement,

as per the intelligence community's high-confidence assessment, subtly supported efforts to influence certain mid-term races targeting both U.S. political parties. This aligns with the broader directives from Chinese Communist Party leaders since 2020, aiming to sway to influence U.S. policy and public opinion in China's favor. Russia's strategies were more overt. Its main goal was to undermine continued support of the Ukraine war, and to do so it focused on discrediting the Democrat Party and eroding trust in the electoral process. The Kremlin reportedly conducted in-depth research to identify

American demographics, narratives, and platforms most susceptible to their messaging. This included targeting U.S. groups perceived as more receptive to Russia's emphasis on traditional values. Additionally, the report sheds light on Iran and Cuba's efforts, which were both on a smaller scale, but still significant compared to China and Russia. Iran's tactics during the midterms aimed to amplify social divisions and cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. Democratic institutions. Cuba's activities were more targeted, seemingly based on the candidate's potential to promote policies favorable to Cuban interests. Now, looking forward to the 2024 elections in the U.S., it is clear that these same hostile actors will continue their efforts to influence,

destabilize, and discredit through disinformation and propaganda campaigns. While the U.S. intelligence community, working in concert with law enforcement and U.S. allies, can work to identify bad actors and their activities. They can only do so much. At the end of the day, the best defense against the efforts of Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, and others is an informed, responsible, and aware public. As consumers of media and social media, you need to question what you are reading and listening to. Ask what are, the actual sources of the information. Be curious and diversify your sources of news. And importantly, be aware. Understand that the goal of the Chinese, the Russian, the Iranian, and Cuban intelligence

services is to create chaos, to sow doubt about the credibility of the West Democratic institutions, and to divide the population and fuel the heightened partisanship that currently exists in the U.S. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, 20 December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.