The President's Daily Brief - December 26th, 2023: Houthi History, Nuclear North Korea, & Potheads Pardoned

Episode Date: December 26, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   We delve into the escalating conflict in the Red Sea as Houthi rebels intensify their attacks on commercial shipping, uncovering the story behind this formidable insurgent group.   A revealing report points to Iranian paramilitary forces actively supporting Houthi proxies in Yemen, raising questions about their influence and objectives.   North Korea's new power plant sparks international concern; we analyze how this could significantly enhance their nuclear fuel production capabilities.   In our Back of the Brief segment, we break down President Biden's pardon for Americans with a history of marijuana use.   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 Tuesday, December 26th. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, as the Houthi rebels escalate their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and continue to make headlines, we'll work to uncover the story behind this insurgent group. Later in the program, we'll uncover details from a new report alleging that Iranian paramilitary forces are on the ground in Yemen aiding the Houthis in targeting commercial vessels.

Plus, we're examining the impact of North Korea's reportedly new power plant, a development that could significantly boost their capacity to produce nuclear weapon fuel. And finally, in today's back of the brief, President Biden makes a major announcement of interest to those who may occasionally partake in the consumption of Mary Jane. And here's your PDB trivia for the day, the classic Depression-era film Reifer Madness was made in 1936, just six years before President Biden was born. But first up, the PDB spotlight. In the thick of Middle East tensions, there's one group that's grabbing more headlines than ever, and that would be the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Now, prior to October, most people in the West hadn't even heard of these guys. But since the Hamas attack on

southern Israel on the 7th of October, the group has been busy beyond their own backyard in Yemen, inserting themselves into the Israel-Hamas conflict, and launching dozens of attacks on commercial and U.S. Navy warships cruising the Red Sea. Their moves aren't just local news anymore. They're making waves internationally, seriously disrupting trade and security in the region. So it's probably a good time right now to provide a little background on this group and just, how they fit into regional power dynamics. The Houthi rebels, known officially as Ansar Allah, or supporters of God, have been a prominent force in Yemen's ongoing civil strife for a few decades now. The group's roots can be traced back to the early 1990s in northern Yemen, initially forming

as a theological movement that, ironically, was advocating peace. Over time, however, they evolved into a political and militant organization. At the core of the Houthi movement are its ideological and religious beliefs. The group follows Zadism, a branch of Shia Islam, which has historically been a dominant faith in Yemen. Their rise was fueled by opposition to the Yemeni government's alliances with Saudi Arabia and the United States, coupled with grievances over the perceived marginalization of the Zadis Shia community. The Saudis, of course, are superiors. Sunni Muslims, as you're likely aware from many deadly conflicts in the Middle East over the years, the Shia and the Sunni do not play well together.

The Houthi's conflict with the Yemeni government began in 2004, intensifying after the death of their leader and namesake Hussein Al-Hutti during an early war with the government. Now his death marked a turning point, transforming the group into a more militant force. And this conflict then escalated dramatically in 2014 and 2015 when the Houthis captured Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and ousted the internationally recognized government, and that led to a Saudi-led military intervention aimed at reinstating the government. Now, a critical aspect of this conflict is the foreign support for the Houthis, chiefly from Iran, which is also Shia. This support includes financial and military aid, and is a part of the larger proxy war between regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran,

the Houthi movement, bolstered by Iranian support, has thus become a significant player in the broader geopolitical struggle in the Middle East. The ongoing conflict involving the Houthis has led to one of the worst humanitarian crisis globally. Millions of Yemenis have been displaced, with a dire need for humanitarian aid. The situation has been exasperated by the Saudi-leds coalition's airstrikes and blockade, leading to widespread international condemnation and calls for a resolution. Now, the international community remains divided over the Houthi rebellion. While some nations back the Saudi-led intervention, others criticize the coalition's actions for worsening the humanitarian situation. Efforts to bring peace have been ongoing, with several attempts

at talks and ceasefires. However, a blasting solution to the conflict remains elusive, and the Houthi movement remains a powerful force within Yemen. So just how deep does Iran's support for the Houthi rebels go? Well, when we come back, we'll take a look at a new report that claims Iranian paramilitary forces are already on the ground in Yemen helping their proxy force target commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Plus, North Korea has reportedly fired up a new power plant, which could have major implications for their ability to produce fuel for nuclear weapons. I'll be right back. Rodriguez, the unraveled North America with special guests.

Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodriguez.com. Welcome back. Continuing our coverage of the Houthi rebels, we're beginning to learn more regarding just how the militants have been able to pull off their precision missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and unsurprisingly, it involves. involves assistance from Iran, their primary sponsor.

Houthi militants have wrecked havoc in the Red Sea ever since the Israel-Humaz conflict broke out, causing major disruptions to one of the world's most important commercial shipping routes. Now, thanks to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Western security officials, we now know that Iran's paramilitary forces have reportedly been providing the Yemen-based Houthi rebels with real-time intelligence for their operations in the region.

An Iranian spy ship has reportedly been surveilling the shipping lanes in the Red Sea and passing on critical tracking information to the Houthi rebels. Officials say the militants otherwise would not be able to pull off their missile and drone attacks without this navigational intelligence. They just simply don't possess the necessary radar technology. Now, the unnamed official told the Wall Street Journal, quote, they need Iranian assistance. Without it, the missiles would just drop in the water.

The revelation is not altogether surprising, given that the Iranian regime has funded and armed the Houthis for years. Confirmation of Iran's direct involvement, however, will add pressure to the Biden administration to rethink their deterrence strategy when it comes to Iran. And by rethink, I mean actually develop and employ a deterrence strategy. The White House declassified intelligence on Friday, showing that, in addition to the navigational assistance, the regime has provided Iranian-designed drones and missiles for the Houthi attacks. White House National Security spokeswoman Adrian Watson said in a statement on Friday, we know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is an international challenge that demands collective action, end quote.

The Biden administration has so far been reluctant to directly respond to Iran, despite regular attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed proxy groups, and, of course, the endless attacks by the Houthi militants in the Red Sea. Israel is beginning to lose patience with the lack of direct action against Iran to stop their support of the Houthi militants, not to mention Iran's funding, training, and resourcing of Hamas and Hezbollah. A senior Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal, quote, Iran is giving them weapons and Iran could stop it. We need to work to put pressure on Iran

so they will stop, end quote. As we've covered extensively on the PDB, Houthi militants have rapidly escalated their attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea. They've attacked or seized commercial ships roughly a dozen times in just the past four weeks. This week, the U.S. established a multi-nation maritime task force that will patrol the Red Sea to hope for deter further attacks. Officials do hope that this will provide reassurances to shipping companies, many of whom have already suspended their operations in the region. All right, I want to shift focus to the North Korean regime. We've discussed North Korea and their leader Kim Jong-un numerous times here on the PDB. Now, in a very interesting and significant development, they appear to have fired

up a new reactor at a nuclear facility in their latest act of defiance. Officials with the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, warned Thursday that a light water reactor at North Korea's Yongbian nuclear facility has been discharging warm water, and that is a sign that it's likely become operational. It would be the first nuclear reactor of its kind for North Korea, and would give the regime a fresh source of plutonium for their nuclear weapons program. Now, North Korea has previously relied on the spent fuel from a 5-Magawatt nuclear reactor at Yongbyon to develop their nuclear arsenal.

While the IAEA says they cannot officially confirm the status of the reactor without on-ground access, they said, in an understated tone, that the development was, quote, cause for concern. IAEA, Chief Rafael Grossey, sit in a statement that the, quote, discharge of warm water is indicative that the reactor has reached criticality. He added that the construction and use of such a facility, which the North has been working on to build for years, stands in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and he called the country's nuclear advancements deeply regrettable. Now, North Korea, ignoring UN resolutions, is nothing new. In fact, it's kind of their signature move. Last week, they flagrantly violated resolutions barring them from using ballistic missile technology

when they launched two ICBMs over the Pacific in less than 24 hours. One of those missiles has the range to strike anywhere in the continental U.S. As we've been discussing regularly here on the BDB, North Korea has been rapidly ratcheting up tensions with South Korea and the U.S. ever since they successfully launched their first spy satellite into orbit in November aboard an ICBM. That launch prompted South Korea to suspend aspects of a 2018 inter-Korean military pact, and they resumed reconnaissance in surveillance flights along the DMC. And that move prompted North Korea to pull out of the agreement entirely.

Rhetoric between the two nations has since intensified, with South Korea warning the North on December 13th that they have, quote, only two choices, peace or destruction. On December 15th, the U.S. and South Korea engaged in high-level security talks to address the escalating situation, and they released a joint statement, making it plain that any action towards nuclear conflict by North Korea would result in the swift and decisive destruction of their regime. North Korea appears undeterred, and observers are anxious that relations will continue to deteriorate as we head into the new. year. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, good news for bodheads nationwide, as President

Biden announces a pardon for every American who's used marijuana in the past. I'm talking to you, Jay, in silent Bob. I'll be right back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord paired with vanilla, Each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe. Bold elixir. Sensual, Woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch. Solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy. Ultra concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power.

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In today's back of the brief, it's a very Merry Christmas to Bud enthusiasts. across the country. In a landmark move, President Biden fired up voting-age bud fiends across the country by announcing a federal pardon for every American with a history of marijuana use, including those who never faced arrest or prosecution. Now, the sweeping pardon extends to all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents caught with pot for personal use and those convicted on similar federal charges. The measure also extends to residents in the District of Columbia, That's good news for the pot-smoking politicians up on Capitol Hill. Now, this act of clemency has its limits.

It doesn't cover those jailed for selling marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law, nor does it include other related offenses, such as driving under the influence. The pardon is poised to make a significant impact, though, potentially lifting hurdles to employment, housing, and education that many with marijuana convictions face. But it's also important to note, This doesn't affect state-level violations, only federal. In a statement about the blanket pardoned, Biden said, quote, all I need are some tasty wives, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.

He added that too many lives have been disrupted by the country's outdated marijuana policies, and it's time to rectify these mistakes, calling on governors to follow suit and pardon state offenses. He then lit up a fatty, stared into the camera and said, Hey, bud, let's party. I'll leave it up to you to decide which quotes are actual, and which might be taking liberties. And here's your PDB public service announcement.

For those of you seeking official documentation of your pardon, applications can be submitted through the Department of Justice. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 26th 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.

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