The President's Daily Brief - February 5th, 2024: U.S. Retaliation, Hamas Returns in Gaza, & Israeli Aid in the House

Episode Date: February 5, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We dive into the US's response to the recent deadly attack on its troops, launching retaliatory strikes against Iranian-linked militias in Iraq and Syria. Mike break down the targets hit and those spared, by this weekend's bombings. We’ll the coordinated efforts by the US and EU against Yemen-based Houthi militants, detailing the fresh attacks that occurred on Saturday. Turning our focus to Gaza, we'll explore Hamas's movements in the northern enclave following Israel's withdrawal, and give an update on the potential ceasefire being considered by the terror group. In the Back of the Brief, we delve into House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to introduce a stand-alone Israeli aid package this week, a pivotal move that separates the aid from potential funding for Ukraine and the US-Mexico border. 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

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It's Monday, 5 February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. The U.S. began its retaliatory strikes against Iranian-linked militias in Iraq and Syria following the deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan last week. I'll provide details on what the U.S. targeted, and notably, what it did not target in this weekend's bombings. Later, we'll take a look at the fresh attacks by the U.S. and U.K. on Yemen-based Houthi militants

that took place on Saturday. And there's news from Gaza, where Hamas appears to be returning to the northern part of the enclave following Israel's withdrawal from the area. And finally, in today's back of the brief, we'll discuss U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to introduce a stand-alone Israeli aid package this week. Now, this move ends the possibility of linking the aid to additional funding for Ukraine and the U.S. Mexico border. But first up, the PDB spotlight. The U.S. launched air strikes on Friday in response to that deadly drone attack that killed three service members and wounded 40 others at Tower 22 in Jordan.

According to the Pentagon, the strikes targeted over 85 sites associated with groups, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, and its Quds Force. lasting around 30 minutes, the operation focused on command and control centers, intelligence facilities, and weapons storage depots used by Iran-backed militias, to carry out attacks against U.S. and coalition forces. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the targets at each site were picked because they were linked to specific attacks against American troops in the region. Now, utilizing more than 125 precision-guided munitions,

the operation was declared a success by the White House. Details on the actual damage done and casualties are fairly sketchy at the moment. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 29 pro-Iran fighters, including members of Lebanese Hezbollah, were killed in the strikes in Syria, and telegram channels, associated with Iran's IRGC, said that at least 10 Iraqi militiamen were killed. One interesting note is that at least two of the aircraft involved in the strikes were launched from American soil. A pair of B-1B bombers reportedly took off from Dias Air Force Base in Texas early Friday and made the more than 6,000-mile flight to deliver their payload of munitions from the skies over Iraq and Syria.

President Biden described these airstrikes as the commencement of America's response, indicating a sustained effort that will unfold, quote, at times and places of our choosing. Following this initial action, U.S. officials hinted at a series of subsequent operations, or possible operations, including cyber operations against Iranian targets, planned for the coming days, weeks, and possibly months. Now, as you may have noticed, the White House spent the past week prior to these retaliatory strikes, essentially telegraphing their intentions. stating repeatedly that they had selected their targets, that they would be doing a multi-phased

approach, and that they had no desire to go to war with Iran. They were basically setting expectations, primarily, that they would not be hitting targets in Iran or directly associated with Iran. So, there was no surprise that one thing that was notably absent from Friday's targets list were any, well, Iranian targets, although National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, refused to rule out strikes against Iran, Friday's strikes were limited to Iranian-linked groups and did not include any Iranian personnel, like members of the goods force, that are stationed in Iraq and Syria. Now, the White House has repeatedly said that this weekend's efforts were the beginning, not the end, of the retaliation for the killing of U.S. service members, and, more broadly, for the more than 160 missile and drone attacks on U.S. and allied personnel,

that have been launched by Iran-backed militias over the past couple months. That seems to be an admission that they don't believe this initial round of attacks will serve as a sufficient deterrence, and they are likely correct. Shortly after the U.S. launched this round of attacks, the Iran-backed Houthi militants were right back at it, targeting shipping in the Red Sea in Gulf of Aden. It's very likely that without meaningful, aggressive sanctions levied against the Iran regime, sanctions that actually dry up their energy revenues, and without actual targeting of sites that Iran

does not want to lose, such as their own refineries or military assets, the IRGC will continue to allow their proxies to provoke and attack U.S. and allied personnel in the region. All right, coming up after the break, we'll continue our coverage of this weekend's strikes in the Middle East, as U.S. and U.K. forces once again took aim at Houthi militants in Yemen. Plus, we'll have an update on the situation in Israel as Hamas appears to have returned to northern Gaza following the withdrawal of your IDF troops from the area. I'll be right back. Welcome back. Militants in Iraq and Syria weren't the only Iranian-backed groups to take a pounding this weekend. On Saturday, the United States and Britain launched a new

wave of strikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. According to U.S. Central Command, the coordinated attacks targeted 36 Houthi positions across 13 sites in northern Yemen. These strikes, carried out by American and British warplains and Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles, aimed at deeply buried weapon storage facilities, missile systems, air defense systems, and radars. This operation saw a broad coalition with Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, providing intelligence and logistics support. That coalition effort is an indication of just how disruptive the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea have become. Now, there's been no report on casualties from this latest round of strikes inside Yemen.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that this collective action sends a stern message to the Houthis, warning of further consequences if their attacks on international shipping and naval vessels do not cease. This operation marks the second largest salvo against the Houthis following the initial strikes on January 11th, and represent the third engagement by the Allies. A Houthi spokesperson said the U.S. strikes, quote, will not go unanswered and will be punished, adding that the group remains undeterred in its support of the Palestinian people. So at first blush, that stern message that the defense secretary referred to may not have been properly delivered. This joint attack came hours before the U.S. executed yet another self-defense effort in Yemen, neutralizing six anti-ship cruise missiles. This proactive defense measure is part of a consistent pattern,

as evidenced by the U.S. destroyer Laboon and FAA 18s from the Eisenhower, shooting down several drones launched by the Houthis into the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aden just a day prior to the large-scale operation. All right, shifting gears. I'd like to turn now to Israel, where, as we've put it, previously discussed here on the PDB, Israeli defense forces, the IDF, have largely withdrawn their troops from northern Gaza, including the enclave's largest urban area, Gaza City. Well, it's beginning to look like Hamas is far more resilient than Israel had anticipated or

hoped. According to reports, Hamas appears to already be resurfacing in these areas that have been abandoned by the IDF. Local reporting indicates that the group is not only resurfacing, but actively reasserting control in these vacated regions. According to the Associated Press, residents of Gaza City have observed Hamas deploying police officers and initiating salary payments to some of its civil servants, a clear sign of its operational rebound. I witness accounts from four Gaza City residents reveal a visible presence of both uniformed and plainclothes officers near key locations such as police headquarters, government offices, and notably Shifa Hospital. If you'll remember, Shifa is Gaza's

largest hospital, and it was the site of a prolonged siege this past November. The resurgence of civil servants in these areas underscores Hamas' efforts to reestablish their governance following the IDF's departure. Furthermore, the establishment of makeshift offices for dispersing payments to government employees, including police and municipal workers, highlights the group's rapid organizational efforts. A Hamas official confirmed that directives had been issued to restore order in northern parts of Gaza vacated by Israeli forces. These measures aim to prevent looting and maintain stability, especially in areas abandoned by residents following Israeli evacuation orders. However, Hamas' resurgence has not gone unchallenged. Israeli forces have resumed strikes in western and northwestern parts of Gaza's

city, targeting areas where Hamas has been reestablishing its administrative functions. Okay, I also wanted to give you a quick update on that ceasefire agreement that's been proposed by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, last week. As we told you late last week, the agreement could potentially include the release of hostages in Gaza, a six-week ceasefire, and an increase in humanitarian. aid. However, it appears that the deal is currently facing delays due to internal disagreements within Hamas itself. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing officials close to the negotiations, Yaya Sinwar Hamas's top leader in Gaza and his deputies are in favor of accepting the six-week pause in fighting due to exhaustion from months of conflict. Yet Hamas' exiled political leaders

are pushing for more concessions and are aiming to negotiate a permanent ceasefire. Frankly, I suppose that it's not surprising that the Hamas personnel and military leaders who've been hunkered down in their vast tunnel network for the past four months, well, that they'd be keener on a ceasefire than the wealthy Hamas political leaders who are living in luxurious high-rise apartments in Qatar. A Hamas official told Al Jazeera on Sunday that the group is in the final stages of internal debate and will soon give its response to the proposal. On the Israeli side, the ceasefire proposal is still pending a decision from Israel's war cabinet,

led by Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, the proposal has received broad approval from the head of the Mossad Intelligence Agency, who has been directly involved in the negotiations. Okay, in today's back of the brief, House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced his plan to move on a standalone Israeli aid package this week, potentially throwing cold water on the idea of linking the aid to additional funding for Ukraine and a deal on the U.S.-Mexico border. I'll be right back. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or

crypto's trillion-dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. In today's back of the brief, in a letter to House Republicans, Speaker Mike Johnson announced his plan to bring a standalone Israeli aid bill to the floor this week, essentially dashing any hopes of a comprehensive bill that would have also included a deal on U.S. border security and more funding for Ukraine. In Saturday's letter, the Speaker blamed Democrats and the Senate for forcing the House GOP to abandon its earlier strategy of supporting more comprehensive legislation. Johnson blamed Senate leaders for failing to include House leaders in their negotiations on their own

bipartisan legislation that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies. Johnson told his Republican colleagues, quote, given the Senate's failure to move appropriate legislation in a timely fashion and the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel, the House will continue to lead, end quote. The bill, provides more than $17 billion in aid to Israel, including $4 billion to replenish Israel's Iron Dome and missile defense systems, and $3.5 billion for the procurement of advanced weapon systems. The Senate is racing to release its own bill in the coming days, although racing might be too strong a word. I mean, I don't think anybody on Capitol Hill races. It's more like sauntering,

maybe plodding. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily. brief for Monday 5 February. 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.