The President's Daily Brief - January 19th, 2024: Saudi Peace Strategy, Jordan’s Airstrikes, & Texas’ Defiance

Episode Date: January 19, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We delve into the critical role of Saudi Arabia in the Israel-Gaza conflict, outlining how the kingdom could be instrumental in forging peace in the region. We examine Jordan's unexpected military intervention in Syria, with airstrikes that have reportedly resulted in multiple casualties. We take to the streets of Russia, witnessing the largest wave of demonstrations since the country commenced military operations in Ukraine. In today's Back of the Brief, Texas remains defiant in its escalating conflict between the Biden Administration over access to the Rio Grande River border area. 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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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, as Israel seeks to wind down its war in Gaza, I'll explain how Saudi Arabia is emerging as the potential key to future peace between the Jewish state and its neighbors. Later on, a new country enters the Middle East chaos, with the nation of Jordan allegedly launching air strikes in neighboring Syria, killing at least 10 people. Plus, Russian authorities face down angry protesters in the largest outbreak of civil unrest, since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. And finally, in today's back of the brief, the standoff

between the Biden administration and the state of Texas continues as state officials ignore a deadline to allow border patrol officers access to a two-and-a-half-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River. But first up, the PDB Spotlight. We've talked quite a bit over the past few months about the role that Qatar and Egypt have played as mediators. They've been central to negotiations between Israel, Hamas, and the United States. For example, it was Qatar and Egypt that moderated the deal to release 100 hostages back in November. However, there's another player in this drama that really hasn't gotten much attention lately, and that's the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Their role is likely to grow in the coming days, as all parties seek to bring the hostilities to a conclusion, and their recognition of Israel may be the key to bringing this to an end. Now, let's backtrack for a second. Prior to the outbreak of the war, there were already ongoing negotiations to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. As we reported here on the PDB in September, Riyadh was looking to ink a defense pact with the U.S., and assistance in developing its civilian nuclear program was a prerequisite for recognizing Israel. The U.S. seemed open to this proposal, and there was hope that it would be acceptable to the Netanyahu administration. Of course, these efforts were completely derailed by the brutal October 7th Hamas terrorist attack

and Israel's subsequent military response in Gaza. That, of course, was exactly the result that Iran, the sponsor of Hamas, wanted. Look, the last thing Iran wants to see is Arab nations recognizing Israel's right to exist, After all, the Iranian regime's reason for being, the reason the mullahs get out of bed every morning, is the destruction of Israel. But now, based on recent statements from leaders on both sides, meaning the Saudis and the Israelis, it appears that the negotiations are back on track, at least on an informal level. At the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos yesterday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that normalizing ties between Israel and Israel and

and Saudi Arabia would be a key element of ending the war with Hamas and a game-changer for the entire Middle East. This statement aligns with recent remarks from Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, speaking at a Davos panel. He recognized the idea of regional peace as inclusive of Israel. He said Saudi Arabia is still willing to recognize Israel, contingent upon a broader political agreement that includes peace for the Palestinians and Israel's acknowledgement of a Palestinian state. The discussions taking place between Saudi, U.S. and Israeli officials are looking at a comprehensive plan,

and this includes rebuilding Gaza with substantial support from neighboring Arab countries, establishing moderate Palestinian leadership in Gaza, and finalizing a defense treaty between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, aimed at forming an alliance against their mutual adversary Iran. These developments all hinge on a crucial aspect. Israel's acknowledgement of a Palestinian state, and that in the past has been a tough sell. But the informal discussions between the Saudis and Israel do at least offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise grim situation. I'm sure the Mullahs probably see it differently.

All right, coming up after the break, at least 10 people have been killed in suspected Jordanian air strikes in southwestern Syria, and hundreds of protesters clash with police in Russia in a rare display of public outrage against Putin's government. I'll be right back. Welcome back. I want to turn our attention to Syria, where a suspected air strike by Jordan's Air Force reportedly killed at least nine people on Thursday. Jordanian officials have not commented on the deadly air strike or confirm their involvement. However, Jordan has been engaged in a years-long drug war against smugglers using the border region with Syria to traffic narcotics through the Middle East. Officials with the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

Thursday that the airstrike hit villages in the southern province of Swayda, reportedly killing several individuals. They said the victims of the strike had absolutely no links to drug smuggling in the area and suggested that Jordan may have been operating on incorrect intelligence, and that's according to a report by ABC News. To provide some context, Jordan's military has recently stepped up their efforts to combat drug smuggling operations along their border with Syria. The smugglers, who have links with Iranian-backed militias such as Hezbollah, have been transporting vast quantities of narcotics, along with weapons and explosives, as part of the region's multi-billion-dollar drug trade. Their narcotic in question is called Capagon. It's a Syrian-made amphetamine popular in the Gulf states.

Over the years, smugglers have trafficked hundreds of millions of pills, which are popular for both recreational use and with workers who use it to stay alert and physically demanding jobs. The Jordanian army clashed with a group of these smugglers in early January, who were attempting to cross into Jordan from Syria. During the skirmish, the Jordanian military killed five smugglers and took four. 15 into custody. Now, Jordan has launched a number of air strikes into Syria over the past year in an attempt to stymie the drug trade, although the Jordanian military has not claimed responsibility for any of the strikes. These included an air strike on a village in Soweda in May that took out a high-profile drug kingpin and his family. Another strike in August destroyed an alleged drug factory near Jordan's border. Now, Syrian opposition activists have been to be.

critical of the unacknowledged military strikes, saying civilians who happen to live near smugglers or suspected drug warehouses often get caught in the carnage. Jordan, the United States, Britain, and the European Union have all accused Syrian President Bashar Assad, his allies in Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon of facilitating the sprawling drug trade. As you might imagine, Iran and Hezbollah have denied any role in his smuggling operations, and, the war. The warring, dismiss the allegations as Western propaganda, of course. Shifting our focus to Russia, chaos recently broke out in the town of Bamak in the Bashkortostan region of Russia after a minority rights activist was sentenced to four years in a penal colony.

Fyel Alsinov, the activist in question, previously led a banned nationalist movement and has spearheaded protests, calling for greater cultural and economic autonomy for the Bashkir people. He has also been highly critical of the war in Ukraine. Now, Russian authorities accused him of inciting ethnic hatred, calling him an extremist masquerading as an activist. Following his sentencing on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets and clashed with local police in Beymuk. Local social media posts reviewed by the New York Times showed protesters throwing snowballs at police in riot gear, as police countered with tear gas and batons to scatter the crowd. Seems an overreaction to snowballs. The clash with the police caused at least 20 injuries,

and reports suggest that at least 20 of the protesters were taken into custody. No word on if any of the police suffered snowball-related injuries. The protests marked one of the largest outbreaks of social unrest in Russia since they launched their invasion of Ukraine. It also put a spotlight on these strained relations between the Putin regime and the local Bashkir ethnic minority. It's a predominantly Muslim group. Anger has been increasing among the ethnic Bashkir people over the environmental impact of the Kremlin's mining operations in their region, along with the disproportionate impact that the war in Ukraine is having on their community. On Wednesday, however, protesters reportedly tried to make it clear to authorities that they were

out in support of Al-Sinov, the activist, they were not out to criticize the Russian government as a whole. In a video addressed to Putin, a Beemak activist said, We are the people of the Republic of Basquartistan, a subject of the Russian Federation. We are not extremists, end quote. Their pleas, however, appear to be falling on deaf ears. On Thursday, the head of the Republic of Beskortisan of the Russian Federation denounced the protesters as traitors. In a statement on telegram, the regional leader said, quote, you can put on the mask of a good environmental activist, a patriot, but in reality, the situation is completely different, end quote.

Now Ruslan Gabasov, an activist partner of Al-Sinov's, who now lives in Lithuania, was among those named as a traitor. Gabasov explained the plight of the Basqueur people in an interview with Reuters, saying, quote, compared with ethnic Russians, they send a lot more of us to the war, and the number who die is correspondingly higher. We don't want to live as part of Russia anymore. Why do we need that to die and gradually disappear? End quote. Gabasov is calling for a fresh day of protests in the capital of Bashkortistan on Friday. He said, what happened yesterday shows that people are tired of being afraid. Now, while this particular protest situation might not seem important,

activists or protesters throwing snowballs at Russian police won't make many headlines. The important point here is that Putin has been, for the past two years, conscripting heavily from ethnic and geographically remote locations around Russia to prosecute his war against Ukraine. Ethnic groups in Russia have been targeted because Putin wants to keep the war to the degree possible from impacting the populations in the major urban centers, such as Moscow or St. Petersburg. Any indications of social unrest among these groups is worth watching. The only thing that will make Putin change his perspective on the war is if he feels like he's losing his grip on the population, on public opinion.

Putin, like any good communist dictator, fears social unrest more than anything else. All right, coming up. Texas remains defiant, refusing to comply with Biden administration demands to stop blocking U.S. Border Patrol agents from access a public park along the southern border. The latest on the standoff between the DOJ and Texas officials in tonight's back of the brief. Choice hotels get you more of what you value. Here's a little tune to help you remember. Same drive, different day.

Don't you wish you were getting away? Pack your bags and come on through. Texas, Ohio, Alaska, we're up there too. Comfort Inn. It's calling your name. Save on the... stay. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim. Well, I hope you like my little song, book direct at choice hilltales.com. In today's back of the brief, the government of Texas and the Biden administration

remain locked in a legal standoff over Shelby Park. It's a two and a half mile stretch of parkland along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Texas National Guard has restricted access to this area for border patrol officials. This move is part of Governor Greg Abbott. Operation Lone Star, aimed at securing the state's border. Shelby Park, previously a major crossing point for migrants from Mexico, is now at the center of a contentious dispute. The situation intensified this weekend when the Department of Homeland Security issued a cease and desist letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The letter demanded that Texas cease obstructing border patrol agents access to Shelby Park by Wednesday night, threatening to escalate the matter to the Justice Department.

Well, obviously, the deadline has come and gone. Attorney General Paxton issued a three-page response to the DHS on Wednesday evening, disputing the department's claims and saying, because, quote, the facts and law side with Texas, the state will continue utilizing its constitutional authority to defend her territory, end quote. Paxton went on to denounce the federal government's attempts to attribute recent drowning deaths to Texas as a vile. And you don't hear that word much anymore. Vile. It's kind of an old-timey word, but it's a good one.

He argued that the tragedies were the responsibility of the federal government. And as we were reported yesterday on the PDB, the federal government's own court filings show that the drownings happened before the Border Patrol agents were ever notified of the event by Mexican authorities. It's as if Texas thinks the federal government focuses on facts and evidence rather than feelings in political spin. That's charming. In a significant development, Texas authorities made their first arrests of migrants at Shelby Park Wednesday evening, charging multiple individuals attempting to cross the border with criminal trespassing. Lieutenant Chris Olivares of the Texas Department of Public Safety announced these arrests on social

media, where he also shared videos of the migrants being handcuffed and detained. While single adult migrants were taken into state custody, migrant families and children were handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday, 19 January. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.