The President's Daily Brief - July 3rd, 2024: NATO's Ukraine Plan, Gaza Governance Debate, & Migrant Influx

Episode Date: July 3, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   NATO appears to be doubling down on Ukraine. The defense alliance is preparing to announce its intention to station senior officials in Kyiv to shore up long-term support for the nation and quote “Trump-proof” its efforts against Russia. We’ll have the latest on the so-called “day after” debate in Israel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly softening his position on allowing the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza when the war comes to an end. More than 100 victims of Hamas’s October 7th attack have launched a lawsuit in a federal court against Iran, Syria, and North Korea, seeking at least 4 billion dollars in damages. And in today’s Back of the Brief, despite claims of a crackdown on the border, more than 100,000 migrants were allowed into the US in June. We’ll break down the latest numbers. 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. Email: [e-mail] 🏅 Patriot Gold: https://www.patriotgoldgroup.com Say Mike Baker sent you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gets. Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets from uncertain times. Speak with the experts at Patriot Gold. They've been the top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. That's a lot of years in a row. Go to Patriot Gold Group.com. Recall 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Wednesday, 3 July. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world's stage. Let's get briefed. NATO appears to be doubling down on Ukraine. The Defense Alliance is preparing

to announce its intention to station a senior official in Kiev to shore up long-term support for the nation and quote Trump-proof its efforts against Russia. Later, we'll have the latest on the so-called day-after debate in Israel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly softening his position on allowing the authority to govern Gaza when the war comes to an end. Of course, frankly, it doesn't much matter what Netanyahu or the U.S. administration or the U.N. think when it comes to future governance. The Palestinians in Gaza have rejected the Palestinian authority in the past, and there's no indication that Mahmoud Abbas and the PA are any more popular now. Plus, more than 100 victims of Hamas's brutal October 7th attacks have launched on lawsuit in a federal court against

Iran, Syria, and North Korea, seeking at least $4 billion, that's for the B, in damages. And in today's back of the brief, despite claims of a crackdown on the border, more than 100,000 migrants were allowed into the U.S. in June. Now, that's quite the crackdown. We'll break down those latest numbers. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll kick things off today in Eastern Europe, where NATO is making major move, that will expand their role in war in Ukraine

amid fears about future U.S. and European support. Ahead of a major NATO summit in Washington, D.C. next week, officials announced that for the first time, NATO will station a senior civilian official in Kiev to oversee long-term military modernization efforts and non-military support. The alliance also revealed plans to establish a new base of operations in Germany where NATO will take over the role from the U.S. of overseeing weapons deliveries to Kiev

and the training of Ukrainian troops, that's according to an exclusive report from the Wall Street Journal. The new measures are apparently designed to protect and ensure long-term financial and military support for Ukraine amid the right-wing political wave currently taking over Europe, whose nationalist leaders have indicated less interest in supporting the war effort. The initiatives are also meant to quote, Trump-proof NATO support for Ukraine in the event that the former president wins office in November. Trump has been critical of the war and painted it largely as a security concern for Europe, not America. President Biden's sketchy debate performance last week reportedly added to the urgency within NATO to make these changes. Ivo Daldor, a former U.S.

ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013, explained to the journal, quote, a big reason for the change is to Trump proof the assistance effort to Ukraine. Rather than having Washington in charge of managing the training and assistance, NATO will be in charge. So even if the U.S. reduces or withdraws support for the effort, it won't be eliminated, end quote. Now, Ambassador Daldor was a policy advisor to Barack Obama during the former president's 2008 campaign,

and then received an ambassadorship to NATO during Obama. his tenure. Prior to that, he was on Bill Clinton's National Security Council, all of which may help explain the references to Trump-proofing. Politics, as you see, never doesn't play a role in this world. So how are they planning to insulate Ukraine for many ships in domestic U.S. and European politics? Most notably, the new plan formalizes NATO's position in arming Ukraine by transferring control of a U.S.-led multinational group that oversees coordination of weapons shipments to NATO leadership. Their command will be set up in Wiesbaden, Germany, and will be staffed by some 700 U.S. and allied personnel from all 32 countries within the NATO alliance.

They will also liaise directly with the senior civilian official in Kiev, so they can have a better idea in real time of what Kiev needs to counter Putin's ongoing invasion. Douglas Lute, a retired three-star Army General and former NATO ambassador, told the journal, quote, it does provide for durability in the face of potential national political changes, whether it's as the result of elections in the U.S., France, the U.K., or even in the European Union. In short, by institutionalizing NATO's role, they hope to make support for Ukraine immune from changing political wins. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, also announced Tuesday that at next week's summit, NATO will outline a, quote, bridge to membership for Ukraine to ultimately join the alliance.

Though it's a process that is expected to take years and will frankly face numerous hurdles, NATO officials want to work to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and integrate them more closely with NATO standards and procedures to accelerate their membership bid. analysts note that the significance of the shift in posture by NATO cannot be understated. In the early years of the war, NATO took great efforts to avoid directly supporting Kiv out of concern Russia would accuse the alliance of being at war with Moscow. The latest shifts in policy, however, reveal NATO is ready to take on a more substantial role, one that could pull NATO closer to direct conflict with Russia.

explaining their reasoning, an undaimed senior official with the State Department told the journal, quote, since NATO allies have provided over 90% of total security assistance to Ukraine, NATO is the natural place to coordinate assistance to ensure Ukraine is more capable of defending itself now and in the future. We should note, while these initiatives have been tactatively agreed upon, their formal approval is expected to come at next week's summit in Washington, D.C. All right, coming up after the break, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be having a change of heart on agreeing to a scenario in which the Palestinian Authority governed Gaza after the war. And a lawsuit in a federal court in D.C. takes aim at Iran, Syria, and North Korea. I'll have those stories when we come back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance.

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Find your euphoria. Discover the euphoria elixir collection by Calvin Klein. Welcome back to the PDB. Shifting our focus to Israel, it appears that behind closed doors, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is warming up to the possibility of allowing members of the Palestinian Authority to be part of a post-war government in Gaza. As we've been a post-war government in Gaza, As we've covered previously on the PDB, U.S. and other Western allies have long been pushing for the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, from the West Bank, to be a key part of governance in Gaza following the conflict. As an aside, Mahmoud Abbas, well, he's not a popular figure in Gaza. Netanyahu has spent many months publicly rejecting any clan that incorporates the PA due to their close ties to radicals and their failure to condemn the 7-October attacks, that's according to a report from the Times of Israel.

Just last week, for example, Netanyahu told a local news station in Israel that he would not allow a Palestinian state to be established in the aftermath of the conflict, adding that he was, quote, not prepared to give Gaza to the PA. Privately, however, Netanyahu has begun shifting his stance. According to his top aides, he would like to establish a civil administration in Gaza made up of, quote, local Palestinians and has acknowledged that such a coalition would necessarily include individuals affiliated with the Palestinian Authority. When it comes to internal discussion, an unnamed Israeli security official told the times of Israel they quote, local Palestinians,

well, that's code for PA-affiliated individuals. These officials say that the government has already begun vetting individuals on the PA's payroll who previously managed affairs in Gaza before Hamas's violent takeover of the enclave back in 2007. Critically, leaders in Jerusalem are differentiating between the current PA leadership, such as Mahmoud Abbas, and lower-level Palestinian authority members who are already affiliated with established institutions in Gaza, putting them in a better position to manage administrative affairs

in the war-torn enclave. The distinction between leadership and lower-tier members is critical, as polls show that the Palestinian Authority's leadership is wildly unpopular with Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank. According to our recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, roughly 40% of Palestinians support Hamas as the ruling party for Gaza, while only 20% support Abbas and the PA. Within Abbas's home region of the West Bank, support for Hamas is even more extreme,

with more than 71% backing Hamas's rule of Gaza. But popular opinion among Palestinians, well, that's just one hurdle. Abbas will likely not authorize any low-level officials to participate in Israel's post-war plans if it does not include a clear path to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Arab countries have likewise conditioned their support on Israel agreeing to a two-state solution, something that leaders in Israel fundamentally oppose. Meanwhile, within Israel, Danyahu's far-right coalition partners remain firmly opposed to any rule for the PA in Gaza, and he risks losing their support and collapsing his current government if he goes against them.

Still, it is an important indication that Israel is increasingly focused on creating a viable post-war governing plan for Gaza. And despite rhetoric from anti-Israel and anti-Semitic elements, Israel has stated numerous times that they do not want to occupy Gaza. All right, shifting focus now to the district court in Washington, D.C., where more than 100 victims and relatives of those affected by the 7-October attacks by Hamas have launched a lawsuit against Iran, Syria, and North Korea. The lawsuit demands at least $4 billion in damages, accusing these nations of supporting Hamas and executing the assault.

The lawsuit is being led by the anti-defamation lead, the ADL, and is reportedly the largest of its kind in history. The lawsuit seeks damages for what is described as a, quote, coordination of extrajudicial killings, hostage-taking, and related horrors, end quote. The attack on 7 October led to over 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. ADL chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt described the 7 October attacks as the largest anti-Semitic attacks. attack since the Holocaust. Of course, we shouldn't expect anyone from these countries to appear in an American courtroom anytime soon, okay, or whatever, but the lawsuit seeks accountability under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which allows foreign governments to be held liable for terrorism-related deaths or injuries. You may not be surprised to learn that countries accused of state-sponsored

terrorism often ignore U.S. lawsuits and don't honor judgments against them. I know. It's It's surprising. The lawsuit seeks $1 billion in compensatory damages and $3 billion in punitive damages. The lawsuit cites previous court findings, governmental reports, and statements by officials from Hamas, Iran, and Syria to support its claims. Now, the lawsuit does not present specific evidence that Iran, Syria, or North Korea had prior knowledge of the assault. However, it does allege that North Korean weapons were used during the attack.

While North Korea denies arming Hamas, evidence suggests the use of North Korean F7 rocket-propelled grenades in the assault. South Korea said the shoulder-fired weapon was found among the weapons captured by Israel. The lawsuit cites the use of the F-7 grenade as a clear indication of Pyongyang's involvement. Now, Iran has consistently denied any foreknowledge despite Supreme Leader Khomeini praising the attack, And anyone who imagines that key IRGC personnel within the Iranian regime were somehow unaware of the plan 7 October attacks, well, they're willfully ignorant, they're naive, they're stupid, or perhaps some combination of all of the above. Syria, which is basically a satellite state of Iran at this point, also expressed public support for Hamas following the attack. Should the defendants be found liable, the plaintiffs aim to access the U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism fund, which has paid out over $6 billion to claimants since its inception in 2015,

most notably two victims of the September 11 attacks and their families. All right. After the break, despite the Biden administration's crackdown on asylum seekers, is it really a crackdown? Leaked documents obtained by the popes to still paint a grim picture of the crisis at the U.S. southern border. We'll examine that in tonight's back of the brief. I'll be right back. sandwich from 7-Eleven, people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect. Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy. Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me and baby I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4. Quiet, no. Krispy, saucy, and $4? Very. Only at 7-Eleven. Valley 36-2, participating stores only well supplies last the app for full terms. Thanks. Yours too.

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The stylish 2026 Toyota RAV4 Limited. What's your RAV4? In today's back of the brief, I want to draw your attention to a story in the New York Post. According to leaked documents obtained by the newspaper, in the month of June, over 103,000 migrants were allowed into the U.S., despite President Biden's much-discussed executive order, which promised to curb illegal immigration. This figure includes, for the month of June, 30,000 illegal border crossers representing more than one-third of all migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border for that month. President Biden's executive order, effective since 5 June, aimed to make illegal border crossers ineligible for asylum. Now, while illegal border crossings in June dropped by about 20% or so from the same month in

2003, the lowest during the Biden administration, the number of migrants being released into the U.S. remains significant. Those released have future court dates here. Here's your court date. I hope you show up. Adding to the backlog of over 3 million pending. cases in immigration courts. Despite the backlog in the courts, various programs continue to permit migrant entry. For instance, migrants from more than 100 countries crossing into the San Diego

region are exempt from the executive orders restrictions because their home countries, well, they refuse to accept deportees. Additionally, up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela are admitted via a humanitarian parole program. And other programs, such as the CBP-1 app, are facilitating legal border crossings for about 1,450 migrants per day from Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas praised the latest restrictions during a visit to Tucson, Arizona, claiming that the president's actions are effective due to their stringent response to illegal crossings and consistent enforcement of the law.

Now, this is the same Mallorcas who spent the past three years, Deny that there was a problem at the border, so perhaps his input is less than useful. With these persistently high numbers, folks should perhaps be asking if the executive order truly represents a crackdown or merely political theater with the presidential election on the horizon. And in case you're having a hard time formulating an answer to that question, let me help. It's political theater. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Wednesday. 3 July. If you happen to be hankering to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdb premium.com. It's simple, it's easy,

and quite possibly the best value in podcast news here on planet earth. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this. but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistance's assistants assistants switch you to MintMobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required.

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