The President's Daily Brief - May 1st, 2024: Gaza’s Future, Nuclear Deterrence, & GPS Jamming

Episode Date: May 1, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   With the world awaiting a decision on the latest ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East to discuss Gaza's future with key allies. We explore why some Arab nations are hesitant to engage in post-war plans.   Later, we examine the escalating nuclear threats from Kremlin propagandists against NATO, and French President Emmanuel Macron's signaling of France's nuclear arsenal as a deterrent.   We also cover accusations from Baltic states that Russia is using GPS jamming to disrupt commercial air traffic as part of its asymmetrical warfare strategy.   In the Back of the Brief: We turn our attention to Capitol Hill where the movement to unseat Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has stalled, for now.   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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Wednesday, the 1st of May, a brand new month. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. With the world waiting for a decision on the current ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in the region to discuss the future of Gaza with key allies. We'll explore reports that reveal why some Arab nations are reluctant to engage in any post-war plans. Later in the show, as Kremlin propagandists escalate their threats of nuclear annihilation against NATO,

French President Emmanuel Macron signals the potential use of France's nuclear arsenal to deter any attacks on European allies. Well, that all sounds very promising, doesn't it? Also, coming up, Putin continues his asymmetrical warfare, with Baltic states accusing Russia of using GPS jamming to disrupt commercial air traffic. And in today's back of the brief, we turn our attention to Capitol Hill, where threats to unseat Speaker of the House Mike Johnson appear to have, well, fizzled out, at least for now. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Today marks the conclusion of U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's Middle Eastern tour,

culminating with his visit to Israel. Now, in Tel Aviv, Blinin is set to engage in crucial discussions aimed at boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza and advancing ceasefire negotiations. Prior to his arrival in Israel, Blinken's itinerary included stops in Amman Jordan and Riyadh Saudi Arabia, where he convened with prominent leaders, including King Abdullah and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The secretary's agenda also extended beyond the current situation in Gaza with talks about the Palestinian enclave's future. Now, in Riyadh, Blinken alongside foreign ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates explored potential frameworks for governing Gaza once the war comes to an end.

As regular PDB listeners already know, discussions over a post-war Gaza have been going on for months, with, frankly, little to show for it. While Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly stated that Israel has no intention of maintaining a permanent presence in Gaza, there's no agreement on just who would fill the vacuum. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has shown a clear preference that governance be handed over to a revamped Palestinian authority, something that the Netanyahu government has strictly opposed. And to be fair, there haven't been any explanations or suggestions even as to how the Palestinian Authority under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas would be revamped.

But even if the issue of governance is solved, the issue of security and overseeing reconstruction would still remain an open question. A coalition of Arab states would obviously be the most likely contender to take on such a task, but a report in the Washington Post suggests that Arab nations, here's a shock, are hesitant to step into the role. Ah, yeah, there's a surprise, Arab nations, not taking a leading role in bettering the lives of Palestinians. The biggest hang-up for Arab leaders is that without a plan in place for a long-term peace and reconstruction of Palestine, they fear being seen as new occupiers, and not to be cynical, but they just don't want to get involved. It's a lot easier for the Arab nations if the problem remains just between the Palestinians

and the Israelis. Jordanian foreign minister, Amen al-Safati, told reporters, quote, whoever goes there if they are seen or perceived to be there to consolidate the misery that this war has created, then they will be seen as the enemy. I think nobody would want to be part of that configuration." Again, now, not to state the obvious I'm about to, but the misery created by this war is the direct result of the actions of Hamas. There, there's my statement of the obvious. Egypt was also hesitant, saying that while they're willing to take on a peacekeeping role in Gaza, they'd have to assess the risks. Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Sar. struck a similar tone, refusing to say whether his country would contribute to a security force

without a commitment to a two-state solution from Israel, which again is pretty much non-starter for the Netanyahu government. All right, coming up after the break, as Kremlin propagandists wag their nuclear sabres in NATO's general direction, French President Emmanuel Macron considers deploying France's nuclear arsenal as a deterrent. Plus, we'll discuss how Putin's tactics of asymmetrical warfare are affecting commercial air traffic in the Baltic states, with new accusations of GPS jamming. I'll be right back. Welcome back.

The threat of nuclear escalation between NATO states and Russia. Well, it appears to be back on the table, at least according to a top Putin toady, who was warning that Russia will sink Britain under a nuclear tsunami. if NATO troops get involved in the Ukraine war. The unhinged saber-rattelay came courtesy of Kremlin crony Dmitri Kislov, a propagandist who was appointed by Vladimir Putin in 2013 to head a Russian state-controlled media group and to be the head of the Russian Ministry of Stupid pronouncements. Kislyov warned NATO against backing Putin into a corner by deploying troops to Ukraine, saying such actions would trigger nuclear Armageddon, according to a Newsweek report. Kislyov said, quote,

if NATO countries send our troops into Ukraine in order to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, then the very moment about which Putin once said, why do we need the world if there is no Russia in it, would come. Then everything he said would be launched by us in every direction, end quote. Seriously, a dude needs a hobby and a Xanax. And, possibly a glass of white wine. He claimed that plans have already been made to target American decision-making centers and missile launchers in the event of an escalation. Now, Kislyov further warned that France's nuclear deterrent would be instantly neutralized,

and Britain would, he said, simply go underwater. When it comes to his threat against the UK, Kislyov is referring to Russia's alleged Poseidon nuclear-capable super torpedoes, which they claim control. trigger a radioactive tsunami, not just a tsunami, but a nuclear tsunami. It's real evil, league of evil stuff here, very doctor horrible. He claimed that his warnings were not simply propaganda, saying, quote, we have all the required technology for this, but it's better not to let things get to that point. He added that, quote, Russia is the only country in the world that is truly capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash, end quote. And one suspects that

Kislyov is compensating for something. Amid the nuclear threats, French President Emmanuel Macron said over the weekend that he is open to using France's nuke warheads as part of a unified European nuclear deterrent against Russian aggression, according to a political report. It's worth noting that France is the only nuclear superpower in the European Union, with an estimated 300 warheads in their arsenal. Macron has adopted a rather aggressive posture towards Russia in recent months as they continue to wage their brutal campaign in Ukraine. Back in March, Macron even went so far as to say that NATO should not rule out deploying troops to fight on the ground in Ukraine. That, of course, alarmed fellow members of the

alliance. Macron also appears to be compensating for something. The renewed nuclear threats out of Russia come at a time of escalating tensions along NATO's eastern flank, particularly. over the issue of nukes. As we covered last week on the PDB, Poland recently said they're prepared to host nuclear weapons from NATO partners in their territory to counter Russia's increased militarization of Belarus and Kalinandrad. Leaders in Moscow have been slowly but deliberately reinforcing their armaments in strategic areas along the border with Europe's Baltic states, stoking fears, of course, among NATO members that Putin's ambitions extend. beyond the borders of Ukraine. And Russia, meanwhile, promised countermeasures if nuclear weapons are

deployed in Poland. All right, sticking with the destabilizing shenanigans of the Putin regime, leaders in the Baltic states are sounding off on Russia's targeted GPS jamming of commercial flights in their airspace, which they say is becoming too dangerous of a threat to ignore. For some context, Finnish airline Finair suspended all flights to the city of Tartu and Estonia on Monday after suffering repeated interference with GPS signals over the Baltic Sea region. Just last week, two Finair flights were forced to turn back mid-air after they were targeted with GPS jamming, and that's according to a report by Politico. Estonian foreign minister Margas Sakna accused the Putin regime on Monday of being behind the GPS disruption.

which he described as a, quote, hybrid attack by Russia. He plans to raise the issue with officials at the European Union and NATO. Sokna said, quote, Russia knows very well that the interference they're causing is very dangerous for our air traffic. It's a deliberate action, he said, that is disrupting our lives, putting people's lives at risk. Such actions are a hybrid attack and are a threat to our people and security,

and we will not tolerate them, end quote. While commercial planes can operate without GPS, it interferes with the pilot's ability to geolocate their position. Certain airports, such as the one in the city of Tartu, rely solely on GPS for approaches and landings, making the GPS jamming more of a problem in these locations. Leaders in Lithuania have expressed similar concern over Russia's electronic interference in their airspace. Their foreign minister raised the issue in an interview with the Financial Times over the weekend. end, warning that the jamming incidents are escalating. He said, quote, if someone turns off your headlights while you're driving at night, it gets dangerous. Things in the Baltic region near Russian

borders are now getting too dangerous to ignore, end quote. And Latvia's foreign minister has also echoed the concerns of their neighbors, saying they take the threat seriously and are in contact with international partners on how best to address the issue. We should note, GPS jamming in the Baltic region has been occurring ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, and officials have long suspected that Kremlin is behind the disruptions. According to the Kiev Independent, it's estimated that some 46,000 aircraft have run into GPS disruptions over the Baltic region since last August. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, we return to Washington, D.C., where the movement to unseat Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson,

has, well, lost esteem following the Democratic leader's decision not to support his ouster. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, it looks like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has managed to hold onto a speakership, at least for now. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Green had been trying to whip up support for her motion to vacate the chair following last weekend's vote to send $96 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. In a statement released on Tuesday, House Democrats announced that they would rescue the Speaker if the motion to vacate is brought to the floor, all but basically sinking Taylor Green's efforts to topple Johnson. Democratic leaders, led by minority leader Hakim Jeffries,

wrote, quote, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of pro-Pudin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Representative Marjorie Taylor Green's motion to vacate the chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed, end quote. The move likely comes as a relief to many House Republicans, including some in the conservative wing of the caucus, who were uneasy at the prospect of another prolonged battle over the speakership, like the one that the U.S. saw back in October.

According to her report in Axios, even Florida Congressman Matt Gates, who was at the forefront of efforts to oust her. former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, said he hoped a motion to vacate wouldn't come to the floor earlier this week. Representative Green was obviously unhappy with the news. She declared that Mike Johnson is now officially the Democratic Speaker of the House and accused of making a slimy backroom deal to secure democratic support. Nevertheless, Taylor Green is still threatening to trigger the motion to vacate, even though it's doomed to fail just to get everyone on the record and

course, to raise her profile a bit further and stay in the media spotlight. Finally, the New York Police Department, at the invitation of frustrated Columbia administrators, entered the Columbia University campus last night to evict students and outside activists who broke into a school administration building and barricaded themselves inside. Well, look at that. Maybe even the feckless leaders of Columbia University have decided finally that there should be consequences for illegal. actions, but we'll have more details during today's PDB afternoon bulletin. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, 1 May.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, look into becoming a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. It's very simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.