The President's Daily Brief - May 28th, 2024: Escalation in Rafah, Nuclear Defense Damaged, & Missionaries Murdered

Episode Date: May 28, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We start today's show with an in-depth look at the escalating crisis in Rafah. Hamas terrorists have launched a significant rocket barrage at Tel Aviv, prompting a fierce Israeli retaliation that has sparked international condemnation. Later in the show, we take a look at reports that Ukrainian drones are now targeting Russia’s nuclear defense system, raising concerns of potential escalation by Western leaders. We'll bring you the latest from Haiti, where the tragic murder of American missionaries underscores the ongoing turmoil in Port-au-Prince, a city still gripped by armed gangs. In today’s Back of the Brief, Iran’s military has revealed some preliminary findings in its investigation into the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, his Foreign Minister, and six other people last week. 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 Tuesday, 28 May. Now, for those of you listening in the U.S., I hope you had a relaxing and peaceful Memorial Day. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll start today's show with an in-depth look at the escalating crisis in Rafa. Hamas terrorists launched a significant rocket barrage at Tel Aviv, prompting a fierce Israeli retaliation that has sparked international conduct. condemnation. It's almost, like Hamas and their paymasters in the Iranian regime, knew that if they fired more rockets at Israel from Rafah, Israel would retaliate, and there would be more dead Palestinian civilians and more international condemnation. Israel, frankly, should think about hiring whomever Hamas is using for their public relations

and communication strategy. Later in the show, we'll take a look at reports that Ukrainian drones are now taking aim at Russia's nuclear defense system, raising concerns of potential escalation by Western leaders. Also, we'll bring you the latest from Haiti, where the tragic murder of American missionaries underscores the ongoing turmoil in Port-au-Prince, a city still gripped by armed gangs. And in today's back of the brief, Iran's military has revealed some preliminary findings in its investigation into the helicopter crash that killed President Abraham Reissi, his foreign minister and six other people just last week. But first, today's BDB spotlight. There was a deadly back and forth between the IDF and the Hamas this weekend that's drawing significant condemnation

from the international community. Okay, frankly, almost all the condemnation is pointed towards Israel. It all began on Sunday when Hamas terrorists launched a barrage of long-range rockets into central Israel, with roughly a dozen of them fired from inside the southern city of Rafa in the Gaza Strip. The majority of the rockets were successfully intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system, with alarms sounding in Tel Aviv and other major cities. According to the Associated Press, this was the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Now, Hamas took responsibility for the barrage, claiming the launch was retaliation for, quote, Zionist massacres against civilians.

Well, that will play well on U.S. campuses. Hours later, Israeli forces launched a retaliatory strike into Rafa. Israeli defense forces claimed its aircraft had struck a Hamas compound in Rafa, where a significant number of terrorists were operating. The IDF said the attack had killed two senior Hamas officials. However, reporting on the ground from Hamas officials, said the strike killed at least 45 Palestinians, including displaced civilians living in tents that were engulfed by fire.

The Israeli army says it had taken steps to minimize the possibility of civilian harm ahead of the deadly raffa strike in that they hadn't anticipated civilian casualties. However, in a speech before Israel's parliament on Monday, Netanyahu said, quote, despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians last night, there was a tragic mistake. He said we're investigating the incident and we'll obtain a conclusion because that is our policy, end quote. Israel, of course, faced a wave of international condemnation following the strike in Rafa, including from the United States.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told Reuters, quote, Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. But as we've been clear, he said, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians, end quote. diplomatic efforts were set to resume this week to broker a deal to release hostages and establish a ceasefire. However, Hamas leaders have told mediators that it will not participate in any negotiations following Sunday's strike. Now, again, Hamas prompted the retaliation from the IDF by launching a barrage of rockets into Israel.

So, and maybe I'm just pointing out the obvious here, it's a bit disingenuous to then act as if you, meaning Hamas won't participate in negotiations because of the retaliation which they prompted. Now, there's one more incident worth mentioning. On Monday, Israeli and Egyptian forces exchanged small arms fire near the Rafa border crossing, leading to the death of one Egyptian soldier. After the incident, IDF officials contacted Egyptian officials to stop the fire, and no Israeli soldiers are reported to have been injured in the incident. Both the Egyptian and Israeli militaries are investigating what happened. So, the best analysis that I can offer at this point in the conflict is, it's a complete goat rope.

All right, coming up after the break, we'll dive into reports of Ukrainian armed forces targeting two long-range radar sites important to Russia's strategic nuclear defense system with drone attacks. Plus, we'll bring you the latest from Port-au-Prince where armed gangs have brutally murdered three missionaries, including family members of a U.S. lawmaker. I'll be right back. Welcome back. A pair of Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russia are causing some alarm with the U.S. and NATO. Now, Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory are nothing new. As we've been reporting on the PDB, Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil refineries for,

for the better part of a year now. However, it's a new choice of targets that's starting to cause some concern. On Saturday, the Ukrainian military confirmed that they'd use a one-way drone to strike a Vornnaz-class radar system, a high-tech early warning radar developed by Russia to track nuclear missiles. This is one of Russia's most modern radar systems, and there are, reportedly a total of 10 of them deployed along the Russian border. Each has a range of around 4,000 miles and can track approximately 500 objects simultaneously. These over-the-horizon radars are designed to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles, aircraft, and other aerial threats at long distances. The system plays a central role in Russia's overall missile defense network

and forms part of Moscow's nuclear warning system. The first system was hit late last week in the Krasnodar border region, and that's along Russia's shoreline with the Sea of Azal and the Black Sea. However, the Ukrainian military confirmed that they hit another one of these sites on Sunday in Russia's Orlenburg region. That's more than 1,100 miles from the border with Ukraine, and that's the farthest-reaching drone attack on a Russian target during the war so far. When asks why these radars were being targeted, a sourcing Keeve told Reuters, quote,

they monitor the actions of the Ukrainian security and defense forces in the south of Ukraine. However, some experts are noting that targeting these radars offers limited tactical utility for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. One defense analyst from Norway, Thorpe, Thorpe Arr-Iverson noted on X, quote, attacking this kind of target isn't a particularly good idea. It's in everyone's best interest that Russia's ballistic missile warning system works well, especially in times of tension, end quote. These new strikes come as Ukraine continues to lobby the U.S. to lift its restriction on using American weapons to hit targets inside Russian territory. As we noted last week,

there's now a major debate inside the U.S. administration with reporting, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, leading efforts to convince President Biden to relax the ban. All right, turning now to the Caribbean. We're getting some tragic news out of Haiti. Three missionaries, including a married American couple, were brutally murdered by armed gangs in the nation's capital, Port of Prince, just late last week. Americans Davy and Natalie Lloyd, age 23 and 21, respectively, were ambushed as they left their church, resulting in their deaths, along with mission director and native Haitian Jude Montes. The three were members of missions in Haiti, a gospel ministry committed to feeding and caring for Haiti's malnourished children. Natalie and Davy were also the daughter

and son-in-law of Missouri State Representative Ben Baker. The tragedy unfolded when the trio were attacked by gang members in three pickup trucks. The armed men overwhelmed the mission security, dragged Davey into a house, tied him up, and looted the compound. Despite being injured, Davey managed to call his father, David Lloyd, the director of the mission, for help, and it did not arrive in time. Shortly after a second group of armed men arrived, leading to a violent confrontation, Davy, Natalie, and Jude barricaded themselves in the Lloyd's home, but the gang reportedly broke in, shot them, and set Davy and Jude on fire. The bodies were discovered by the local emergency response service. The investigation of the killings is ongoing, with Haitian police

working alongside international law enforcement to apprehend those responsible. The White House acknowledged the murders on Friday. A White House National Security Council spokesman said, quote, our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief, end quote. The spokesperson went on to call for the swift deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force to stabilize the nation of Haiti. Meanwhile, the multinational force meant to address the ongoing violence does not appear ready to be deployed anytime soon. An advanced team of Kenyan police officials returned from Haiti after recommending a delay in deployment. Kenyan President William Ruto announced that the delay is due to logistical issues,

such as incomplete base construction and the need for essential resources like vehicles. The deployment will be postponed by at least three weeks to resolve these issues. The base is currently reportedly 70% complete, but is still lacking secure storage for an armory. With 300 million in support from the United States, the multinational force will include approximately 1,000 Kenyan police officers and personnel from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua, and other locations. The multinational force will assist Haiti's police officers in combating the gang violence that has plagued Port of Prince since last year.

Finally, in today's back of the brief, the Iranian military is revealing new details of the crash to killed President Abraham Reisy just last week following a preliminary investigation. We'll have those details next. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. You always want the best for your family, and that means only Egglands Best Eggs in your kitchen. Compared to ordinary eggs, Egglands Best Eggs contain six times more vitamin D, 25% less saturated fat,

more than double the omega-3s, 10 times more vitamin E, and more than double the vitamin B12. So why give your family less when they can have the best? Add Egglands Best Superior Nutrition to your next grocery list. Better taste, better nutrition, better eggs. In today's back of the brief, we're getting a lot of, new details about the helicopter crash last Sunday that killed President Abraham Reisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Josein Amir Abolagian, and six others. These findings seem to dispel persistent speculation that Raezi's death was the result of foreign intelligence efforts. As we've reported,

President Reisi and his entourage were killed when their aging bell helicopter crashed in a foggy remote mountainous region of northwest Iran. They were returning from a dam inauguration near the the Azerbaijan border. State media reported that the helicopter carrying the president caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain, and they stated that there were no signs that was attacked, according to military crash investigators. A statement from the general staff of the armed forces in Iran, which is investigating the crash, was read on state television late last week and ruled out foul play. The initial statement did not assign blame, but indicated that more details would be revealed after further investigation.

No bullet holes or similar impacts were observed on the helicopter wreckage, said a preliminary report by the general staff of the armed forces, and that was published by the official IRNA news agency. The report continued, quote, the helicopter caught fire after hitting an elevated area and added no suspicious content was observed during the communications between the watchtower and the flight crew. The investigation found that Rice's helicopter had been flying on a pre-planned route and did not leave the designated flight path before the crash. The wreckage of the helicopter was discovered by Iranian drones early on Monday, but the complexity of the area, the fog, and low temperatures hindered the work of search and rescue teams. The general staff's statement

noted that communications between the control tower and the helicopter crew before the crash revealed nothing suspicious. The last communication from the crashed helicopter was between it and to accompanying helicopter some 90 seconds before the crash. The Iranian military said the investigation is still in its early stages and that it needs more time to make a final determination on the cause of the crash. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Tuesday, 28 May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And of course, as you've no doubt heard,

to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.

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