The President's Daily Brief - November 4th, 2024: Daring Israeli Raid, Iranian Nuclear Claims, & Biden Pressured on Poland

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: We start with new details about a daring Israeli raid in northern Lebanon, where elite commandos captured a key Hezbollah operative, sparking outrage among Lebanese officials. We’ll break down the details and the potential ramifications. Then, Iran’s supreme leader issues fresh threats against the U.S. and Israel, declaring Iran’s capability to build nuclear weapons and warning of a “tooth-breaking response” to recent Israeli airstrikes. Next, bipartisan leaders in Washington are pressing President Biden to greenlight a plan for NATO ally Poland to extend its air defense into Ukraine, potentially shielding Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles. And in today’s Back of the Brief: the U.S. State Department has revealed that an Iranian-American journalist has been imprisoned by the Iranian regime for months. 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: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Monday, 4 November. 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. We're starting today's show with new details about an Israeli raid in northern Lebanon. Commandos from Israel's elite naval unit captured a key Hezbollah operative, sparking outrage among Lebanese officials. We'll break down the details. Later, Iran's supreme leader is issuing new threats. Oh, here come new threats against the U.S. and Israel, declaring that Iran has the capability to build nuclear weapons and warning of a, quote, tooth-breaking response to recent Israeli airstrikes. Now, honestly, the threat obviously lost something

in the translation. I mean, tooth-breaking response probably lacks the pizzazz that the Supreme leader was going for. Plus, bipartisan leaders in Washington are urging President Biden to greenlight a plan for Poland to extend its air defenses into Ukraine, potentially shielding Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles, standby for more nuclear saber-rattling from Russian President Putin and his minions. And in today's back of the brief, the U.S. State Department has announced that an Iranian-American journalist has been imprisoned by the Iranian regime for months. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Details are surfacing about a daring Israeli raid deep into northern Lebanon this weekend that resulted in the capture of a Hezbollah operative.

Now, this mission was unusual for Israeli ground forces as it marked their first operation in northern Lebanon. Previously, Israeli forces limited ground activities to the south, while northern targets were usually struck by error. The raid was carried out by Israel's version of the U.S. Navy SEALs, They specialize in seed land incursions, underwater warfare, sabotage, and maritime intelligence gathering. The target was a man named Imad Amaz in the town of Batrune, about 87 miles north of Israel's border. Now, according to Israeli sources, speaking to Axios, Amaz is responsible for Hezbollah's naval operations.

According to reports, the Israeli commandos donned Lebanese military uniforms to blend in, enabling them to move swiftly through Batrune. Lebanon's national news agency described the scene, saying an unidentified military force made a covert landing on Batroon's beach and quickly moved to a nearby chalet where they apprehended Ahmaz before retreating by speedboats into the open sea. Surveillance footage of the incident showed a man with his hands pinned down. behind his back, being led away by a column of soldiers. The entire operation was reportedly

completed in only four minutes, with around 20 commandos reportedly involved. Sources suggest Israeli operatives had been conducting surveillance and reconnaissance in the area prior to the raid. Surveillance footage from a nearby building reportedly captured part of the action, but recordings were allegedly deleted from the chalet where Hamas was seized. The capture is being viewed as an intelligence win for Israel, as Amaz is now being interrogated by Israel's military intelligence directorates Unit 504, which specializes in human intelligence. The IDF views Amaz as a potentially valuable source on Krasbullah's naval operations. While the group doesn't actually have a Navy in the conventional sense, they still engage in a range

of activities at sea, including the smuggling of weapons and equipment, along Lebanon's coast, intelligence gathering, and attempts to disrupt the Israeli Navy. By capturing Amaz, Israeli intelligence hopes to gain deeper insights into these smuggling networks and operational tactics. Now, Lebanese officials, as you might guess, expressed outrage at the Israeli raid. The country's Minister of Transportation, Ali Khomey, challenged Israel's claims, stated that Amaz is a civilian boat captain. Oh, he's just a captain of a charter boat. not a Hezbollah operative. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikadi,

announced plans to file a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council. Mikadi also called for an investigation by Lebanon's military and the UN peacekeeping mission to clarify just what happened. While Hezbollah itself has remained silent on the matter, Al-Aqbar, a news outlet affiliated with a terror group, downplayed Amaz's significance within Hezbollah. It also claimed that German Navy personnel working within the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon

may have assisted in the operation. Well, Unifil, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon, quickly denied involvement, saying it does not facilitate any violations of Lebanese sovereignty. They added, quote, honestly, we really don't do much of anything around here. All right, fine. That was a made-up quote, that last part. Coming up next, Iran's supreme leader threatens the U.S. and Israel with a, quote, tooth-breaking response, while bipartisan leaders in Washington push for Poland to extend air defense into Ukraine to counter Russian missiles.

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Welcome back to the PDB. I want to shift our focus now to Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali-Harmini claims Tehran has a capacity to produce nuclear weapons if under existential threat, signaling, of course, a shift in the country's nuclear stance. The long-standing hostilities between Iran and Israel intensified after an Israeli air strike on 26 October targeted military facilities linked to Iran's ballistic missile program. Now, this was in response, of course, to an earlier attack by Iran on one October when the Iranian regime fired over 200 missiles into Israel.

On Saturday, Khomey's speech, addressing students ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. embassy seizure in Tehran laid bare growing impatience with the U.S. and Israel's actions. Referring to his adversaries, Khomeini stated, quote, the enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response there it is again to what they're doing to Iran and the Iranian nation, end quote. Khamini's comments, referenced Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, indicating Tehran's readiness to support its proxies in the face of perceived aggression.

Adding to this rhetoric, Kamal Karazi, an advisor to Khomey, asserted a day earlier that, quote, if an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine. We have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard, end quote. Karazi added, quote, The only thing currently prohibiting this is the leader's fatwa, referencing, of course, Khomeini's 2003 religious ruling against nuclear arms. According to three Iranian officials cited by the New York Times,

Khomeini further instructed his forces last week to get ready for a direct assault on Israel, though he offered no details on timing or scale. It's important to note that these statements, collectively mark one of the most explicit acknowledgments from Iran's leadership of its nuclear readiness. Last month, CIA Director William Burns commented that while Iran has yet to actively pursue a nuclear weapon, it could amass enough facile material for one within about a week. This nuclear capability is concerns, of course, within the U.S. government over Iran's nuclear

intentions. Now on Friday, a State Department spokesperson emphasized the Biden administration's commitment to preventing Iran from producing a nuclear weapon, stating, quote, the president has made clear, we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome. That same day, the Pentagon shifted its regional military presence, deploying destroyers, fighter squadrons, tankers, and B-52 bombers as a deterrent to potential threats from Iran. and its allies. Additionally, American forces oversee a terminal high-altitude area defense system in Israel designed to intercept high-altitude missile threats, bolstering defenses, as we had previously reported here on the PDB. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated

Israel's determination to block Iran's nuclear ambitions, stating, quote, we can reach any place in Iran as necessary. Netanyahu, emphasizing his directive to the Israeli defense forces and security branches is firm to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon. All right. Turning stateside. Bipartisan leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission are pressuring President Biden, apparently still the U.S. president, to authorize Poland to extend its air defense into Ukraine airspace, aiming to enhance Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missiles. The proposal outlined in a letter obtained by the Hill, was spearheaded by representatives Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the chair and ranking member of the Helsinki Commission.

The lawmakers argue that allowing Poland to extend its defenses into Ukraine would fill a crucial security gap, particularly as Russian missile attacks grow more frequent near Ukraine's western regions, dangerously close to NATO territory. Poland's request for expanded air defenses is not new. The urgency of this issue has intensified, though, following recent incidents. In November 2022, a stray Ukrainian missile struck inside Poland killing two individuals. And earlier this year, Russian missiles briefly crossed into Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine. Now, such incidents, obviously, have underscored the risks that Poland faces as a frontline NATO state.

Polish foreign minister Radaswok Sikorsky has been outspoken in his push to secure additional defensive measures. During a September interview with the Financial Times, Sukorsky emphasized that Poland and neighboring states have a duty to intercept incoming Russian missiles before they breach national airspace. Sikorsky argued this constitutes, quote, legitimate self-defense. Poland's defense capabilities are already, frankly, formidable, featuring two Patriot missile systems and several mid-range anti-aircraft systems as part of a defense upgrade that they initiated back in 2018. Extending the shield into Ukraine, proponents say, could provide a much-needed boost to regional security. A secretary of state Anthony Blinken previously

acknowledged that NATO allies discussed the idea but held back due to concerns over escalation. former NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg ultimately declined the proposal, citing the risks of NATO, saying, quote, becoming part of the conflict if the alliance began intercepting Russian missiles. However, the last month's change in NATO leadership with Mark Ruta, now at the helm, renews hope among proponents of the initiative. While NATO has yet to comment on the push, Ruta's leadership could bring potential for reconsideration. In their letter, Wilson and Cohen argue that the U.S. response to Russia's actions has been insufficient, stating, quote, despite Russia's continued escalation through hybrid warfare, airspace violations,

attacks on critical infrastructure, and efforts to destabilize democratic institutions, we have hesitated to confront these threats decisively, allowing Russia to wage a war against the alliance with minimal consequences, end quote. They described Poland's initiative as, quote, necessary and urgent to protect Ukraine and fortify NATO's defense line. Wilson and Cohen concluded by urging Biden to, quote, grant Poland the authority to intercept and neutralized missiles over Ukraine, particularly those threatening to approach upon Polish airspace, end quote. The lawmakers stressed that inaction risks NATO security and stability in the face of Russia's aggression. All right. Up next in the back of the brief. The U.S. State Department is acknowledging that an Iranian-American

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Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. In today's back of the brief, an Iranian-American journalist, Reza Valizadeh, who worked for U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Farda, has reportedly been detained by Iranian authorities under undisclosed charges. The State Department confirmed Velizade's imprisonment to the Associated Press. expressing concerns about his safety as they work with Swiss officials. The U.S.'s diplomatic intermediary, of course, in Iran is Switzerland to gather more information on his case.

His detention marks the first known case of an American citizen held by Iran since the 2023 Prisoner Exchange. Now, Radio Farta, a Farsi-language branch of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, broadcasts from the Czech Republic and has been labeled hostile by the Iranian-Roscience. regime. Velizadez's connection to the broadcaster is one factor that may have led to increased scrutiny by Iranian authorities, and by may I mean definitely was. Volizadez's situation escalated in February when he revealed that his family in Iran was facing pressure from authorities, pressure is putting it diplomatically, to convince him to return to Iran. By August, he posted on social media

disclosing that he had arrived in Tehran in March following, quote, unfinished negotiations with a Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Department. In another post, he stated, quote, I came back to my country after 13 years without any security guarantee, even a verbal one. His messages also referenced a person reportedly linked to Iran's intelligence ministry, though the Associated Press has been unable to verify this claim. Human Rights monitors report Valizadeh is held in Tehran's Evan Prison, without legal representation, of course, or clear charges, amplifying concerns over his safety and the treatment, of course, of detainees in Iran.

His detainment coincides with Iran's 45th anniversary commemoration of the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis, as it been 45 years already, marked on Sunday by demonstrations where thousands chanted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans and burned flags. Well, old habits do die hard. Felizadez's detention amplified the tension between Tehran and Washington, of course, at a time when diplomatic relations are already strained, and that's putting it diplomatically.

The incident may have broader implications, as the U.S. has been increasingly critical of Iran's practice of detaining foreign nationals, seeing it as part of a broader strategy to wield these individuals as bargaining chips, of course, in international negotiations. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, 4 November. If you have any questions or comments, please, reach out to me at PDB at thefirstTV.com. And remember, to listen to the show ad-free, well, it's simple. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief

by visiting PDB Premium.com. See? Told you it was simple. Finally, I hope you had a chance to watch our latest episode of the Extended Weekend Show, which we cleverly call the PDB Situation Report. Now, you can catch it on our much-loved YouTube channel. You can find that at President's Daily Brief, and of course it's on all podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker,

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