The President's Daily Brief - October 14th, 2024: Secret Documents Expose Hamas Attack, Mystery Drones Over Langley, & Steven Seagal’s Russian Loyalty

Episode Date: October 14, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We kick off by unpacking newly uncovered secret documents that reveal details about the planning behind the October 7th attacks and Hamas's attempts to convince its key backer, Iran, to join the deadly assault. We’ll cover the mysterious swarms of unidentified drones buzzing over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, with officials unsure if they’re connected to foreign adversaries or merely civilian hobbyists. Plus, we delve into new reports on the extent of the damage caused by Iran’s October 1st missile barrage against Israel. And in today’s Back of the Brief, we’ve got a strange story about actor Steven Seagal and his undying loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 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]  Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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All right, let's get briefed. We'll start today's show by looking at newly revealed secret documents that shed light on the planning behind the October 7th attacks, as well as Hamas's attempts to convince its keybacker Iran to join their deadly assault. Later in the program, Chazbalah is taking responsibility for a deadly drone attack in northern Israel as the Pentagon announces the U.S. is sending military personnel and hardware to help bolster Israel's air defenses. Plus, we'll investigate the mysterious swarms of unidentified drones that have been flying over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Officials remain uncertain whether these drones are the result of civilian hobbyists or connected to foreign adversaries.

And that does seem like the sort of question that you'd want to answer. answer as quickly as possible. And at today's back of the brief, we've got a bizarre story featuring, you probably didn't see this coming, featuring actor Stephen Seagall and his proclaimed loyalty to Russian President Putin. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We're starting today with newly leaked documents that provide a rare glimpse into Hamas's planning for the brutal 7 October terrorist attacks. These documents seized by the Israeli defraised. Defense Forces, the IDF, from a Hamas bunker in Can Unis back in January, offer an unprecedented view into the organization's inner workings. Now, the documents obtained by both the New York Times

and the Washington Post include minutes from a series of secret meetings. They reveal Hamas' detailed strategic planning efforts, including attempts to enlist their allies and backers in Iran, and also Hezbollah for a broader conflict. Over the course of ten meetings, Hamas's leadership meticulously laid out their plans for what they simply called, quote, the big project. Now, here are some key takeaways from the documents. First, the October 7th attacks had been in the works for two years. Originally, Hamas intended to launch the assault in the fall of 2022, but they delayed, hoping to secure full support from both Iran and Hezbollah. When they presented their case to Hezbollah, they pointed to Israel's internal unrest,

particularly the backlash against Prime Minister Netanyahu's judicial reforms, as a key reason why the timing was right for a large-scale attack. By July 2023, Hamas sent a top official to Lebanon to meet with an Iranian commander seeking help with targeting critical sites in Israel. While Iran and Hezbollah expressed support in principle, the documents show that they weren't yet ready to commit fully. It's unclear if Hamas provided them with all the details and there's no indication that a follow-up meeting with Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, ever happened. In the end, Hamas decided to move forward with or without full support from Iran and Hezbollah. Their decision to act was partly driven by the desire to strike before

Israel could deploy an advanced air defense system, which would have weakened their initial rocket barrage. Khmeras also aimed to disrupt Israel's growing ties with Saudi Arabia, a goal that, of course, was shared by their puppet master's Iran, while countering Israeli efforts to control the Al-Aqqqqa mosque in Jerusalem and retaliating against Israeli forces for their actions in the West Bank. For two years, Khmeras avoided major confrontations with Israel to essentially, lull them into a false sense of security and to maximize the surprise element of their attack. Hamas's leadership kept Ishmael Hanyi, their political leader, now terminated, based in Qatar, fully informed of these plans. While it wasn't clear before if Hanya had been involved,

the documents now confirm that he was briefed on the big project well in advance. Of course he was, he was the head of their political operations. So for two years, Hamas worked on their attack plan and briefed their Iranian puppet masters and Hezbollah in an effort to lobby for their participation. Of course, now, the reason that Iran has spent years building, training, funding, and supporting Hamas is so that they, the Mullahs and IRGC, wouldn't be directly in the firing line. They built a network of proxies to do their bidding for them, and without taking direct responsibility, thus possibly losing their grip on power through a direct confrontation with Israel and the U.S. Now, one last thing to note. As we mentioned earlier, these documents were actually

discovered back in January, meaning the Israeli government has had them for about 10 months. The fact that they were leaked this weekend, well, it's unlikely to be a coincidence. It's most likely part of a broader effort to build support for an expected retaliation against Iran. Not that documented evidence was needed to understand that the IRGC was aware of and supportive of Hamas's 7 October plans. All right, before we go to break, I want to remind you to check out our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief. You'll find video versions of our daily briefs, plus our weekend show, which is receiving public acclaim, the PDB Situation Report, featuring expert interviews and deeper insights on the biggest stories from around the world. Make sure to subscribe

and then stay informed. Coming up next, the Pentagon announces that it's sending U.S. military personnel to help bolster Israel's air defenses, and we'll take a look at reports of mysterious drone swarms over the restricted airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. I'll have those stories when we come back. You tell yourself, no one wants your college-era banties, but on Deep Hop, people are searching for exactly what?

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Welcome back to the PDB. Returning to the Middle East, more than 60 people were injured in a drone strike in Israel this weekend. Now the attack claimed by Chazbollah marks an escalation in tensions between the terrorist group and Israel as the U.S. prepares to deploy

additional air defense systems and accompanying military personnel to the region. This is a big story here. The drone strike targeted the Binyamina region in northern Israel on Sunday, with medics reporting a range of injuries from critical to mild. Chazbalah said the attack was in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Chzbollah positions in southern Lebanon and Beirut on Thursday. The terrorist organization used a, quote, swarm of drones to target the Israeli Golanie Brigade, emphasizing gaps in Israel's air defense systems. Footage, broadcast by Israeli media, showed victims being transported to hospitals,

but Israeli censorship rules have limited the release of details regarding these specific areas targeted. Early reports indicate that the drones used in the strike were relatively unsophisticated, which may explain the failure of Israel's early warning systems to activate. In response to previous vulnerabilities in Israel's air defense, following Iran's unprecedented missile attacks on 13 April and then again on 1 October, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in the statement on Sunday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the terminal high-altitude area defense or VAD battery and 95 American soldiers to operate the system, and that was at the direction of the White House.

This move aims to strengthen Israel's existing defense network, which includes the iron dome, David's sling, and aerosystems, providing a multi-layered shield against potential missile and drone attacks. For background, the last time that the U.S. sent soldiers to defend Israel was back in 1991 during the first Gulf War. At the time, Israel didn't have its own missile defense system, so the U.S. deployed a Patriot battery along with troops to operate it. In addition, the U.S. sent a thad battery to Israel in 2019 for, for the U.S. deployed a Patriot battery

a THAA battery to Israel in 2019 for training purposes. While the THAD system enhances Israel's defense capabilities, the deployment also signals a potential increase in regional tensions, particularly with Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies, as well as the Iranian regime itself. Diplomatic efforts do continue, but the growing U.S. military presence in the area, well, it does underscore the seriousness, obviously, of the situation. Israeli officials, expressed gratitude for the U.S. support, but refrained from providing specifics about the Thad System's arrival. All right. Turning to the U.S. Unidentified drones, buzzing over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days baffled military officials, sparking national security concerns.

Well, yeah, that does make sense. The breach in restricted airspace grabbed the attention of top breasts, as it should, and raised alarm bells about who or what is behind these flights. Drone incursions into sensitive U.S. airspace have become an increasing concern for national security officials. The military, however, faces limitations under current laws, preventing them from acting against drones unless they pose a direct threat. Oh, so if they don't seem to pose a direct threat, you just let them fly overhead and collect intelligence. The situation at Langley, home to critical military operations, of course, an advanced aircraft like the F-22 Raptors, and its close to Norfolk, home to Seal Team 6, emphasized the gap between the military drone's

capabilities abroad and its U.S. domestic restrictions. The breaches first began in early December 2023. Night after night, a fleet of drones appeared over Langley, flying in a coordinated pattern, and nothing sketchy about that. They typically arrived after dusk and flew south. toward Naval Station, Norfolk. Air Force General Mark Kelly described the drones as 20 feet long, reaching 100 miles per hour, and at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. General Kelly stated, quote, the damn things sounded like lawnmowers, just buzzing overhead. I don't know if that's how he talks, but I'd like to think it is. Speculation pointed to foreign adversaries like Russia or China, hmm, possibly. One senior defense official noted, quote, this wasn't a bunch of hobbyists.

citing the sophistication of the drone's flight path. While military personnel explored countermeasures like electronic jammers, concerns about disrupting civilian infrastructure, such as 911 systems, prevented action. The drones vanished without a trace, well, possibly because they got everything that they were looking for, leading General Kelly to dub the situation as, quote, close encounters at Langley. In January, the mystery deepened, with the arrest of, Fung Yun Shur, a 26-year-old Chinese National, spotted flying a drone near a Newport News shipyard just 11 miles from Langley.

Scher's drone became stuck in a tree, drawing attention from neighbors, as it would. When police arrived, Schur claimed he was photographing naval vessels, but later left for Washington, D.C., and then he flew to Oakland, California. Nothing to see here. Go on your way, son. Investigators recovered his drone, which had nighttime photos of Navy vessels under construction. Sure was arrested on 18 January while attempting to board a one-way flight to China. Though his attorney claimed, quote, if he was a foreign agent, he would be the worst spy ever known. Scher was charged under U.S. espionage law. While no direct links to the Chinese government were found, the timing of his activities raised suspicions. Well, yeah, I could see that, a Chinese national,

taking pictures of naval vessels with a drone at night, and then attempting to for fly to China with a one-way ticket. Hmm, if only we had some clues as to whether he was engaged in anything dodgy. In response to these threats, the Pentagon has expanded the replicator program to deploy attack drones for defense against foreign threats like those from China and Iran. Despite investigations, the military remains puzzled by the Langley drone incursions. We just don't know what to say about. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief,

we've got the bizarre tale of action star Steven Seagal, whose now pledged is undying loyalty to Russian President Putin, claiming that he's willing to die for him. I'll be right back. Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal.

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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 USAA dot com slash bundle restrictions apply in today's back of the brief 1980s and 90s action star turned russian mouthpiece stephen seagall well he's back in the limel this time not for his movie roles but for pledging his undying loyalty to russian president vladimir putin that's very touching in his documentary titled in the name of justice released by a russian state media platform on 10 october Seagal declared his willingness to fight for Putin and quote, die if need be, end quote.

Well, don't let me stop you, Stevie. Seagal, once a star of Hollywood action flicks, started cozing up to Russia as his career in the U.S. dried up. After gaining Russian citizenship directly from Putin in 2016, now how special is that? Seagal was named a special representative for Russian U.S. cultural links in 2018. Well, yes, when I think of culture, I think of Stephen Seagull. Now, let's not forget that he fled to Moscow in 2021, dodging U.S. government fines,

and there's also, of course, a string of sexual assault allegations hanging over his head. But I'm sure none of that accounts for his devotion to Putin. Seagal has consistently praised Russia, even after Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Most recently, Seagal was one of the few notable figures at Putin's May 24th inauguration, slaughtering to reporters, stating, quote, he's the greatest world leader. He's the greatest, end quote. Now, for all my insight into geopolitical leaders, I turn to the dude who gave us Black Dawn and half-past dead. In Seagull's latest attention grab, he parades around Ukraine's occupied territories, including Maripal, peddling Kremlin talking points. Seagull visits with civilians, spouts Russian propaganda via a translator, and tourists prisoner of war camps. Seagal claims he wrote to Putin in one scene stating, quote, I will fight on the side of my president, end quote. It's hard to believe that the star of Under Siege

is now in the supporting role of biggest ass kisser to Putin. But there you go. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, 14 October. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief,

simply by visiting PDB Premium.com. And I do hope you've had a chance to check out the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. Our most excellent guests this past week included former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, retired General Ben Hodges, as well as the former head of the Office of Naval Intelligence, retired Admiral Mike Studeman. Check it out on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief,

and of course all podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story.

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