The President's Daily Brief - October 18th, 2024: The Final Moments of Yahya Sinwar, Zelensky's Urgent Plea To The EU, & US Unleashes Stealth Bombers On Houthis

Episode Date: October 18, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:     We’ll begin with the fallout from the death of Hamas leader and 7 October mastermind Yahya Sinwar, who was killed Wednesday by the IDF during a firefight in southern Gaza, dealing a decisive blow to the terror group. Later in the show, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pitching his “Victory Plan” to leaders of the European Union, though reports indicate allies are reluctant to embrace key aspects’ of Kyiv’s proposed strategy. Then, the U.S. is beginning to take the gloves off with Yemen’s Houthi militants, unleashing B-2 stealth bombers against the group for the first time on Thursday, which struck weapons storage facilities buried deep underground. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, Israeli authorities have arrested a man for allegedly plotting to kill an Israeli scientist on behalf of the Iranian regime for a $100,000 payday. 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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It's Friday, 18 October. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. on today's show. We'll have the latest developments from the death of Hamas leader in 7 October mastermind, Yaya Sinwar in southern Gaza, as Israeli and international leaders call for the remnants of Hamas to surrender and release the remaining hostages. Later in the show, Ukrainian President Zelensky is pitching his, well, let's call it his victory plan to leaders of the European Union, though reports indicate allies appear reluctant to embrace key. aspects of Kiev's proposed strategy. Plus, the U.S. is getting tougher with Yemen's Khutti militants

unleashing B-2 stealth bombers against the group for the first time on Thursday. The bombers' targeted weapons storage facilities buried deep underground in Houthi territory. And in today's back of the brief, Israeli authorities have arrested a man for allegedly plotting to kill an Israeli scientist on behalf of the Iranian regime for a $100,000 payday. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll begin with the death of Hamas leader and 7-October mastermind, Yaya Sinwar, who was killed Wednesday by the IDF during a firefight in southern Gaza, dealing, of course, a decisive blow to the terror group.

The Israeli military said that his death was not a planned intelligence operation, but rather a happy coincidence coming as the result of a routine raid by the IDF that caught Sinwar by chance. While details are still coming in, accounts have emerged about the elusive terror chief's final moments before the IDF finished the job. According to our report from the Times of Israel, IDF troops patrolling Rafa's Tel-Sultam neighborhood noticed suspicious figures going in and out of a building early Wednesday morning Israeli time. Shortly after, an IDF battalion commander ordered his forces to open fire on the building.

Now, during the skirmish, three figures exited the building and attempted to move from house to house. Two of the figures moved in front of the third to clear a path, though the IDF had no idea at that moment the identity of the man in their sights. They managed to injure two of the militants, while the third, later identified as Sinwar, ran alone into a separate building. A tank fired a shell at the building before IDF troops tried to move in, but Sinwar reportedly threw two hand grenades that forced them to retreat. The IDF subsequently flew a drone into the second floor of the structure where Sinwar was sitting with an injured arm and his face covered. Dron footage shows him throwing a stick at the drone before IDF forces fired another tank shell

at the structure, killing the terror leader. It was only after IDF forces went inside the building early Thursday morning and saw the body that they realized they may have just taken out Israel's most wanted enemy. Among other materials in his possession, the IDF said they found multiple identifications, one of which listed him as a teacher affiliated with the United Nations operations in Gaza, shocking, along with large sums of cash, and a pack of Mentos. Well, I mean, at least his dying last breath was fresh and minty. Israeli leaders, officially confirmed his death on Thursday after conducting a DNA and fingerprint analysis, which the IDF matched against records that they have from Sinwar's time in Israeli prison several

decades ago. While Israeli intelligence believed that at most times, Sinwar kept himself surrounded by hostages to prevent Israel from striking his position, the IDF stressed that no hostages were injured in this incident. He typically stayed in Hamas' underground tunnels to evade justice effectively using the hostages and, of course, the Palestinian population above, as human shields. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu hailed the death of Israel's most wanted enemy, calling it, quote, the beginning of the day after Hamas. Netanyahu stops short of declaring total victory over Hamas in the ongoing war, saying, quote, today evil suffered a heavy blow, but our mission is not yet completed. He vowed to continue fighting with full force until every

last one of the remaining 101 hostages are returned to Israel. Israeli defense minister Yov Ghalent, in comments echoed by Western leaders, called on the remaining Habaas fighters who have now had most of their leadership eliminated, to surrender and return the hostages. The families of the hostages celebrated the news, of course, and urged Israeli leaders to leverage this moment to secure a deal to release their loved ones saying that this might be their last opportunity. It appears Netanyahu agrees. In a call with President Biden, both leaders agreed Sinwar's death provides a unique opportunity to close the door on the 13-month war in Gaza. The pair said they would work together in the coming days to

break the ceasefire deadlock, which was largely due to Sinwar and try to advance a deal to free the hostages. It remains to be seen what Hamas will do next. Now, Sinwar's brother, Muhammad, is expected to assume command, although Israeli forces, frankly, said they're already working to target him. But whether he can maintain a grip over the remnants of the battered militant group is, well, as anyone's guess. Sinwar, who was also known by the nickname the butcher of Khan Yunus, officially took command of the terrorist outfit on the 6th of August, following the death of their political chief, Ishmael Hanyi in Tehran on 30 July. His death represents one of the biggest victories for Israel since Hamas started this war last year. All right, coming up after the break, President Zelensky

of the Ukraine is pitching his victory plan to leaders of the European Union, though reports indicate that allies are reluctant to embrace key aspects of Kiev's proposed strategy. Plus, the U.S. unleashed B-2 stealth bombers against the Iranian-backed Houth militants for the first time on Thursday, targeting weapons storage facilities located deep underground. I'll have those stories when we come back. Welcome back to the PDB. I want to turn your attention to the European Union now, where Ukrainian President Zelensky made an urgent plea to leaders in Brussels on Thursday, presenting his victory plan to end the war with Russia and calling for robust backing from the West. The victory plan, which Zelensky first revealed details of in a Wednesday address to Ukraine's parliament,

himages on Ukraine's NATO accession, which he argues is essential for long-term security against Russian aggression. He dismissed concerns that Ukraine's membership would escalate the conflict, asserting it wouldn't violate any, quote, red lines or trigger NATO's Article 5. Zelensky also called for the West to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to strike Russian military targets. acknowledging NATO's reluctance, particularly from the U.S., Zelensky emphasized the broader security implications for Europe if Ukraine is left outside the alliance. In response, NATO's 32 member states affirmed that Ukraine is on, quote, an irreversible path to membership, but formal talks aren't

expected until the next summit in June of 2025. Adding to the complexity of the current situation, Zelenzky warned that North Korean troops are joining Russian forces. Now, as we've been tracking here on the PDB, the latest reports revealed that thousands of North Korean troops are training inside Russia and may soon be integrated into the Kremlin's frontline forces, which, of course, would escalate international involvement. In a more alarming statement, Zolensky suggested that Ukraine might reconsider its non-nuclear status, adopted in 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum, if NATO membership remains out of reach. He referenced a September conversation with former President Trump, who allegedly described Zelensky's nuclear stance as, quote, a fair argument. It's important to note that

while Zelensky, clarified Ukraine, isn't actively pursuing nuclear weapons, this possibility does add pressure on NATO and its allies. Reactions to Zelensky's perpetrator. have been mixed, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, maintaining his pro-Russia stance, called the plan, quote, terrifying and warned that sending more weapons to Ukraine would only escalate the war. Orban advocated for a negotiated settlement instead. Now, more specifically, Victor Orban, a Putin puppet, is advocating for a negotiated settlement that would be favorable to Putin. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and other Western leaders face increasing increasing public pressure to reduce military support during a prolonged conflict.

Despite this, Germany and the U.S. continue pledging military aid, though they're still cautious, of course, about supporting deeper strikes inside Russia. Zeletsky's latest diplomatic push comes two and a half years into the war, with Ukraine facing a challenging winter as Russian attacks on energy infrastructure intensify. Ukraine is also suffering territorial losses in the eastern Denetsk region, now a focal point of the conflict. As the war enters its third winter, Zelensky warned that Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure could severely impact Ukraine's economy and morale. The Ukrainian leader emphasized European unity as a critical weapon against Russian aggression, stressing that EU and NATO support is vital

for Ukraine to endure the winter and regain lost territory. The coming months, of course, will reveal just how far European leaders, well, and the U.S. are willing to go to support Ukraine and whether they're prepared to deepen their involvement in the conflict. All right. Returning to the Middle East, the U.S. is escalating its attacks against the Houthis in Yemen with a series of strikes that also appear aimed at sending a message to the group's backers in Iran.

The Pentagon unleashed B-2 stealth bombers against the militant group early Thursday morning, striking five underground bunkers used by the Khutis to store weapons. The facilities, which U.S. officials said were fortified to withstand conventional airstrikes, housed various weapons components that the group is actively using to target Israel, as well as civilian and military vessels throughout the region. That's according to a report from the Associated Press. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said the strikes were intended to, quote, further degrade the Houthis capability to continue their destabilizing behavior

and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways, while the U.S. and U.K. have engaged in a number of targeted airstrike campaigns throughout the past year to degrade the Houthis in Yemen, well, frankly, they've done little to deter the Houthi aggression or significantly cripple the group's operations. The latest strikes, however, saw the first use of U.S. stealth bombers against the group, which analysts said was likely meant, in part, as a show of U.S. capabilities for the Iranian regime. Defense Secretary Austin said, quote, this was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified.

end quote. Now, as you're aware, Iran attacked Israel at the beginning of October with a barrage of some 180 ballistic missiles, and Israel, of course, is poised to retaliate, raising fears of a wider regional war breaking out in the Middle East. Austin's message appears to be a warning to Ticaran not to make a move to weaponize their nuclear program in the event of further escalation. The American B-2 stealth bombers are the only craft capable of dropping the G-German. B.U 57, known as the Massive Ordinance Penetrator. That's a 30,000-pound bomb that believed to be the only weapon that could destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities. Leaders in Iran have not responded to the show of force, but the Houthis vowed to retaliate

with a, quote, severe response. As a reminder, the Houthis began attacking Israel in the wake of last year's 7 October attacks by Hamas. In addition to their relentless assaults on the Jewish state, they've targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with hundreds of missile attacks in the Red Sea, significantly disrupting international trade, as well as targeting U.S. and allied naval vessels. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Israeli authorities have arrested a man for allegedly plotting to kill an Israeli scientist on behalf of the Iranian regime for a $100,000 payday. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, A 35-year-old Israeli man has been indicted for an assassination plot orchestrated by Iran targeting an Israeli scientist.

And Israeli authorities revealed this on Wednesday. According to the Israel Police and State Attorney's Office, Vladimir Verhovsky made contact in August with an Iranian operative who identified himself as Eli, posing as an Israeli citizen living in Canada. Now, Verhovsky, fully aware of Eli's anti-Israel motives, carried out several assassinations. in exchange for small cryptocurrency payments ranging from $30 to $200. Brohavsky's tasks started with defacing public spaces by spray-painting inflammatory graffiti, such as, quote, Hitler equals Netanyahu. These operations were coordinated through telegram, with Verhovsky purchasing a dedicated cell phone to maintain contact paid for with money received from Eli, the Iranian operative.

In late September, the plot escalated. when Verhovsky was tasked with gathering intelligence on a specific resident in Tel Aviv. He took photographs of the residence building, presented a photo of the resident to neighbors and asked about their identity, and Verhovsky even knocked on the residence door. But the most alarming turn came when Verhofsky agreed to assassinate an Israeli scientist in exchange for $100,000. After retrieving a gun from a bag in a discreet public location, Verhovsky was arrested by Shimbet, the Israeli security agency, before he got to get. could carry out the attack. Authorities have foiled a number of Iranian-linked plots in recent months,

including a September plot to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Ghalant, or Shinbethead Ronan Barr. However, whether that operation was connected to Verhovsky's case remains unclear. Verhovsky has been charged with contact with a foreign agent, carrying and transporting a weapon and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act. The Shinbet remains, of course, on high alert as Iran continues to use online channels to have fringe Israelis perform dangerous missions on behalf of Tehran. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday, 18 October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And of course, as you may be aware, it's Friday. And, well, that can only mean one thing. A brand new episode of

our extended weekend show, the ever-popular PDB situation, report hits the airwaves this evening at 10 p.m. on the first TV. Also available on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and of course all podcast platforms. This week's excellent guests include former senior CIA operations officer, author and Georgetown professor Doug London, and Carolina Hurd. She's the Deputy Russia team lead at the Institute for the Study of War. We're talking about the now-dead Sinwar, Intel operations in Gaza and Lebanon, North Korean troops and Russia and Putin's views on the Ukraine conflict. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, well, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.

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