The President's Daily Brief - October 20th, 2023: West Bank Unrest, U.S. Base Attacks, & China's Nuclear Surge

Episode Date: October 20, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We begin with an analysis of a recent joint operation by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency, where over 80 suspected Hamas operatives were apprehended in the West Bank.   As the global alert from the State Department rings across continents, we dissect the advisory urging all Americans abroad to heighten their vigilance.   Shifting to Syria and Iraq, we delve into recent drone strikes targeting US bases. Explore the escalating regional tensions as the Middle East’s unrest continues to reverberate on a broader scale.   In the Back of the Brief segment, we uncover the revelations from a recent Pentagon report on China’s surging nuclear arsenal growth.   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

Well, we've made it to the end of another tumultuous week. Boys and Girls, it's Friday, October 20th. 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 off today's episode with a look at a sweeping overnight operation, where the Israeli military and the Shimbab Security Agency arrested over 80 suspected Hamas operatives in the West Bank, amid escalating tensions and protests in the region. While global attention has been riveted on southern and northern Israel, this unfolding scenario casts a spotlight on the simmering crisis in the West Bank. Coming up later in the program,

a global alert from the State Department urges all Americans abroad to exercise heightened caution in the face of growing tensions and looming terror threats tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with travel advisories already important. place for Lebanon and Israel. In a separate development, drone strikes target U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq, ramping up regional tensions as the ripple effects of ongoing Middle East violence continue to broaden. You may not be surprised that the targeting of U.S. troops is being done by groups beholden to Iran. Finally, in today's back of the brief segment, we'll examine a startling

Pentagon report that highlights the rapid expansion of China's nuclear arsenal, outstripping earlier projections. But first, the latest from Israel. The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has mostly centered around the southern part of the country and the Gaza Strip, yet tensions are also now rising in the West Bank. Between Gaza, the northern border with Lebanon and the West Bank, Israel now faces the trifecta of conflict zones. On Thursday, the Israeli Defense Force, alongside its partner of the Shimbabh Security Agency, swung into action across numerous hubs within the Judea and Samaria Division for countering terrorism. Their joint operation saw over 80 individuals suspected of terror-related activities taken into custody.

63 of them are tied to Hamas, according to the IDF. Now, among those caught in this net was Hassan Yusuf, a no worthy Palestinian political figure who carried the title of the official Hamas spokesperson in the West Bank. It's worth noting that the Palestinian Authority holds the reins in the West Bank, not Hamas, and the two are at odds with each other. This operation marks the largest single effort to dismantle Hamas's influence in the West Bank, but it's far from the first. Since the warfare erupted in the Gaza Strip on October 7th, IDF troops have rounded up 524 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, over 330 of them linked to Hamas. This crackdown comes as the friction between Israel and the West Bank's residence sharpens. In a recent flashpoint, an Israeli officer was killed while nine others were wounded,

when they clashed with Palestinian gunmen in a refugee camp near Tolkarm, a city in the West Bank. During this skirmish, Israel deployed a rare drone strike at a nearby refugee camp, which resulted in several Palestinian fatalities. Coming up after the break, a rare worldwide alert from the State Department urging all Americans abroad to tread lightly amidst escalating tensions in potential terror threats linked to the Israeli Hamas conflict. I'll be right back. Welcome back to the President's Daily Brief. As we've been reporting here at the PDB, the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict is being felt far beyond the immediate region. Anti-Israel and by association, anti-U.S. protests have been building since this week's Gaza City hospital bombing, despite evidence that points to the Islamic Jihad as being

responsible. And on Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued a rare global advisory, urging U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution. The advisory highlights. the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and violent actions against U.S. citizens due to the ongoing conflict. This worldwide caution comes amidst a wave of demonstrations, often targeting U.S. diplomatic establishments. The stark message from the State Department underscores the gravity of the situation. Now, the tension is reverberating across a variety of nations, including Egypt, Morocco, and Iran, drawing many to the streets and protest. One flashpoint in particular is Lebanon, the home base of Hezbollah, where the U.S. and British embassies in Beirut have strongly

advised citizens to leave the country while flights do remain available. The statement from the embassy reads, quote, we recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country, commercial options, currently remain available. Of course, as noted, the tension is not just confined to the Middle East. Protests and violence have impacted Europe and even American shores. Just recently, during a protest at the Capitol this week in Washington, D.C., U.S. Capitol Police reported the arrest of an estimated 300 individuals, with three being charged with assaulting police officers inside the Cannon House Office building. The advisories from the State Department and embassies abroad are a clear reminder to Americans to stay vigilant, no matter where they are. This is a throwback to the days after 9-11, when the war on terror was top of mind for everyone. After 20-plus years in Iraq and Afghanistan, most Americans, frankly, most of the world,

grew very fatigued of the global war on terror and just wanted to move on with life. Unfortunately, that's not how life works. Now, the threat of terrorism, of violence, shouldn't keep you hunkered down in a foxhole. I mean, you have to be busy living, working, and traveling. So the key, at times like these, is to stay informed, know the current issues and concerns, understand the potential threats, and then, when traveling, be aware of your surroundings. Know your operating environment. You're not always going to maintain a high state of alert, but raise your alert level when the situation calls for it, when you're at a large public

gathering, when traveling on subways or public transportation, when near or in high-profile buildings or facilities, just pay a little more attention to your surroundings. Look, I spent most of my adult life overseas, often in difficult or challenging. challenging environments, and I got into the habit of playing, what if, meaning when I needed to raise my alert level because of my environment, I'd think, all right, if things go sideways, what's my plan? Nobody's Rambo or Jason Bourne, but don't be one of those people caught by surprise when something bad happens. Get out of your bubble and stay aware of what's happening around you. Now, it's not just civilians feeling the heat. The American military is also finding itself under

increased threat. Over recent days, a number of drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. personnel have rattled the Middle East. Just yesterday, there were two attacks reported in Syria. The first was a drone attack on a conical oil facility in eastern Syria, which also houses American troops. Another was at the Al-Tamf garrison in southeastern Syria, a base where U.S. troops have been stationed to train forces against the Islamic State Group. They came under drone attack. While they shot down one drone, another did manage to inflict minor injuries, according to officials. The Al-Tamfgarisin attack is interesting because of its location. It sits on the strategically important Baghdad Damascus Highway, often utilized by Iranian-backed militants

to shuttle weapons to Hezbollah. As a result, Iranian and Iran-backed forces are deployed in close proximity to the outpost. And the threat, it's not confined just to Syria. Just a day prior, drone attacks targeted U.S. bases in Iraq. Among the targeted was the Al-Assad Air Base in Western Iraq, and that's a hub for American troops. The U.S. forces intercepted three one-way attack drones, averting a major crisis, though minor injuries among the coalition forces were reported. Of course, if you have to ask, who is likely responsible? for these attacks. You probably haven't been listening to the PDB for very long. I'll give you a clue. It rhymes with Iran. Well, because it is Iran. All right. Coming up next in the back of the brief,

we dive into a chilling Pentagon report, revealing that China's nuclear arsenal buildup is outpacing previous projections. I'll be right back. Welcome back. In today's back of the brief, the Pentagon has unveiled a report shedding light on China's accelerating military muscle, particularly its nuclear arsenal, which is growing at a pace exceeding prior estimates. The Defense Department's latest assessment reveals a stark jump in China's operational nuclear warheads, soaring from an estimated 400 in 2021 to over 500 as of May this year. Peering into the relatively near future, the 2023 report projects Beijing is on track to amass more than 1,000 nuke warheads by the turn of the decade, with a potential of

1,500 total nuke warheads by 2035. Now, for a bit of perspective, the nuclear giants, the U.S. and Russia, maintain their leads with a little over 5,000 and just under 6,000 weapons, respectively. The report also sends out a warning about China's ambitions beyond nuclear power. It suggests China may be developing a new intercontinental missile system armed with conventional weaponry. If brought to the battlefield, according to the report, this system would empower Beijing to threaten conventional strikes against key targets stretching across the continental United States, reaching all the way to Hawaii and Alaska. This report does more than just highlight China's quick march in beefing up its military might. It's also sounding the alarm on how the global

nuclear field might be shifting, and that, as you might have guessed, is a big deal. It means the U.S. will have to shuffle its strategic deck to keep a steady balance of power and ensure that U.S. national security is not seriously threatened. It is, as they say, a very high-stakes game. While China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Putin don't always share the same objectives, they have made it clear that a common goal of theirs is to reorder the international stage, to create a world where the U.S., its allies, and democracy in general, maintain much less influence over a new global order. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday, 20 October. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back on Monday. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.