The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | February 8th, 2024: US Strikes Militant Commander In Baghdad & Netanyahu Rejects Hamas Ceasefire Demands

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     U.S. forces killed a top commander of the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq in a strike Wednesday evening, in the latest retaliation for the deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. We’ll discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to Hamas’s lengthy list of demands as tense negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continue. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.     Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. This podcast is sponsored by Blackout Coffee. Start your day off with the great taste of American-made Blackout Coffee. Family-owned, premium coffee fresh-roasted, and listen to this, shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Go to Blackout Coffee.com, promo code PDB, for 20% off your first purchase. It's Thursday, 8 February. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin.

I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, U.S. forces targeted and killed a top commander of the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq in a strike Wednesday evening in the latest retaliation for the deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. Also, we'll discuss Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's response to Hamas's lengthy list of demands as tense negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continue. But first, our afternoon spotlight. We begin in Baghdad, where a U.S. drone's truck.

on Wednesday evening terminated a commander of the Iran-backed militant group behind the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan that killed three American service members and injured more than 40 others. Officials said the militant commander was a senior member of the Iraqi militia group Katayyb Hezbollah and was responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. and coalition forces throughout the region, and that's according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, while U.S. officials had not released the commander's name, Iraqi media identified the militant as Abu Bakir al-Sadi. It appears a drone was used to target his vehicle, killing al-Sadi and two others. There was no indication that any civilians had been killed or injured in the strike.

Now, President Biden approved the attack on the Kataib Hezbollah commander early last week. Officials at the Pentagon reportedly waited for an opportunity that would limit the risk of civilian casualties. and Iraqi officials were notified immediately after the strike. A statement from the military said, quote, U.S. forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Kadaibhazbalah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region, and quote. Officially, the Islamic resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack in Jordan,

and that's an umbrella group of Shiite Muslim militias with close links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC. However, a key player in that coalition is Kataibesbullah, and Pentagon officials had previously remarked that the attack in Jordan bore their fingerprints. Now, it's worth noting that Kataibizbullah, appearing to sense the forthcoming retaliation to their deadly attack in Jordan, issued a statement last week, claiming that they were temporarily suspending all military operations against U.S. forces. Oh, that's nice, opting instead for, quote, passive defense if faced with hostile American action. Now, following Wednesday's strike on their commander, Kataib Azbollah issued a fiery statement, proclaiming, quote, steadfastness on the path of jihad. The group continued, our response will be decisive, and these crimes will not go unpunished.

Let this be our path and our foremost cause from nighad. now on and onwards, end quote. It's always somehow oddly entertaining when terrorist groups play the victim card. The strike is a continuation of retaliatory actions initiated last Friday by the Biden administration against Iranian-linked targets in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed al-Sudani voiced his displeasure at the action on Thursday, accusing the U.S. of violating Iraq's sovereign borders. An official for Sudani reported. said this strike would push the Iraqi government to accelerate the termination of the mission of the U.S.-led military coalition remaining in the country. Now, as we covered on the PDB earlier

this week, beginning last Friday, the U.S. launched retaliatory airstrikes against more than 85 sites associated with groups affiliated with Iran's IRGC goods force. Among those targeted sites were command and control centers, intelligence facilities, and weapons storage centers used by Iran-backed militias to carry out attacks in the region. These U.S. retaliatory strikes are expected to continue in both Iraq and Syria in the days and weeks ahead. All right, coming up after the break, we'll discuss Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's response to Hamas's lengthy list of demands as tense negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continue. I'll be right back.

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Terms apply. Limited time offer subject to change. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superhero. 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 usaa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. Continuing with our coverage of the ongoing hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, hopes for a long-lasting ceasefire took a major hit, with Hamas,

issuing a lengthy list of demands in response to a proposal put forward by the U.S. Egypt in Qatar. As we reported yesterday, in response to the proposal, Hamas had responded with their demand for a three-phase deal, each phase lasting 45 days, that would also see the gradual release of hostages held in the enclave in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, including those serving life sentences, as well as the start of a massive humanitarian and rebuilding effort, as well as the complete withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his response during a press conference, dismissing Hamas' demands as delusional. President Biden had earlier expressed surprise at the

demands from the Iran-backed Hamas, referring to them as, quote, over the top. Netanyahu told the press conference, quote, there is no other solution but a complete and final victory. If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it's only a matter of time until the next massacre, end quote. Now, to be Bha'HMahas has, in fact, stated their intention to carry out future attacks similar to the 7 October slaughter in southern Israel. Israeli defense minister Yov-Gaulat even suggested that the Hamas' response to the brokered proposal was actually designed to fail. According to reports, Galant told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, quote, Hamas's answer was formulated so that Israel would refuse it. Their position will lead to the continuation of the war, and our forces will

reach other places in Gaza soon, and quote. Despite the resounding note from Israel, it's worth noting that talks are still ongoing. An Egyptian official source told the BBC that a new round of negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar is still expected to go ahead today in Cairo. Meanwhile, Israeli defense forces are preparing to launch their offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. That city is the last major population center yet to be targeted by Israeli military operations. Understandably, there is a lot of concern about this offensive. Rafa is right on the border with Egypt, and with that border closed, Palestinian civilians, well, they have nowhere else to go. According to U.N. estimates, more than a million people have been crammed into the city,

into Rafa, and that's about half of Gaza's entire population. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin. for Thursday, 8 February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at at pdb at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.