The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 18th, 2024: Second Wave Of Exploding Devices Hits Hezbollah & Election Officials Targeted Across 15 States

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   We’ll start things off with an update out of Lebanon, where thousands of walkie-talkies carried by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants exploded across the country on Wednesday, in what appears to be a second wave of covert attacks against Hezbollah by Israel. Then, we’ll turn stateside, where the FBI has launched an investigation after election officials in some 15 states received suspicious packages, including one labeled, quote, "U.S. Traitor Elimination Army." 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. Say Mike Baker sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll start things off with an update out of Lebanon, where thousands of walkie-talkies carried by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants exploded across the country today in what appears to be a second wave of covert attacks against Hezbollah by Israel. Then we'll turn states where the FBI has launched an investigation after election officials in some 15 states received suspicious packages, including one labeled, quote, U.S. traitor elimination. Army. But first, our afternoon spotlight, I want to return to Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been hit by a second wave of covert attacks after thousands of handheld radios used by the terror group exploded across the country on Wednesday. It comes just 24 hours after thousands of pagers laced with explosive material were detonated in an alleged covert operation by Israel, targeting the terror group's fighters throughout Lebanon on Tuesday, killing 12, including at least

eight Hezbollah operatives and injuring nearly 3,000. The handheld radios, like the Pagers, were allegedly remotely triggered on Wednesday as part of an ongoing Israeli intelligence operation against the Iranian-backed terror group, according to a report from Axios, citing U.S. officials briefed on the matter. While this is obviously a highly fluid situation, and we expect the information to evolve rapidly, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said that at least nine people had been killed so far in the latest blasts and more than 300 wounded. The explosions occurred across multiple parts of Lebanon on Wednesday, including in the capital of Beirut's southern suburbs. Associated press journalists covering a funeral in Beirut for three of the dead Hezbollah operatives from Tuesday's

operation, heard several explosions, and later saw a car and local shop damaged by the blasts. A Hezbollah official said handheld radios or walkie-talkies used by the group simultaneously exploded, along with their solar energy systems used in several areas of Beirut. It came just as the group, which was thrown into total disarray in the wake of the pager explosions, began launching rockets on Israeli artillery positions as part of their initial retaliation for Tuesday's attack. While Israel is not commenting on either Tuesday or Wednesday's events, sources familiar with the operation told Axios that the latest explosions were part of a second wave orchestrated by Israeli intelligence services to degrade the terror outfit and foster an environment of paranoia among the terror group's leadership and fighters.

The sources told Axios that Israeli operatives booby-trapped a recent shipment of the walkie-talkies for remote detonation before they arrived in the hands of Chesbola militants in Lebanon. The sources added that Israel chose to trigger the devices on Wednesday, in part due to fears that Chesbola's investigation into the pager explosions, would expose the compromised walkie-talkies. The walkie-talkies were reportedly purchased about five months ago, roughly around the same time that the group placed the order for the pagers. As we discussed on this morning's PDB, the pagers and radios were ironically part of Hasbalah's pivot to low-tech devices, fearing that Israel could use their smartphones to mount further assassinations of their leadership.

Later Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Yov Galand declared a, quote, a new phase of the war while speaking to troops, though he made no mention of the explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Having said that, he praised the efforts of Israel's army and security agencies, saying, quote, the results are very impressive. Gallant said, quote, the center of gravity is shifting to the north. We are at the start of a new phase in the war. It requires courage, determination, and perseverance. Meanwhile, Israel's army chiefs said Wednesday that the military has approved new operational plans regarding Hezbollah and is ready to strike. As we discussed on this morning's show, just ahead of the pager explosions on Tuesday,

the Israeli security cabinet updated their goals of the war to include the safe return of tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to the northern border. It's a signal that leaders in Jerusalem are shifting their focus from Gaza to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video statement on Wednesday, saying, quote, I have already said we will return the residents of the safely to their homes, and that is exactly what we will do. Despite the significant blow to their operations, Hezbollah has vowed to continue their cross-border attacks along Israel's northern border. Coming up, we'll turn stateside, where the FBI has launched an investigation after election

officials in some 15 states received suspicious packages, including some containing unknown powder and threatening messages. I'll be right back. Dukduos can save the day, like superheroes 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. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious packages sent to election officials in more than 15 states, raising security concerns as early voting for November's presidential election is underway. No injuries have been reported, and hazardous materials have not yet been confirmed.

This week, as an example, in Colorado, a package containing white powder was sent to the Secretary of State's office. The sender was listed as the, quote, U.S. traitor elimination army. While early tests suggest the powder was harmless in this instance, the Justice Department investigating numerous threats warns of a, quote, new era where the election community is scapegoated, targeted, and attacked. Similar incidents are being reported in other states on Monday, including Mississippi, where officials are testing suspicious materials, and Massachusetts, where the FBI intervened after a suspicious envelope was delivered to a state office building. Evacuations were ordered in Oklahoma and Wyoming after election officials receive packages

containing unknown substances. In Oklahoma, the suspicious substance was later determined to be flower, but the threat, well, was enough to disrupt operations and prompt evacuations. In Iowa, the state office building in Des Moines was cleared after a package arrived, and in Kansas, state office buildings were also evacuated. Hasmat crews in several locations quickly determined that none of the materials posed any immediate danger, though testing continues in several states. This wave of suspicious mail recalls an incident from last November when election offices and government buildings in at least five states received similar packages, some of which contained fentanyl. Although many of those letters were not toxic, they did cause disruptions, including delayed ballot

counting in several jurisdictions. The rise in threats has led to widespread concern among election officials who are now grappling with the reality that attempts to disrupt the voting process appear to be becoming a a trend. In response, election offices nationwide have bolstered security measures working closely with federal and state authorities to identify the individual or individuals sending the suspicious mail. Many offices have increased the presence of law enforcement at polling places and implemented protocols for handling mail. Physical security infrastructure has also been upgraded in several areas with offices adding surveillance systems and restricting access to voting facilities.

election officials and voting offices across the U.S. are preparing for what could be a contentious and heavily scrutinized election cycle. And for that sentence, I grant myself the PDB statement of the obvious award. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, 18 September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. The PDB team gathers up your questions each month and compiles them into a PDB. session that we call Ask Me Anything. Now, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by simply visiting PDB premium.com.

It is, in fact, simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.