The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 2nd, 2024: US Raids ISIS Strongholds & Tensions Flare In The South China Sea

Episode Date: September 2, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    U.S. Central Command revealed Saturday that United States military and Iraqi security forces conducted a major raid on ISIS strongholds in Western Iraq in an operation on August 29th, killing 15 ISIS militants. China and the Philippines are trading accusations after a ship-to-ship collision on Saturday that has significantly inflamed tensions in the disputed South China Sea. 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 PDB Afternoon Bulletin.    Email: [e-mail] 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. First, U.S. forces launched a major operation against ISIS militants in Iraq over the weekend in an operation that left seven U.S. service members injured. Also, China and the Philippines are trading accusations again after a ship-to-ship collision on Saturday that has significantly ramped up tensions in the South China Sea.

But first, our afternoon spotlight. I want to begin with a significant update out of Iraq where U.S. and coalition allies have dealt a major blow to the interests of the Islamic State. Remember them? ISIS? The U.S. Central Command revealed Saturday that U.S. military and Iraqi security forces conducted a major raid on ISIS strongholds in Western Iraq in an operation on August 29, killing 15 ISIS militants, according to a report from ABC News. During the early morning raid, and subsequent firefight last Thursday, seven U.S. military service members sustained injuries. Now, while two had to be evacuated for further treatment, U.S. military officials said that all personnel were in stable condition. The operation targeted the terrorist group's leadership, and while so far no names have been released, intelligence indicates that key leaders of the first rank of ISIS were among the dead. Iraqi forces reportedly continued making arrests and staging raids on locations.

linked to ISIS throughout Saturday. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said, quote, this operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS's ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, end quote. Officials said there was no indication of any civilian casualties as a result of the raids. Now, the operation, which involved targeted air strikes, followed by a ground assault, reportedly took up to two months to plan and involved surveilling and

monitoring of course the presence of important leaders of ISIS in the region. As a reminder, the U.S. still maintains a presence of about 2,500 troops inside Iraq to train their security forces and to assist on missions related to militant activity, particularly ISIS. Earlier this year, however, in the face of U.S. strikes on militants in Iraq, targeting American troops, Iraq's prime minister said that the government would discuss plans to accelerate the end of the U.S. troop presence in the country. Regarding ISIS, the terrorist group has increased their attacks over the past year as they attempt to spread their influence back into Europe and America. In their statement, CENTCOM said ISIS remains a threat to the region,

our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. CENTCOM, alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists, end quote. All right. Coming up after the break, China and the Philippines are trading accusations after a ship-to-ship collision on Saturday that has significantly inflamed tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

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How many discounts? Accounts will you stack up, tap the banner or visit usaa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. In the latest escalation of maritime tensions in the South China Sea, Chinese forces surrounded and rammed the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that's the flagship of the Philippine Coast Guard near Sabina Shoal. This marks the seventh scuffle in August between Beijing and Manila in the disputed waters. Now, I'm not sure that scuffles. is the most accurate word here to describe the encounters between the two nations. That makes it sound more like a schoolyard fight, but we'll stick with scuffle for now until I can

come up with a better word. On Saturday, the Mugbenua was reportedly rammed three times by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel without provocation within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Now, the deliberate Chinese act caused significant damage, including a hole in the ship's hull. Multiple Chinese vessels, including two type 837 tugs from the People's Liberation Army Navy, surrounded the Philippine patrol vessel. Images, released by the Philippine Coast Guard, show the tugs on the port and starboard sides of the Magbanua, trapping the vessel. Notably, the aggressive Chinese maneuvers are the first instance in which Beijing has deployed tugs to Sabina Shole.

Now, Chinese state media, this won't surprise you, in an attempt to muddy the waters, presented a different narrative, claiming that the Philippine Coast Guard was responsible for the collision. However, video footage released by the China Coast Guard contradicts this claim, showing the collision occurring at the stern of the Magbanua, emphasizing the Chinese vessel was the aggressor. Philippine Coast Guard commander J. Tariela announced in Manila that the Magbanua had re-anchored and would remain at Sabina Sholl, quote, despite the harassment, bullying activities and the escalatory action of the Chinese Coast Guard, end quote. The U.S. strongly condemned the incident.

U.S. ambassador to Manila, Mary Kay Carlson, described the collision as, quote, a dangerous violation of international law by China. Yeah, that would qualify. The U.S. military, which maintains a significant presence in the Indo-Pacific region, has expressed openness to the possibility of escorting Philippine vessels in disputed waters

to ensure their safety. Now, this incident is part of a broader pattern of increasingly hostile encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Chinese forces, often with civilian support, have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships during resupply missions to contested islands, sometimes resulting in damage and injuries, raising concerns about a potential larger conflict. The Magbanoa has been stationed at Sabina Shul since mid-April due to concerns that China might attempt to establish a permanent structure on the uninhabited atoll, a tactic that China has used in

other contested areas. In response, China has lodged a diplomatic protest against the Philippines, accusing it of prolonging its presence at the Shoal to assert its territorial claims. Adding to the regional tensions, Japan lodged a formal protest with China on the same day of China's collision with the Magbanua, citing an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters. This follows a series of similar encounters between Chinese and Japanese forces, including the entry of a Chinese military aircraft into Japan's airspace, as we reported last month on the PDB. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday to September.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. Now, as you may have heard from Scuttlebutt on the street, to listen to the show Ad Free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief. by visiting PDB Premium.com. It's just so simple. And if you want to catch past episodes of the PDB or our weekend show, and that's the PDB Situation Report,

well, check out our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI

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