The President's Daily Brief - September 30th, 2024: How Israel Killed Nasrallah, Iran Vows Revenge, & Border Union Blasts Harris

Episode Date: September 30, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: The body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has reportedly been recovered, days after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike. We’ll break down how the IDF successfully targeted and eliminated the terror leader in a bunker 60 feet underground in Beirut. We’ll examine Iran’s response to the death of their top proxy leader, including threats of revenge against Israel. Details on two US airstrikes that killed 37 members of the Islamic State in Syria last week. And in today's Back of the Brief, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Southern Border on Friday, but her trip is being met with strong criticism from the Border Patrol Union. 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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terrific American family-owned business, and they're all about premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Go to blackout coffee.com, promo code PDB, for 20% off your first time purchase. It's Monday, 30 September. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world's stage. Let's get briefed. body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has reportedly been recovered days after he was killed in an Israeli air strike. Today, we'll break down how the IDF successfully targeted and eliminated the terror leader in a bunker buried 60 feet beneath Beirut. Later in the program, we'll look at Iran's response to the death of their top proxy leader, including warnings of revenge against Israel.

Plus, we'll have details on a pair of U.S. airstrikes that killed 37 members of the Islamic State in Syria this past week. And in today's back of the brief, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the southern border on Friday, a move that's being met with a combination of skepticism and mockery by America's Border Patrol Union. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Medical sources have told Reuters that the body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasra, has been recovered from the rubble following Friday's Israeli airstrike that killed him and several other senior leaders of the terror organization. According to the report, there were no signs of injuries on his body indicating that the terror chief was killed from the blunt force of the explosion. Today, we're learning more about the operation that led to Nasrallah's demise.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Nasrallah and several of his top lieutenants gathered on Friday in the terror group's main. underground command center buried more than 60 feet beneath the surface of southern Beirut. According to sources familiar with the group's discussions, the leaders were meeting to discuss, among other things, their frustration that Iran was restraining Khazbalah from responding more forcefully to the Israeli attacks. Israeli intelligence learned about the meeting just hours before it occurred. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave the green light for the strike while in New York, shortly after declaring before the U.N. General Assembly that his nation would not accept a, quote, terror army on its northern border preparing to carry out another 7-October-style massacre.

Israel's Air Force ultimately hit the bunker with approximately 80 tons of bombs. According to a senior Israeli military official, the attack used a series of timed, chained explosions to penetrate the underground command post. A number of other senior officials were killed alongside. Nasrallah, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front. Karaki was responsible for the terror group's military activity in South Lebanon, also killed with the head of Nasrallah's personal security unit, as well as one of his senior advisors. Israel says in total more than 20 Hezbollah members were killed in the strike that took out the Hezbollah chief. Now, capping off,

a devastating week for the group's leadership, the IDF announced on Sunday that it eliminated yet another other senior Hezbollah leader, Nabil Kouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah's Central Council. Hezbollah confirmed his death, making him the seventh senior Hezbollah leader slain in Israeli strikes in recent days. Despite the losses to its leadership, the group has continued its rocket attacks on northern Israel, launching several barrages on Saturday and Sunday. One important detail to note here is the U.S. response to the strike. While the U.S. and Israel often coordinated on major operations, American officials, including Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, have stated that they were not given any prior warning about this one.

Though they haven't publicly criticized Israel, there appears to be some frustration within the White House regarding the operation, which is pushing for a ceasefire and de-escalation. One unnamed U.S. official told Axios that while Nasrallah has blood on his hands, oh, really, there's a thought, the Biden administration doesn't see how Israel's, quote, whack-a-mole approach will address the larger strategic picture. Now, perhaps the Biden administration could explain how a ceasefire that leaves intact the Iranian funded and resourced Hamas and Hezbollah, that would somehow address the larger picture. A ceasefire essentially guarantees more of the same.

You're putting a Band-Aid on a sucking chest wound. You're not dealing with the bigger picture. You're just kicking the can down the road. Another official told the outlet, quote, Nisrallah was a bad guy, there's an understatement, but it is frustrating that the Israelis are doing this without consulting us and then ask that we clean up when it comes to deterring Iran. Really? End quote. Seriously? Which Biden administration official imagines that they've somehow been deterring Iran? They've spent four years appeasing the Iranian regime in the hope that they can

magically bring them into the community of nations. This is in part why the Iranian proxies have felt emboldened. Whatever the Biden administration imagines they've been doing regarding the Iranian regime, well, it's the opposite of deterrence. All right, coming up after the break, we'll examine Iran's response to the death of one of its key players in the region and a pair of U.S. airstrikes that killed at least 37 members of the Islamic State in Syria. I'll have those stories when we come back. USAA knows dynamic duos 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 usa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply.

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that took out Hassan Nasrallah was a senior general from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC. I know, it begs the question. Why on earth would a senior IRGC officer be meeting with Hezbollah's senior leadership? Huh, what a coincidence. On Sunday, Iranian State Media,

confirmed the death of General Abbas Neil Fulvichan, he was the IRGC's deputy commander and a key player in Iranian actions in the region, advising Hezbollah on military and diplomatic affairs. Now, of course, Tehran is, well, let's say they're pretty salty over the fact that its most important regional proxy has been all but beheaded over the past week. Iran has vowed that the strike will, quote, not go unanswered. Speaking as he departed the meeting of the UN General Assembly, Iran's foreign minister said his nation is on high alert. He said, quote, the countries of the region and beyond must recognize that the situation is extremely dangerous and anything could happen at any moment, end quote. He continued, I mean, to be fair, it really is our fault.

This is, I suppose, what happens when you build a network of terror organizations to do our bidding, end quote. Okay, all right, fair enough, never mind. I made that quote up, but it doesn't mean I'm. He actually added that the U.S. was complicit in the attack, of course, and that, quote, undoubtedly the blood of the martyrs of this incident will not go unanswered, and we will stand firmly with the resistance, end quote. Earlier, Iran's parliament speaker said that the country's network of proxies known as the axis of resistance will continue confronting Israel with Tehran's support. He then joined lawmakers in chanting death to Israel and death to America. Now, to be fair,

their chance aren't new or creative, but at least they've been consistent. Despite publicly vowing to defend and support Hezbollah, there is, reportedly, much more uncertainty within Tehran's Hall of Power. According to a report in New York Times on Saturday, Iran's leadership is deeply divided over the assassination of Nasrallah. Four Iranian officials told the newspaper that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hamini remains undecided about the next steps. The report claims that conservative factions in Iran are pushing for a powerful response, possibly even a direct strike on Israel. On the other hand, moderates, that's a relatively loose term, within the leadership, are advocating for caution.

The report detailed that news of Nasrallah's death caused a wave of shocking concern in Tehran, with some senior figures, either in private or during urgent meetings, speculating that Israel could potentially target Iran next, with, Supreme Leader Khomeini as a possible target. Amid rising security concerns, Chamini was relocated to a secure site on Saturday, where he vowed retaliation for Nisarala's assassination. Despite being described as, quote, deeply shaken by the loss of his close ally, sources said Khmerini remained composed and called for an emergency session of the Supreme National Security Council at his residence. During the meeting, divisions arose over how to

proceed. Newly selected President Masud Pazeshkian, however, was reportedly against launching a preemptive strike on Israel, fearing that it could trigger a broader regional conflict. Muhammad Ali Abtahi, a former vice president of Iran, told the times in a phone interview that Nisrales assassination was, quote, an incredibly heavy blow, and realistically speaking, we have no clear path for recovering from this loss, end quote. He also added that, quote, we will not go to war, that's off the table, but Iran will also not reverse course in supporting the militant groups in the region, nor in diffusing tensions with the West. All of these things can be pursued at the same time, end quote. Okay, let's shift our focus over to Syria.

U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, announced yesterday that it had carried out two targeted airstrikes, killing a total of 37 terrorist operatives. These strikes targeted senior leaders from ISIS, as well as Khras al-Din, a al-Qaeda affiliate based in Syria. According to Sentcom, the first strike took place on 24 September in northwest Syria, where nine operatives were killed, including a high-ranking leader of Khras al-Din, who oversaw their military operations. This strike follows a similar operation last month that eliminated another senior leader of the group. Now, the second strike occurred on September 16th, targeting an ISIS training.

camp in central Syria. CENTCOM reports that 28 ISIS operatives were killed in that attack, including four senior leaders. This strike is expected to significantly disrupt ISIS's ability to conduct operations against U.S. and allied and regional interests. General Michael Eric Carrillo, commander of CENTCOM, said that these operations demonstrate the U.S. commitment to defeating terrorist organizations in the region and to supporting stability across the Middle East. Now, one of the reasons that I wanted to draw attention to this story is because it shows that the fight against ISIS and al-Qaeda are ongoing. The groups are still very active in the region, especially in Syria. Our ability to observe and carry out attacks against them are, in large part, tied to our presence in Iraq,

and that's a presence which is now, after 10 years, officially set to end. According to senior U.S. officials, the U.S. military plans to conclude its mission in Iraq by the end of 2026, transitioning into a new phase that will likely see a significant reduction of American troops in the country. This process will occur in two stages, with the counterterrorism mission Operation Inherent Resolve ending this month, but continuing in a transitional capacity until at least September 26 when the mission is expected to formally conclude. However, Washington expects to maintain some military presence in Iraq to continue combating. global terrorism, though officials have not provided details on future troop numbers or the

specifics of the transition. Currently, there are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Vice President Kamala Harris displayed her acting chops on Friday, taking on the role of a border hawk during a rare trip to the southern border. Unfortunately, not everyone was buying the act. All the details, when we come back. In today's back of the brief, Kamala Harris took a trip to America's southern border on Friday, and that's her first in three years. During her visit, she sounded almost hawkish on the issue, calling for tighter asylum restrictions and vowing to make stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S. a top priority on now we're going to work on it. In a speech delivered to Customs and Border

Protection officials in the town of Douglas, Arizona, Harris outlined her plans to fix what she called America's broken immigration system, saying, quote, I will take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry. Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years. She added, quote, we will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators, and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry, and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum, end quote. Now, apparently, Apparently, the Harris campaign team wants America to forget that Harris has been the vice president for the past four years,

and that she and the White House could have been doing exactly what she now claims she'll do if elected. It's almost as if politicians and their campaign strategists believe that Americans are stupid. Anyway, Harris's statements did not sit well with America's Border Patrol's Union, which has been desperate for help from the White House since Harris took office. In a series of tweets, the National Border Patrol Council blasted the vice president. The group wrote, quote, Vice President Harris has ignored the border problems she created for over three years. She goes down there for 20 minutes for a photo op and decides to repeat some of the things that the National Border Patrol Council has said before. But again, where has she been the last three and a half years?

End quote. Now, I followed it up by saying, quote, Harris asserted in Arizona that CBP needed more resources. We have apprehended over 8 million illegal immigrants over the last four years, and now you realize we need more help 38 days before the election, end quote. It's worth noting that the union did endorse Trump in 2020 and tweeted earlier this summer before Harris became the Democratic nominee that it, quote, will never endorse Biden. This was, as mentioned, Harris's first trip to the southern border

since a 2021 visit to El Paso, Texas. It also comes just days after immigration and customs enforcement data provided to Congress showed that hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes could be loose on American streets. Those include 62,000 convicted of assault, more than 56,000 with drug convictions, and 13,000 convicted of homicide. An additional 2.5,000 have kidnapping convictions and close to 16,000 with sexual assault convictions. But, you know, not to worry. Harris promises to do the exact opposite of what she's done during the Biden-Harris administration, if only given the chance in November. Now, if you were a cynical person, you could think that it's all political theater

because they realize now that the border is an important issue to voters. But, well, that would be cynical for me to point out. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, 30 September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB. at thefirsttv.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, well, become a premium member of the president's daily brief, simply by visiting bdb premium.com. I told you it was simple.

I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the BDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story.

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