The President's Daily Brief
December 23rd, 2024: Christmas Terror Attack in Germany & US Jet Shot Down Over the Red Sea
Mon, 23 Dec 2024
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A tragedy in Germany as a driver plows into a crowded Christmas market, leaving five dead and over 200 injured. Authorities are investigating the suspect’s motives as the nation mourns. A case of friendly fire over the Red Sea, where two U.S. Navy pilots were forced to eject after their jet was struck by fire from a U.S. warship. An update on Gaza ceasefire negotiations, where Palestinian officials report progress but note that key sticking points remain. And in today’s Back of the Brief: the U.S. is scrapping a $10 million bounty on the new de facto leader of Syria, signaling a significant policy shift. 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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happened in Germany's Christmas market?
In the meeting led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, the HTS leader committed to ensuring terrorist groups in Syria do not pose a threat to the U.S. and its allies. And that's a key condition for any future U.S. support, of course.
Leaf beschrieb die Diskussionen mit HTS als, quote, sehr gut, sehr produktiv, das scheint positiv, und bemerkte, dass der HTS-Leiter eine, quote, pragmatische Stille auf verschiedene Themen präsentierte, z.B. Frauenrechte und die Schutz der Minderheitsgemeinschaften. Das ist eine offensichtliche Entfernung von HTSs früherer Reputation. Leaf sagte, quote, We will judge by deeds, not just by words.
Deeds are the critical thing, end quote. Well, she's not wrong. According to NBC News, the U.S. is also exploring the possibility of removing HTS from its terrorist list. This decision hinges on the group meeting specific criteria, including ensuring Syria does not threaten its neighbors and avoiding alliances with terrorist organizations like ISIS. Yeah, you would think those would be conditions.
The Biden administration is aware of the complications that such sanctions create for humanitarian aid in Syria, particularly for groups assisting refugees returning to the country and those displaced by the decade-long conflict. While current sanctions allow dialogue with the HDS, they restrict material support, posing challenges for aid organizations.
The meeting also addressed humanitarian concerns and the fate of missing Americans in Syria, including journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted 12 years ago. Roger Carstens, the U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, reaffirmed the administration's commitment to finding answers about Tices' condition and bringing him home, stating, quote, What I can tell you is this.
The President of the United States believes Austin to be alive, and it's our duty to keep pressing and pushing to get a sense of certainty about what happened to him. The US delegation visit follows similar trips by diplomats from France, the UK and Germany, reflecting growing international attention on Syria's new interim government. All right.
And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 23 December. Look at that. You've got two more shopping days until Christmas. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And I hope you had a chance over the weekend to check out our latest episode of the PDB Situation Report. As always, great guests, insight, news you can use.
I hope you tune in. You can find it on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and, of course, all podcast platforms. Bis dann. Stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.
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