The President's Daily Brief
November 4th, 2024: Daring Israeli Raid, Iranian Nuclear Claims, & Biden Pressured on Poland
Mon, 04 Nov 2024
In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: We start with new details about a daring Israeli raid in northern Lebanon, where elite commandos captured a key Hezbollah operative, sparking outrage among Lebanese officials. We’ll break down the details and the potential ramifications. Then, Iran’s supreme leader issues fresh threats against the U.S. and Israel, declaring Iran’s capability to build nuclear weapons and warning of a “tooth-breaking response” to recent Israeli airstrikes. Next, bipartisan leaders in Washington are pressing President Biden to greenlight a plan for NATO ally Poland to extend its air defense into Ukraine, potentially shielding Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles. And in today’s Back of the Brief: the U.S. State Department has revealed that an Iranian-American journalist has been imprisoned by the Iranian regime for months. 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: [email protected] Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What details emerged from the daring Israeli raid in Lebanon?
Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We're starting today's show with new details about an Israeli raid in northern Lebanon. Commandos from Israel's elite naval unit captured a key Hezbollah operative, sparking outrage among Lebanese officials. We'll break down the details.
Later, Iran's Supreme Leader is issuing new threats against the U.S. and Israel, declaring that Iran has the capability to build nuclear weapons and warning of a, quote, to recent Israeli airstrikes. Now, honestly, the threat obviously lost something in the translation. I mean, tooth-breaking response probably lacks the pizzazz that the Supreme Leader was going for.
Plus, bipartisan leaders in Washington are urging President Biden to greenlight a plan for Poland to extend its air defenses into Ukraine, potentially shielding Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles. Stand by for more nuclear saber-rattling from Russian President Putin and his minions. And in today's Back of the Brief, the U.S.
State Department has announced that an Iranian American journalist has been imprisoned by the Iranian regime for months. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Details are surfacing about a daring Israeli raid deep into northern Lebanon this weekend that resulted in the capture of a Hezbollah operative.
Now, this mission was unusual for Israeli ground forces as it marked their first operation in northern Lebanon. Previously, Israeli forces limited ground activities to the south, while northern targets were usually struck by air. The raid was carried out by Israel's version of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
They specialize in sea-to-land incursions, underwater warfare, sabotage, and maritime intelligence gathering. The target was a man named Emad Amaz in the town of Batrun, about 87 miles north of Israel's border. Now, according to Israeli sources speaking to Axios, Amaz is responsible for Hezbollah's naval operations.
According to reports, the Israeli commandos donned Lebanese military uniforms to blend in, enabling them to move swiftly through Batroun. Lebanon's national news agency described the scene, saying an unidentified military force made a covert landing on Batroon's beach and quickly moved to a nearby chalet where they apprehended Hamas before retreating by speedboats into the open sea.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed a man with his hands pinned behind his back being led away by a column of soldiers. The entire operation was reportedly completed in only four minutes, with around 20 commandos reportedly involved. Sources suggest Israeli operatives had been conducting surveillance and reconnaissance in the area prior to the raid.
Surveillance footage from a nearby building reportedly captured part of the action, but recordings were allegedly deleted from the chalet where Hamas was seized. The capture is being viewed as an intelligence win for Israel, as Hamas is now being interrogated by Israel's military intelligence directorate's Unit 504, which specializes in human intelligence.
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Chapter 2: What threats did Iran's Supreme Leader issue against the U.S. and Israel?
Now, on Friday, a State Department spokesperson emphasized the Biden administration's commitment to preventing Iran from producing a nuclear weapon, stating, "...the President has made clear we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome."
That same day, the Pentagon shifted its regional military presence, deploying destroyers, fighter squadrons, tankers, and B-52 bombers as a deterrent to potential threats from Iran and its allies.
Additionally, American forces oversee a terminal high-altitude area defense system in Israel designed to intercept high-altitude missile threats, bolstering defenses, as we had previously reported here on the PDB. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated Israel's determination to block Iran's nuclear ambitions, stating, quote, we can reach any place in Iran as necessary.
Netanyahu, emphasizing his directive to the Israeli Defense Forces and security branches, is firm to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon. All right, turning stateside. Bipartisan leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission are pressuring President Biden, apparently still the U.S.
president, to authorize Poland to extend its air defense into Ukraine airspace, aiming to enhance Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missiles. The proposal, outlined in a letter obtained by The Hill, was spearheaded by Representatives Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the chair and ranking member of the Helsinki Commission.
The lawmakers argue that allowing Poland to extend its defenses into Ukraine would fill a crucial security gap, particularly as Russian missile attacks grow more frequent near Ukraine's western regions, dangerously close to NATO territory. Poland's request for expanded air defenses is not new. The urgency of this issue has intensified, though, following recent incidents.
In November 2022, a stray Ukrainian missile struck inside Poland, killing two individuals. And earlier this year, Russian missiles briefly crossed into Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine. Now, such incidents obviously have underscored the risks that Poland faces as a frontline NATO state.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has been outspoken in his push to secure additional defensive measures. During a September interview with the Financial Times, Sikorski emphasized that Poland and neighboring states have a duty to intercept incoming Russian missiles before they breach national airspace. Sikorski argued this constitutes, quote, legitimate self-defense.
Poland's defense capabilities are already, frankly, formidable, featuring two Patriot missile systems and several mid-range anti-aircraft systems as part of a defense upgrade that they initiated back in 2018. Extending the shield into Ukraine, proponents say, could provide a much-needed boost to regional security.
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Chapter 3: What is the plan for Poland's air defense extension into Ukraine?
In today's Back of the Brief, an Iranian-American journalist, Reza Velizadeh, who worked for U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Farida, has reportedly been detained by Iranian authorities under undisclosed charges. The State Department confirmed Velizadeh's imprisonment to the Associated Press, expressing concerns about his safety as they work with Swiss officials. The U.S.
's diplomatic intermediary, of course, in Iran is Switzerland, to gather more information on his case. His detention marks the first known case of an American citizen held by Iran since the 2023 prisoner exchange. Now, Radio Farda, a Farsi language branch of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, broadcasts from the Czech Republic and has been labeled hostile by the Iranian regime.
Felicity's connection to the broadcaster is one factor that may have led to increased scrutiny by Iranian authorities. And by may, I mean definitely was. Valizadeh's situation escalated in February when he revealed that his family in Iran was facing pressure from authorities, pressure is putting it diplomatically, to convince him to return to Iran.
By August, he posted on social media disclosing that he had arrived in Tehran in March following, quote, unfinished negotiations with the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence department. In another post, he stated, quote, I came back to my country after 13 years without any security guarantee, even a verbal one.
His messages also referenced a person reportedly linked to Iran's intelligence ministry, though the Associated Press has been unable to verify this claim. Human rights monitors report Velizadeh is held in Tehran's Evin prison, without legal representation, of course, or clear charges, amplifying concerns over his safety and the treatment, of course, of detainees in Iran.
His detainment coincides with Iran's 45th anniversary commemoration of the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis, as it had been 45 years already, marked on Sunday by demonstrations where thousands chanted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans and burned flags. Well, old habits do die hard.
Felicidade's detention amplifies the tension between Tehran and Washington, of course, at a time when diplomatic relations are already strained, and that's putting it diplomatically. The incident may have broader implications, as the U.S.
has been increasingly critical of Iran's practice of detaining foreign nationals, seeing it as part of a broader strategy to wield these individuals as bargaining chips, of course, in international negotiations. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 4 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com.
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