November 12th, 2024: Trump Warns Putin, U.N. Ambassador Pick, & Alarming News from Iraq
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It's Tuesday, 12 November. 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 things off today with a report that President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone last Thursday. Now, that would be their first known conversation since Trump's election win. Trump reportedly urged Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine, a potential signal for U.S.-Russia relations in the coming months. Now, interestingly, the Kremlin is denying that a conversation took place. Hmm...

Later in the show, U.S. forces have launched multiple days of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, with the Pentagon reporting it targeted advanced weapons storage facilities. Plus, President-elect Donald Trump announces his choice for U.N. ambassador, choosing a New York congresswoman for the role. And in today's back of the brief, bizarre and highly disturbing news from Iraq, as the nation's government appears ready to lower the age of consent

to nine years old. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. Continuing with our coverage of Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, the president-elect has reportedly had his first call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Five sources close to the Trump camp exclusively told The Washington Post that the President-elect and Putin spoke on the phone last Thursday, with Trump reportedly warning the Russian strongman not to escalate the war in Ukraine. While the call has not been publicly confirmed, the President-elect reportedly notified Ukrainian President Zelensky that it had taken place.

While details of the conversation are limited, Trump is said to have reminded Putin that America has an extensive military presence in Europe. One of the sources said Trump's message amounted to "don't escalate because I have weapons too."

The situation was complicated on Monday, however, after officials in Russia claimed that the alleged conversation never took place, calling the reports "pure fiction." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is now published, sometimes even in fairly respected publications. This is completely untrue. This is simply false information. There was no conversation."

When asked for a comment, a spokesperson for Trump declined to get into specifics, saying they would not discuss the president-elect's private calls. The spokesman simply said, quote, That is why leaders have begun the process of developing stronger relationships with the 45th and 47th president, end quote.

As a reminder, Trump has long promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine, though has never outlined specifics on how he plans to achieve this feat. He spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy last Wednesday in the immediate aftermath of his victory. Zelenskyy, of course, is seeking to shore up Trump's support for long-term military aid and financial assistance. But frankly, it's anyone's guess how Trump will choose to proceed in his second term, particularly given past criticisms of NATO.

Zelensky, who said he has had productive talks in recent months with Trump on how to curb Russian aggression, described their call as "excellent" and said he received assurances that Trump would not abandon Ukraine. He added that he admires Trump's "commitment to the peace through strength approach in global affairs," which Zelensky hopes can bring about a "just peace."

As we've discussed in recent days on the PDB, a lot of eyes are focused on Ukraine in the wake of Trump's victory, as there are concerns, of course, that Trump might curtail military and financial aid and pressure Ukrainian leaders into peace talks with Russia. Critics of Trump fear such a scenario could favor the interests of Putin. We should note the Kremlin's blanket denial of any conversation between Putin and Trump comes amid mounting concerns inside Moscow

that Trump may not stick to his campaign rhetoric regarding U.S.-Russia relations. They reportedly view Trump as unpredictable and worry he'll be swayed by a U.S. security establishment that is highly skeptical of mending fences with the Putin regime.

Former Kremlin insiders added that given the tenor of the alleged call, which included Trump making an implicit threat regarding America's military presence in Europe, they're not surprised by the Kremlin's denials. A former speechwriter for Putin told The Washington Post, "Putin is very concerned with appearances and wants to look like the master of the situation and not the one who is being threatened."

In the meantime, European leaders are warning that Putin may look to leverage the U.S. post-election transition period to press his advantage in Ukraine. Last week, Russia launched one of their largest drone attacks of the war on Ukraine, and on Monday, at least six people were killed and 21 injured in a series of Russian airstrikes across Ukrainian territory.

U.S. defense officials also warned Sunday that Putin has amassed some 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops to retake Russia's Kursk region, which is partially controlled by Ukrainian forces following a lightning incursion in early August. According to the New York Times, Putin could launch the assault to retake Kursk in a matter of days.

All right. Coming up after the break, U.S. forces launch airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, while President-elect Donald Trump chooses a New York congresswoman as his pick for U.N. ambassador. I'll have those stories when we come back. Stop. Stop.

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Turning our focus to Yemen, where the US intensified its offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi forces, marking a weekend of airstrikes targeting the terror group's assets. The first set of strikes on Saturday, reportedly conducted by fighter jets, hit Houthi storage facilities in at least three locations known to house advanced weapons used to menace US warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis' aggression in the region affects critical trade routes with the Red Sea. That's a strategic artery, of course, for global commerce. Now, for reference, roughly 10 to 15% of all global trade flows through this area, linking directly to the Suez Canal, underscoring the broader stakes of the ongoing conflict.

Houthi forces align with a larger Iran-backed coalition, which includes, of course, Hamas and Hezbollah, forming a cross-regional alliance that spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. This faction vowed to continue assaults on Israel and its allies unless there's a ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing increasing coordination between the Iranian proxies.

While specific details of the target's weaponry or locations in Sunday's U.S. strikes remain undisclosed, explosions were reported in Yemen's Amran and Sa'adah governments, those areas previously hit by American forces that housed advanced weaponry, according to a U.S. defense official reporting.

A Houthi-controlled news outlet revealed U.S. and British forces were involved in these operations. Now, the consecutive nights of airstrikes authorized by President Biden follow mid-October's use of B-2 stealth bombers. That was the first deployment of this advanced aircraft against Houthi targets, which, of course, underscores a firm U.S. stance. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that these operations are intended to signal, quote, consequences for the Houthis' illegal entry.

and reckless attacks. The heightened U.S. presence in the region prefaced an early morning missile interception by Israeli forces from Yemen, which caused fires near Jerusalem on Monday. Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strike, asserting it targeted central Israel.

The Iran-backed group asserted that its "military operation targeting the Nachal Sorek military base southeast of Jaffa hit accurately and led to a fire, sparking alarm in Israeli defense circles." The Israeli military reported that a projectile from Yemen was intercepted west of Jerusalem with debris from the interception sparking fires. Sirens sounded across central Israel, and the military in a statement to AFP stated,

The Israeli Air Force intercepted one projectile that approached Israel from the direction of Yemen. The projectile did not cross into Israeli territory. The statement added that the sirens activated per protocol. Separately, the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for four drone attacks on pivotal targets in Israel in a series of telegram posts but did not provide specifics.

The attacks emphasize a coordinated push by Iran's allies to increase pressure on Israel through multi-front operations.

Alright, moving back to our US election coverage, Donald Trump is starting to build out the ranks of his second administration and he's mining a lot of that talent from his home state of New York. Trump announced Monday that he will tap New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for the role of ambassador to the United Nations, while former New York Representative Lee Zeldin was chosen to serve as his administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Stefanik, a 40-year-old Republican from upstate, is known for her fiery criticisms of the UN and staunch support for Israel. She recently led investigations by the House into the proliferation of anti-Semitism on American college campuses, which eventually led to the resignations of two Ivy League presidents. Trump called her a "incredibly strong, tough, and smart America-first fighter."

Stefanik has accused the UN of anti-Semitism for its criticism of Israel's operations against Hamas and relative silence regarding the actions of Israel's many adversaries. In October, she called for a "complete reassessment of U.S. funding of the United Nations" and to end U.S. support for the UN's Relief Works Agency in Gaza, which has long been accused of having ties to Hamas.

Regarding Ukraine, Stefanik supported aid packages in the early days of the war but voted against the $61 billion package passed by the House in April, saying she couldn't justify allocating more money for aid amid the ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border. Stefanik quickly accepted the job when asked by the President-elect on Monday, saying she was "deeply humbled" by the nomination.

Her nomination is not expected to face opposition from Senate Republicans who will hold a majority as Trump's second term kicks off.

In a statement, Stefanik focused on the challenges that America faces internationally, saying, "The work ahead is immense as we see anti-Semitism skyrocketing, coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries." She added that she looks forward to restoring "America First Peace Through Strength" leadership on the world stage on day one

at the United Nations."

On the domestic front, Trump has his eye on reforming the U.S.'s environmental agenda, tapping former New York Representative Lee Zeldin on Monday to head the EPA. Zeldin, a close ally of Trump, served four terms as a Republican congressman before running for governor in 2022, losing a surprisingly close race to Democrat Kathy Hochul. Zeldin is expected to take a machete to the Biden administration's climate agenda, which

which included strict emission caps on oil and gas producers and controversial mandates aimed at the auto industry, including a plan to force half of new vehicles to have zero emissions by the year 2030.

According to a New York Post report, Zeldin will also work to unroll the Biden administration's policies regarding America's domestic energy production. The Biden White House controversially paused export permits for liquefied natural gas, stalled plans for new oil and gas pipelines, and sought to bar permits for drilling on federal land.

Notably, Zeldin will also have a hand in crafting regulations regarding the creation of new power facilities and transmission lines to power breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. In a statement, Zeldin said, quote, "...we will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, make the United States the global leader of artificial intelligence advancement, and slash the red tape holding back American workers from upward economic mobility."

He added, quote, we will accomplish all this while conserving our environment, protecting access to clean air and water, and keeping the American people healthy, end quote. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, a troubling, well, that's putting it mildly, report from Iraq where the government is preparing to pass a law lowering the age of consent to just nine years old. Good God. I'll have the details when we come back.

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In today's back of the brief, Iraq is teetering on the edge of a disaster for women's rights. The country's parliament could lower the age of consent from 18 to 9, allowing men to marry young girls. Backed by Iraq's powerful Shia conservative bloc, this proposed amendment to Iraq's personal status law is an obvious caveman step backward, putting almost every aspect of a woman's life from marriage and

divorce to child custody and inheritance to the control of religious authorities. Iraqi activist Raya Faik did not mince words. In a statement to The Guardian, Faik called the proposal, quote, "a catastrophe for women and legalized child rape." Faik is rallying a handful of female representatives against this Taliban-style crackdown on women's rights.

But frankly, they're fighting a losing battle against a parliament stacked with conservative religious men who defend the right to marry children. Iraqi lawmaker Aliyeh Nassim reports that some of her male colleagues see no issue with the idea, disturbingly asking, "What's wrong with marrying a minor?" Human rights groups are sounding the alarm, while that makes sense, warning that if this amendment passes, it would devastate the rights of women and girls.

stripping them of legal agency, trapping them in marriages, exposing them to sexual and physical violence, and forcing them out of education. Although child marriage has been illegal in Iraq since the 1950s, the practice, frankly, has remained a dark undercurrent. A UN survey in 2023 found that nearly 28% of Iraqi girls marry before turning 18 years old. So, not really illegal since the 1950s.

Previous attempts by the Shia coalition to push similar amendments faced strong public backlash, which blocked the proposals. However, with their growing majority in parliament, these same groups renewed efforts, creating an uphill battle for women's advocates. The Shia coalition, meanwhile, claims this law is "protecting girls from immoral relationships."

end quote, which of course is an incredibly stupid excuse that rightly outrages Iraq's already embattled women's movement. Human rights advocates see this for what it is, frankly, a brutal attempt to turn back the clock, stripping women of autonomy and choice in favor of a dark, regressive future. Now, there's no word yet as to whether activists in the U.S. will protest this anti-woman effort by the Iraq-Shia majority on college campuses across the country. We'll stand by.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 12 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And of course, as your mother always told you, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe,

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