November 15th, 2024: Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Hopes Rekindled, Trump's Military Purge, & Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
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It's Friday, 15 November. Look at that, we're almost halfway through the month. 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'll begin today in the Middle East, where amid ongoing military pressure from Israel, a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and Hezbollah is beginning to possibly, perhaps, take shape, though diplomatic hurdles remain.

Later in the show, we'll look at reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering a major purge of the Pentagon's senior ranks, potentially including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Plus, Western nations are pushing hard for a new UN resolution regarding Iran's nuclear program as the body's nuclear watchdog attempts to resolve outstanding disputes regarding the Islamic regime's nuclear ambitions. And in today's Back of the Brief...

In a sign of just how detrimental the war in Ukraine has been to the Putin regime's finances, an increasingly broke Russia is slashing benefits for troops injured on the battlefield. Now, we've talked about this before on the PDB. Just how long can Putin afford to keep up his invasion of Ukraine? But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

And we start in the Middle East, where senior officials in both Israel and Lebanon are signaling that they are closer now than ever before to reaching a ceasefire agreement to end the conflict with Hezbollah.

On Thursday, Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Israel's security cabinet, said a truce with Iranian-backed militants was now within reach, echoing comments from a senior Lebanese official who said Lebanon was prepared to implement the terms of a 2006 UN resolution that ended the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, and that's according to an exclusive report from Reuters. And look how well that resolution worked. It only took them, what, 18 years to have another war.

Adding to the optimism, oh, there's optimism, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon delivered a draft American troops proposal to Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Thursday afternoon, though details of the proposal were not immediately available. The Biden administration has stepped up their diplomatic outreach in recent weeks and are reportedly looking to secure a deal before President Biden leaves office in January. As an aside,

If you want to feel just a little more cynical about things, and who doesn't, take a bit of time to read the history of Lebanon since it gained its independence from France. And just how many times over the past 50 years or so, the U.S. has engaged in ceasefire and peace negotiations with the Lebanese government.

As I'm sure our listeners are aware, a ceasefire has proved elusive. And before anyone gets their hopes up, there still remains one major sticking point. There's always a sticking point, isn't there? The ability for Israel to operate in Lebanon if Hezbollah decides to flout the terms of their agreement. Cohen said any final deal must allow Israel to retain this, quote, freedom to act, as Hezbollah's return to border areas could once again put Israeli lives at risk.

But, as you might imagine, Lebanese officials have rejected that stipulation, saying it would undermine their territorial integrity and allow Israel to potentially continue targeted operations along their southern border.

France's foreign minister, who's been mediating talks between both parties, also dismissed Israel's demand on Wednesday as a non-starter, calling it, quote, not compatible with the sovereignty of a strong country, end quote. Well, now that would make sense if Lebanon was a strong country. But I hate to say this, it's the same volatile mix of militias and religious interests and warring parties that it's been for decades.

But if that critical diplomatic hurdle can be cleared, I guess you could ask yourself, what might a ceasefire agreement look like? Any deal is expected to be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was issued in 2006 following the end of the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese officials said Thursday that they are prepared to precisely implement this agreement to bring the war to a close.

In theory, the resolution bars Hezbollah from operating south of the Litani River in Lebanon. It created a buffer zone between the two countries in southern Lebanon, which was supposed to be monitored by the Lebanese military and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, also known as UNIFIL.

But Israel, well, they have good reason to be skeptical that Hezbollah will comply with the terms. The resolution, along with UNIFIL, have been criticized as being rather toothless. And when I say rather toothless, I mean there's not a single tooth to be found. Despite their mandate to keep the area free of weapons and armed personnel following the 2006 conflict,

They did next to nothing to prevent Hezbollah from building the area into a sprawling base of operations over nearly two decades. Given their history, it's no surprise that Israel is demanding the IDF be allowed to engage in, quote, active enforcement of the region to ensure Hezbollah cannot rebuild their military capabilities in the areas close to the Israeli border.

Newly minted Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled Israel will not back down from this demand and they're ready to continue the war if Lebanese and Hezbollah officials decide to play hardball.

Katz said Wednesday, quote, we will not ease up and we will not allow any arrangement that does not include achieving the war's objectives, end quote. He said these include, quote, disarming Hezbollah, pushing them beyond the Latani River and creating conditions for the safe return of northern residents of Israel to their homes.

We should note that privately, Israeli officials have allegedly signaled their intention to bring the war to a close by the time that President-elect Trump returns to office in January. According to an exclusive report from the Washington Post, Ron Dermer, Prime Minister Netanyahu's Minister of Strategic Affairs, met with Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on Sunday to discuss an Israeli proposal based on U.N. Resolution 1701 that would reportedly involve both Western and

Oh, and Russian cooperation. Oh, good. Let's get the Russians involved. I mean, they're nothing if not peacemongers. Sources told the Washington Post that Israeli leaders want to provide Trump with an early foreign policy win, though I want to stress that this report relies on unnamed sources and has not been corroborated.

Meanwhile, while discussions continue, Israel is upping the pressure in Lebanon, unleashing a fresh round of airstrikes on Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs on Thursday, the third day of intensive bombardment of the area. All right, coming up next, we'll look at reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering a major purge of the Pentagon's senior ranks, potentially including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Plus, Western nations are pushing hard for a new UN resolution regarding Iran's nuclear program, as the body's nuclear watchdog attempts to resolve outstanding disputes regarding the Islamic regime's ambitions. I'll have those stories when we come back.

Welcome back to the PDB.

All right. Shifting to the states, members of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team are drafting an executive order to establish what they're calling a warrior board of retired military personnel to evaluate senior active duty military officers for removal, potentially including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Following Trump's election victory last week, sources close to the Trump transition told Reuters that discussions are underway for a sweeping overhaul of military leadership.

If approved by Trump, the proposal would empower the president-elect's appointees to fast-track the dismissal of generals and admirals associated with former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley. Trump's allies accuse Milley of undermining Trump at the end of his first term and lacking, quote, requisite leadership qualities, according to the Washington Post.

The plan reflects Trump's campaign commitment to eliminate what he calls, quote, woke generals and to restore America's military focus on strength and readiness. Supporters argue that under Milley and his successors, the military has become too influenced by political correctness, detracting from its core mission to defend the country and its people, of course.

As Commander-in-Chief, Trump does hold the authority to discharge any officer, but establishing an external warrior board would bypass the Pentagon's regular promotion and evaluation systems. This board, comprised of retired generals and non-commissioned officers, would report recommendations directly to the president, enabling the dismissal of those deemed unfit within 30 days.

The draft order cites the precedent of General George C. Marshall's plucking board of 1940, which was designed to retire senior officers and make way for promising juniors. Trump's proposed warrior board would follow a similar approach, with the board's assessments focused on officers' leadership qualities, capabilities, military readiness, and commitment to excellence.

Sources say the plan targets officers seen as loyal to Milley, who publicly criticized Trump, describing him as a, quote, fascist in Bob Woodward's book entitled War. One of the sources told Reuters, quote, every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone, end quote.

Now, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran, has publicly advocated for a clean house approach to Pentagon leadership. In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth called for overhauling senior defense leadership to make the military, quote, "...ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies."

Notably, Hegseth has also expressed skepticism about Milley's successor, General C.Q. Brown, questioning whether political motivations, including considerations of race, played a role in Brown's appointment. According to sources familiar with the transition, Brown is expected to be among the officers that the Warrior Board targets for removal.

While sources acknowledge the potential bureaucratic challenges of replacing multiple high-ranking officers, they argue that the Joint Chiefs of Staff has grown too large and could benefit from a reduction. As Trump prepares to assume office, the proposed Warrior Board signals his intent to reshape the Pentagon by enforcing stricter standards and reducing what he views as bureaucratic excess within military leadership.

Okay, let's turn to Iran, where the regime's foreign minister has expressed willingness to address outstanding disputes related to its nuclear program, but emphasized that Tehran will not yield to external pressure.

The statement was made during a meeting in Tehran on Thursday with Rafael Grossi, chief of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, and comes as European nations push for diplomatic progress on Iran's nuclear program before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office in January.

The standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions has a lengthy history, to say the least. As you may recall, in 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or nuclear deal, was reached between Iran, the U.S., and five other world powers.

The deal restricted Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief and extensive IAEA oversight. Now, at least oversight of the facilities that the Iranian regime agreed to open to inspection.

However, the U.S. withdrawal from the deal under former President Trump in 2018 marked a turning point. Sanctions were reimposed as part of a maximum pressure strategy by the then-Trump administration, to which Iran responded by stepping back from its commitments, notably increasing uranium enrichment to 60% purity, which is near weapons-grade levels, and restricting access to certain nuclear sites. Again, I'd like to point out,

that under the terms of the torn-up agreement, they had also restricted access to certain sites. Ahead of his Tehran visit, Grossi underscored the critical nature of the situation during remarks at the COP29 climate summit in Baku on Wednesday. Oh, how did I not get that on my schedule? I should have been at the climate summit in Baku. And he stated, quote, "...the Iranian administration must understand that the international situation is becoming increasingly tense."

Grossi emphasized the need for, quote, tangible, visible results to prevent further escalation, noting that, quote, margins to maneuver are beginning to shrink. During his visit to Tehran on Thursday, Grossi held critical meetings with Iran's top officials pressing for a diplomatic solution. Speaking with Foreign Minister Abbas Arraki, Grossi emphasized that increased transparency from Iran would demonstrate goodwill to the U.S. and the international community. Well,

You have to admit, the UN never fails to engage in wishful thinking. Araki later posted on X, stating, quote, the ball is in the EU court, urging France, Britain, and Germany to approach talks without resorting to what he described as, quote, pressure and intimidation.

For the first time since taking office, Iranian President Massoud Pazeshkian also met with Grossi, cautiously signaling a willingness, perhaps, to clarify ambiguities in Iran's nuclear activities, but underscoring the need for patience when dealing with adversaries. Despite Pazeshkian's assurances, Grossi cautioned that inspections alone would be insufficient to resolve the broader concerns.

The stakes remain high, with Grossi scheduled to visit critical nuclear sites, including Natanz and Fordow, during his visit.

European diplomats are pushing for a new IAEA resolution next week to pressure Tehran over what they view as inadequate cooperation In response, a senior Iranian official hinted that Tehran might reduce its cooperation with the IAEA should such a resolution be pursued Meanwhile, Grossi issued a cautionary message regarding potential military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities

Israel, citing Iran's nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, has continued to float the possibility of a preemptive strike. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel's capability and legitimacy to target Iran's nuclear program are "now greater than ever." Grossi, without naming Israel directly, underscored the risk of regional conflict, affirming that nuclear sites should not be targeted.

Grossi concluded his meetings on Thursday with a stark reminder stating, quote, It is in our power to take steps that indicate to the U.S. and the international community that we can clarify things and move forward. Wow, that is a classic bureaucratic statement of nothingness. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, an increasingly broke Russia is slashing benefits for troops injured on the battlefield. I'll have those details when we come back.

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In today's Back of the Brief, Russia is going broke thanks to their war of aggression on Ukraine. And now, well, they're throwing their own troops under the bus in an effort to plug their financial hole.

Russian dictator or slash despot slash President Putin signed a decree on Wednesday significantly reducing compensation for soldiers injured in combat, instituting a system that will base payouts on the severity of their injuries instead of the traditional flat payment previously provided to troops wounded in combat.

Instead of every injured soldier receiving 3 million rubles, roughly 30,000 US dollars, for their injuries, that sum will be restricted to only those suffering from severe injuries in combat. They define severe injuries as those that endanger their life or health, or injuries that damage vital organs.

Those with injuries deemed less severe will receive between 100,000 and 1 million rubles, the equivalent of between approximately 1,000 U.S. dollars and 10,000 U.S. dollars. Those injuries include everything from concussions, fractures, and gunshot wounds that don't affect organs. It's a relatively, let's call it paltry sum for their troubles, given the universal flat payment that Putin promised his fighters at the outset of the war.

We should note the payout to families of those killed in combat will remain unchanged at roughly 7.4 million rubles or approximately 75,000 U.S. dollars. The war has significantly ballooned Russian expenses when it comes to their troops. Analysts for the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Estimate payouts for injuries and casualties in the war have cost the Kremlin 2.3 trillion rubles, or roughly $26 billion. That figure represents a staggering 6% of Russia's entire 2024 budget. The situation has been exasperated by Russia's meat grinder strategy on the battlefields of Ukraine

which sees them basically sacrifice scores of Russian troops for only incremental gains in Ukraine's Donetsk region. Ukraine's defense ministry said Thursday, for example, that some 1,690 Russian troops were killed over the previous day of fighting. That puts Kyiv's estimates of the number of Russian troops killed or wounded over the course of the war at more than 715,000.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday, 15 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. Now, as you may have heard, if you're keen for an ad-free experience, it's simple. Just become a Premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. And, of course, ooh, would you look at that? It's Friday. We made it to the end of another week.

Which means, well, another episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report, is sitting on the launch pad, ready to air this evening at 10 p.m. on the First TV. Now, we've got the most excellent Tony Schaefer on board to give his assessment of the current nominees for senior positions in the Trump cabinet, as well as the equally excellent Brandon Weikert to talk about the most recent UFO hearings up on Capitol Hill.

Actually, you know what? We don't call them UFOs anymore. The approved term is now UAPs. You can also catch every episode of the Situation Report on our YouTube channel. That's at President's Daily Brief. And of course, all the podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.