November 18th, 2024: Biden Unleashes Long-Range Weapons Against Russia & Iran Supports Ceasefire in Lebanon
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It's Monday, 18 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 today with a major development in Ukraine, where for the first time, President Biden has authorized the use of U.S.-made long-range weapons to strike deeper into the heart of Russian territory. We'll have those details.

Later in the show, Iran is signaling that it would support a ceasefire in Lebanon, possibly because they've spent decades spending money in missiles and rockets building Hezbollah, and now, well, they're tired of watching Israel dismantle their proxy group. Plus, Donald Trump's latest cabinet appointments point to an aggressive shift in American energy policy.

And in today's back of the brief, well, you probably wanted another UFO story, and I'm giving it to you. The Pentagon has released a new report revealing more than 700 new cases of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs, and what those of us over a certain age used to refer to as UFOs. We'll have the details. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

President Biden has approved Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles known as "Atakums" to strike deeper into Russian territory. This decision relaxes earlier restrictions and aimed at keeping the conflict from escalating further. The move comes as reports suggest thousands of North Korean troops have been deployed near Ukraine's northern border to support Russia in reclaiming lost ground in the Russian Kursk region.

Sources familiar with the matter say that these missiles will likely be used in direct response to North Korea's involvement in Putin's war. The sources requested anonymity as they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Meanwhile, there's been another major development in the war in Ukraine, not on the battlefield, but in a phone call between two key leaders. On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin broke a long period of silence with a phone call. It marked the first such conversation between Putin and the leader of any major Western power in nearly two years.

According to a German government spokesman, Scholz urged Putin during their hour-long call to withdraw troops, end the full-scale invasion, and come to the negotiating table. Well, that should do it. He also reaffirmed Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression for as long as necessary.

The Kremlin described the conversation as "a detailed and frank exchange of opinions on the situation in Ukraine," adding, "The very fact of dialogue is positive." However, Moscow reiterated that any peace deal should acknowledge Russia's territorial gains and security demands, including that Ukraine renounce joining NATO.

Now, granted, it doesn't sound like the diplomatic needle moved very much during this conversation. However, the very fact that a conversation did take place is significant. It may hint that Europe is bracing for a shift in approach as the White House prepares to welcome President-elect Trump. Trump has made a more diplomatic approach to the conflict in Ukraine a cornerstone of his foreign policy plans.

As a matter of fact, Scholz's call with Putin comes less than a week after the German Chancellor spoke to Trump. During that call, Scholz said the pair talked at length about Ukraine, telling German media that the conversation was, quote, "...surprisingly good and detailed."

Schultz's phone call with Putin has found some support amongst Western allies, including from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. You remember him. Trudeau suggested it was important to keep a line of communication open with Putin and that ultimately peace will require engagement or discussion.

However, as you might expect, not everyone was pleased with Shultz's overture to Moscow, least of all President Zelensky of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president called it a, quote, Pandora's box that would only serve to make Russia less isolated.

Zelensky said in a speech, quote, There may be other conversations, other calls, but just a lot of words. And this is exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time. It's crucial for him to weaken his isolation and to engage in negotiations, ordinary negotiations, he said, that will lead to nothing, end quote. Now, the call also sparked anger amongst some members of NATO, including Poland and Lithuania.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post to X, quote, no one will stop Putin with phone calls, adding that, quote, telephone diplomacy cannot replace real support from the whole West for Ukraine, end quote.

Complicating matters, the Schultz call came just hours before Moscow launched one of its fiercest missile and drone barrages against Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Around 120 missiles and 90 drones targeted power plants and energy infrastructure across the country, including in the capital of Kyiv.

Ukrainian authorities reported that at least five people were killed. So, yeah, sounds like Putin's super serious about negotiating. Look, the one development that may get Putin in an actual serious negotiating mood may be this U.S. agreement to allow Ukraine to use attackams to target Russian military facilities and sites further into Russia.

Unless Putin starts to feel more pain than he has been currently subjected to, he likely will continue to feel that he has the upper hand. And for Ukraine to secure any sort of acceptable peace deal, well, they need to approach the negotiating table from a position of strength.

All right. Coming up next, Iran signals support for a potential Lebanon ceasefire and President-elect Trump's cabinet picks signal an aggressive energy policy shift. I'll have those stories when we come back.

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Okay, shifting to Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes hammered Hezbollah positions in Beirut on Friday and Sunday as Iran now expresses willingness to support a ceasefire deal with Israel that's supported by Lebanon and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The strikes targeted Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh and southern Lebanon following warnings from the IDF to evacuate areas ahead of the attacks.

Among the attacks, one strike in the Tayuneh area was captured by an Associated Press photographer showing an Israeli bomb striking an 11-story residential building. The lower floors were destroyed after the IDF reported that the building housed Hezbollah operations. Casualties remain unclear. The IDF also targeted Hezbollah's Radwan force, the terror group's special operations unit,

in southern Lebanon, hitting command centers, weapons depots, and rocket launchers used in Thursday's attacks on Haifa. Over the past day, the IDF expanded its operations in southern Lebanon, confirming strikes on 120 Hezbollah sites. Ground forces from the 36th, the 91st, and the 146th Divisions targeted and destroyed Hezbollah rocket launchers and tunnels in the region.

During this latest round of attacks, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikadi appealed to Iran on Friday to help secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, urging Tehran to convince the terror group to agree to a deal that could lead to its withdrawal from the Israeli-Lebanon border.

The fact that the Lebanese government has to ask Iran to control Hezbollah tells you all you need to know about the Iranian regime and the IRGC's command of the proxy group. Really, the only thing Lebanese about Hezbollah is their location. Mikati's call for Iranian intervention comes as the U.S. forwarded a proposed ceasefire deal to Hezbollah aiming to end 13 months of hostilities.

According to Lebanese media, U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson handed the draft agreement to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabi Berri, who supposedly leads negotiations on behalf of Hezbollah. Frankly, the U.S. should have just handed the draft agreement to the IRGC and cut out the middleman.

The proposal, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, requires Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon, leaving control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers. That's a provision that remains unfulfilled since the resolution's adoption after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. A Lebanese official confirmed Hezbollah is reviewing the draft and will convey its position to Bari, of course, after they confer with Tehran.

In a post on X, Mikati emphasized the Lebanese government is committed to fully implementing Resolution 1701 as it stands without any amendments.

While Makati urged Tehran to back Lebanon's sovereignty and national unity, Iranian advisor Ali Larijani reiterated Iran's support for Lebanon's government and people. Larijani sought to downplay concerns about undermining U.S. mediation efforts, stating, quote, We are not trying to blow up any effort, but we want to solve the problem. It's one of the few things that the Iranian regime is not trying to blow up.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on Sunday targeted a building in Beirut's Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood, killing Mohamed Afif, Hezbollah's media chief, according to Lebanese security sources who informed Reuters. Unlike the attacks in Dahiyeh, this assassination strike hit a central region neighborhood, signaling a shift in Israeli tactics. Lebanese media reported the building also housed offices of the socialist Syrian Baath Party,

The IDF offered no evacuation warning before this strike, as it was a direct assassination rather than an infrastructure attack. Afif gained prominence following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in late September, also in an Israeli airstrike. At a press conference last month, interrupted by an IDF evacuation order, Afif ironically stated, quote, "...the bombing does not scare us, nor the threats," end quote.

This wave of strikes underscores Israel's intensifying campaign against Hezbollah while diplomatic efforts drag on. Okay, shifting stateside.

President-elect Donald Trump unveiled his latest Cabinet appointments, signaling his aggressive push toward U.S. energy dominance. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will lead the Department of the Interior and will chair the newly established National Energy Council, while Chris Wright, CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.

As we've been discussing here on the PDB, Trump has wasted no time filling out his top administration positions. The recent announcements of Burgum and Wright underscore Trump's commitment to boosting U.S. energy production, reducing regulatory barriers, and solidifying energy independence as a cornerstone of his administration's geopolitical strategy.

Burgum's dual role marks a significant consolidation of energy policymaking under one umbrella. As Secretary of the Interior, he'll oversee federal lands and energy resources, and as Chairman of the National Energy Council, Burgum will lead efforts to streamline permitting, cut red tape, and encourage private sector innovation. During a Thursday event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump described Burgum as, quote, a strong leader who will clean out corrupt, broken bureaucracies.

In his statement, Trump emphasized the Council's mission to unify the nation's energy operations, stating it has a, quote, very important body that will prioritize innovation and efficiency. Burgum, a two-term governor and former software company CEO, brings substantial experience in energy and natural resources, key pillars of his own GOP nomination campaign.

His leadership of the National Energy Council represents a bold shift in federal energy policy, consolidating agencies involved in production, transportation, and regulation to create a streamlined pro-growth approach. In an ex-post following the announcement, Burgum expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, "...I'm deeply grateful to President Trump for this amazing opportunity to serve the American people and achieve energy dominance."

Now, Chris Wright's nomination as Secretary of Energy further highlights Trump's focus on U.S. fossil fuels and innovation. Wright, a pioneer of the American shale revolution, a period of increased oil and natural gas production, has been instrumental in advancing the nation's energy independence and reshaping global energy markets.

Wright, who also serves on the board of a modular nuclear reactor company, expressed interest in developing nuclear energy, a growing focus of the Department of Energy. This dual expertise positions Wright to balance traditional energy sources like oil and gas with nuclear technology advancements.

Wright will also sit on the National Energy Council. Wright's nomination also has drawn praise from energy industry leaders, including Harold Hamm, an influential fracking billionaire and Trump confidant, who called Wright, quote, a really, really sharp individual and the ideal choice for the role.

The newly formed Energy Council aims to consolidate oversight to eliminate inefficiencies, fostering collaboration and prioritizing domestic production. With Burgum and Wright at the helm, Trump's second term is set to reshape U.S. energy policy, emphasizing innovation, dominance and aggressive production.

All right, coming up in the back of the brief, a new Pentagon report details hundreds of new sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena. I'll have those details when we come back.

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In today's back of the brief, the Pentagon's annual report on unidentified anomalous phenomena, known as UAPs, revealed 21 cases of, quote, anomalous characteristics and or behaviors, end quote, that's certainly government speak, that continue to baffle investigators, sparking debate, of course, about national security and alien visitation. Between May 2023 and June 2024, UAPs were

the Defense Department's all-domain anomaly resolution office. The government excels at this. This is what they do best, really, is naming offices and then coming up with acronyms, in this case, AARO, which that office received nearly 760 new UAP reports. I am the king of acronyms at this point. Of these, 485 occurred within the reporting period, while over 270 were older cases from 2021,

and 2022 omitted from prior reviews. As of October 2024, the total number of UAP reports stands at more than 1,600. Think about that. The report underscores patterns in UAP descriptions, including sightings of spherical objects and unidentified lights. Now, nearly 300 cases were resolved as mundane objects, such as birds, balloons, or drones, while another near 450 cases

lacks sufficient data for analysis and remain archived. However, 21 outliers stand apart, cases that Pentagon officials admit defy explanation. Despite this, the report underscores there's no evidence supporting extraterrestrial activity or advanced foreign technologies. The challenges in analyzing UAPs stem largely from what AARO calls, quote,

A lack of timely and actionable sensor data to address this, AARO, I guess we'd call it AARO because AARO does not really roll off the tongue. Let's go with AARO, has deployed a prototype sensor system, oh, and it's got a name too, known as Gremlin, designed to detect, track, and characterize UAPs.

According to the report, Gremlin successfully demonstrated its capabilities during a March 2024 test event, marking a step forward in data collection. Meanwhile, the report's release coincides with heightened congressional scrutiny of UAP-related matters. Just one day earlier, a House Oversight Committee hearing titled Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Exposing the Truth

Well, that's not too sensational, is it? Brought together witnesses alleging a government cover-up. Former Defense Department official Lou Elizondo testified about alleged secret crash retrieval programs aimed at reverse engineering alien technology, stating, quote, Let me be clear, UAP are real.

Now, all four witnesses at the hearing accused the government of withholding UAP evidence from the public, though none had proof or evidence of extraterrestrial life or a cover-up during their testimony. Elizondo claimed UAP technologies are being concealed, fueling a, quote, "multi-decade secretive arms race" hidden from taxpayers and oversight bodies.

As debates over government transparency and the potential for alien life continue, the Pentagon and Congress face mounting pressure to provide further answers. For now, while efforts to resolve UAP cases advance, the Pentagon continues to affirm that no foreign adversary or alien-smoking gun has been uncovered to account for the current cases that defy explanation.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 18 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And finally, I do hope you had a chance to check out our extended weekend show. That would be, of course, the much-loved PDB Situation Report. If not, well, don't fret. You can check it out on our YouTube channel. You can find our YouTube channel at atpresidentsdailybrief.com.

Great guests this past weekend, retired Lieutenant Colonel and man about town Tony Schaefer, along with author and super smart geopolitical analyst Brandon Weikert. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Every progressive slot, every parlay and prop.

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