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Hello, Pod Force One listeners. I wanted to let you know about a terrific podcast I've been listening to the President's Daily Brief with Mike Baker. Mike is a former CIA clandestine case officer. In other words, he recruited and handled spies around the world. So he knows a thing or two about national security. And as a bonus, he is no fan of John Brennan or any of the other deep state operatives who politicized intelligence. Mike brings his insights to you for 20 minutes every morning with a 10 minute update in the afternoon. I hope you enjoy this MORNING edition.

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It's Friday, 21st November. This month is just speeding by and Thanksgiving is, if I'm not mistaken, right around the corner. 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. First up, it appears that Europe narrowly avoided a wave of Hamas terror attacks. Mossad says the network behind the plots was larger, more organized and closer to carrying out their attacks than anyone realized. We'll break down what the investigators discovered later in the show. While the ceasefire in Gaza holds, at least for now, new airstrikes in the enclave have killed 25 in areas that are still under Hamas control, plus new pressure on Iran's nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA has passed a resolution requiring Tehran to provide information on its enriched uranium stockpile and to open recently damaged sites to inspectors. Oh well, I'm sure the mullahs will comply. After all, it is a resolution. And in today's Back of the brief, US Marines guarding the embassy in Haiti exchange gunfire with suspected gang members. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. A string of Hamas terror plots have been foiled across Europe. And as new details come in, the scale of what was prevented is becoming clearer. According to new disclosures from Mossad, these weren't isolated actors or small pockets of self radicalized supporters. This was a coordinated multi country network of operatives who were actively preparing attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets across the continent. And perhaps the most significant detail is where these plots were being directed from. Planning hubs were in Qatar and possibly Turkey. Lets start with the newest developments. Austrian authorities discovered a weapons cache in Vienna that was directly linked to Hamas activity. Investigators found multiple handguns, magazines and equipment stored in a rented room. According to Austria's Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, that room had been used by a British national who was later arrested in London. Officials believe these weapons were pre positioned to support attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe. They also emphasized that this wasn't some generic terror stash, it fit into a broader Hamas directed structure uncovered in the months of surveillance that came before. Around the same time, German authorities arrested several individuals believed to have been scouting potential targets and establishing the logistical groundwork for attacks. Investigators say these operatives had recently returned from Turkey and that intelligence shared by Mossad made clear that they weren't acting on their own. They were part of a wider network that had been receiving guidance and operational instructions from Hamas elements operating out of Qatar. Mossad officials described it as a Hamas octopus with the command center and tentacles stretching across Europe. And according to European officials, these cells were further along in their planning than many realized. Several operatives have been mapping routes, conducting surveillance on Jewish sites, and establishing safe locations that could be used for storage or planning. Investigators also uncovered communications referencing a day of command, suggesting these cells were awaiting a coordinated signal to begin their attacks. This detail stood out to intelligence agencies. It indicated that these weren't independent plots timed around local grievances. They were structured, synchronized and directed from outside of Europe. Based on evidence from the seizures and interrogations, the target list included synagogues, Jewish community centers, Israeli diplomatic missions, and possibly even Israeli owned businesses. In other words, targets that could produce mass casualties and major international fallout. And given the level of preparation, from weapons smuggling to reconnaissance, authorities believe the attacks could have been carried out quickly if the signal had been given. All of this led to a series of coordinated actions by intelligence agencies in Austria, Germany and several other European states working under confidentiality agreements. Mossad has stressed repeatedly that this was a success made possible only through close cooperation with the liaison services. Intelligence sharing was happening near real time. Travel records, phone intercepts, cross border financial transactions, and facial recognition hits were exchanged between the various agencies. One of the underreported angles in all of this is the role of criminal networks. German investigators say some of the arrested operatives had links to organized crime groups in Europe, which Hamas appears to have used to facilitate weapons procurement and movement. This mirrors a broader trend seen with other Middle Eastern terror groups. When they try to operate in Europe, they often hitch onto existing black market systems to move money and arms and personnel. Now, the bigger picture. Hamas expanding its operational footprint into Europe is a significant development. Historically, Hamas has conducted most of its operations in or around Israel and Gaza. External operations have happened before, but rarely with this level of structure or geographic reach. Using Qatar and potentially Turkey as planning centers gives Hamas a relatively safe distance from European law enforcement and the ability to direct operations remotely. The fact that these plots are now surfacing publicly suggests that Western governments want to Send a message. They're aware of this external operations network and they're actively working to dismantle it. For Europe. This episode is a wake up call. Authorities have spent years focusing on ISIS style lone attackers or small self radicalized cells. But what we're seeing here is different. A foreign directed network with funding, logistics, weapons, pipelines and a command hierarchy that demands a different kind of counterterror posture. It also raises questions about how many undiscovered operatives might still be in place and whether other weapons cache exist. For Israel, the message is clear as well. Hamas isn't restricting its reach to the Middle East. It's trying to open a secondary front abroad, targeting Jewish communities far from any war zone. And for intelligence agencies around the world, this creates a long term challenge tracking a dispersed network tied to a foreign leadership structure that sits beyond their jurisdictions. Alright. Coming up next, new Israeli airstrikes in Gaza are testing the fragile ceasefire and the IAEA is demanding answers and access from Iran on its nuclear program. I'll be right back. Welcome back to the pdb. The Israeli Hamas ceasefire has always been shaky, fragile. And that fragility was tested again on Wednesday. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 Palestinians. The majority in Hamas run parts of Gaza after what Jerusalem said was another breach by the Iran backed group of the Trump administration's 20 point peace plan. The Israeli military says the latest strikes were triggered after Hamas operatives opened fire on an IDF patrol in Khan Yunis, another one of several incidents that officials in the Jewish state say have been testing the ceasefire. Hamas, of course, quickly tried to cast Jerusalem's response as an overreaction, urging Washington to pressure Israel to adhere to peace, even as one senior American official speaking anonymously to Reuters said the real problem was Hamas refusing to honor its demilitarization commitments under the ceasefire and resorting to, quote, desperate tactics on the ground. Medics reported fatalities and pockets across the enclave. Ten in a suburb of Gaza City, two in the east and the rest in Khan Yunis. It added up quickly, becoming one of the most serious flare ups since the US Brokered truce took hold. And the latest airstrikes follow a now predictable pattern. You may remember several weeks ago when Hamas fired on IDF troops in a nearly identical provocation, which ended only after Israeli retaliatory strikes killed at least 26 people. As for Wednesday's airstrikes, Israel struck locations on both sides of the so called yellow line established in last month's ceasefire. This boundary splits Gaza in two, keeping the border zone under IDF control while the area beyond it functions as a designated safe corridor. And while humanitarian access has expanded in the enclave and Israeli troops have pulled back from city centers, the pattern of sporadic Hamas ambush attempts, along with the group's refusal to disarm, has kept the ceasefire on a knife's edge. As for casualties since a ceasefire came into effect last month, the Hamas run Gaza Health ministry claims over 300 Palestinians have been killed, but those numbers aren't verifiable and again are provided by Hamas. In contrast, Israeli officials say dozens of IDF soldiers have been targeted since the ceasefire began, part of what Jerusalem calls a steady campaign by Hamas to test the limits of the truce. As for moving into the second phase of the deal, it's slow, but there is some momentum. As we discussed earlier this week, the UN Security Council signed off on President Trump's plan, approving an international stabilization force for Gaza and laying out a potential path toward a future Palestinian state. Okay, shifting gears There was little patience left in Vienna Thursday as the United nations nuclear watchdog pushed through a new resolution ordering Iran to come clean on its uranium stockpile, as well as the condition of its nuclear sites bombed by Israel and the U.S. back in June. The measure, backed by the U.S. the U.K. france and Germany, wasn't just another procedural vote. It was a clear signal that Washington's allies are done waiting for the mullahs to honor even the most basic transparency rules. Five months after US And Israeli strikes hit multiple nuclear sites, the IAEA still doesn't know what was destroyed, what was moved, or what the Islamic regime may be trying to shield from view. And for officials in Vienna, that information gap isn't some unfortunate delay. It's part of a well worn playbook that Tehran uses whenever scrutiny gets too close to its nuclear ambitions. The mullahs, meanwhile, responded with a familiar threat. Before the vote, Tehran warned that passing the resolution would adversely affect its cooperation. What cooperation? A line the west has heard so many times that it barely lands anymore. Tehran insists its nuclear aims are peaceful, even as the regime reportedly blocks inspectors from entering the three bombed enrichment plants and keeps the IAEA guessing about a stockpile that has been enriched to just shy of weapons grade. As you might expect, the US And Europe aren't buying Tehran's assurances. A joint statement read, quote, iran must resolve its safeguard issues without delay, making it plain that the mullahs promises mean nothing without access. As for the resolution it passed yesterday 19:3 with can you guess? Russia, China and Niger opposing 12 countries abstained. The draft text, which was reviewed by Reuters, calls on Iran to give the IAEA precise information, nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities and to grant full access to verify that data. Conditions at Washington views as the bare minimum for any country claiming to run a peaceful nuclear program. But Iran hasn't shown any willingness to cooperate. The agency says Iran's reporting on its enriched uranium stockpile is, quote, long overdue and urgent. Without updated data, the IAEA can't assess the status of those three damaged enrichment plants, a blind spot that Western capitals describe as unacceptable. Acceptable given how quickly uranium at that level can be pushed to form a weapon. You may remember that when Israel carried out the June strikes, Iran was estimated to possess roughly 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity. That's a short step from the 90% level used for nuclear weapons. The agency confirmed Iran's last known stockpile, if enriched to weapons grade, is enough for about 10 bombs. As I mentioned, Tehran and its circle of allies, including Russia, China, Cuba and Belarus, tried to push back on the IAEA this week, warning that introducing yet another resolution would jeopardize cooperation. But the truth is that cooperation had already unraveled. A September agreement negotiated in Cairo to restore inspections had been stalled for weeks, and the mullahs formally declared it void shortly after yesterday's vote. Iran's ambassador offered the usual warning after the vote, saying, I'm afraid the resolution will have its own consequences, but declined to specify what those might be. The regime's foreign minister Abbas Aragchhi's comments were no more reassuring. In a post to his Telegram channel, he reiterated that the bombed facilities remain off limits until Iran, the IAEA and other parties reach a new agreement. It's a message that struck Western capitals as just another attempt to further shield Iran's clandestine nuclear activity and keep inspection on the outside. Okay, coming up in the back of the Brief, an alarming incident in Haiti as Marines guarding the US Embassy there exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members. I'll have those details when we come back in today's Back of the brief. U.S. marines came under fire in Haiti last week, marking the most serious clash involving American forces since armed gangs largely took control of the capital of Port au Prince. The shootout happened on the evening of 13 November, when Marines stationed at the US embassy in Port au Prince exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members who approached the outer perimeter. That's according to multiple U.S. officials that spoke with Fox News. The embassy's Marine security guard detachment was conducting a routine patrol inside the compound when they spotted armed individuals moving near the perimeter wall. Moments later, according to officials. The suspects opened fire, prompting the Marines to return controlled bursts in accordance with Embass security protocols. No Marines were wounded in the firefight, and there's no confirmation yet on whether any of the attackers were hit. But the exchange underscores how dangerously unstable conditions around the embassy have become as gangs tighten their hold on the Haitian capital. The Marine Corps first dispatched a special response unit to the embassy back in March of 2024 after a coalition of Haitian gangs launched coordinated attacks across the capital, eventually forcing the acting prime minister out of power. Since then, staff at the embassy have been reduced to essential personnel only, with the Marine contingent serving as the last line of defense now for US Diplomats should the compound come under direct assault. Any movements outside the embassy are heavily restricted, and a level four travel advisory remains in place for Haiti, the strictest travel advisory the US State Department can issue. As longtime listeners will recall, Haiti's security environment has deteriorated steadily over the past two years. The country's downward spiral traces back to the 2021 assassination of then President Zouvernel Moise. Haiti has not had a president since, and the transitional government remains mired in dysfunction, paralyzed by competing interests and corruption. Armed groups now control roughly 85 to 90% of Port au Prince. Government institutions barely function, and an international police mission backed by Kenya and consisting of roughly a thousand soldiers has struggled to make any meaningful gains in recent months. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned of escalating threats against foreign diplomatic facilities due to the failures of the poorly funded and manned Kenyan security force. Last month, the UN authorized a 5550 strong international force to try and support Haiti's police. But that force has yet to fully deploy, limiting efforts to stabilize the volatile capital. In the absence of a robust security force, the situation in the capital continues to deteriorate while the country side is marred by kidnappings and rapes and widespread looting. This year alone, the violence has claimed the lives of at least 4,200 people and displaced more than 1.3 million across the country. Now that mirrors last year's figures, with independent observers estimating that at least 5,600 fatalities nationwide occurred across 2024. And that, my friends, is the President's daily brief for Friday 21st November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pd@thefirst tv.com and don't forget to synchronize your watches for tonight at 10pm It's a brand spanking new episode of our weekend show, the PDB situation report that'll hit the airwaves at 10pm on the first TV. And as always, you can catch it and past episodes on our YouTube channel. Just head on over to YouTube and find it at President's Daily Brief. And of course, you can also go to your podcast platforms wherever you get your podcast stuff. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.