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Welcome back to the pdb Over a decade after American forces first put boots on the ground In Syria, the US is closing out the mission that dismantled ISIS's territorial caliphate. US forces have already pulled out of strategic outposts in northeast Syria and along the Syria Jordan Iraq border. The remaining 1,000 troops are expected to leave in waves over the next two months, ending the era of an open ended American ground presence. But you know, pay attention to one important qualifier here. A senior US Official described the timeline to the Wall Street Journal as quote, conditions based. That means ISIS does show signs of regrouping. Washington has left itself room to adjust. So the natural question is why now? To answer that you have to look at how dramatically the battlefield in Syria has shifted. Just last month, Syrian President Ahmed Al Shava consolidated control over most Kurdish held territory in a lightning offensive. The Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces, the sdf, which were America's primary partner against ISIS for nearly a decade, are no longer operating as an independent force. After a fragile U S backed ceasefire in January, the SDF agreed to integrate into the Syrian army. That shift fundamentally alters the logic of maintaining a permanent American ground presence. At the same time, thousands of ISIS detainees once held by Kurdish forces have been transferred to Iraq rather than left under uncertain authority inside Syria. That's a move designed to reduce the risk of military reconstitution by isis. It's also worth noting that the Syrian government in Damascus has committed to fighting isis. The terror group has denounced Sharah as an apostate and a traitor, underscoring that ISIS and the new Syrian leadership are not aligned. So when you add all of that together, the administration's reasoning does become clearer. The territorial caliphate was dismantled years ago. ISIS no longer holds major population centers. And the political structure inside Syria, although still fragile, looks very different from the fractured lands landscape that existed when American troops first deployed in 2015. Still, the decision isn't without debate. Several American officials familiar with the move have raised concerns, arguing that withdrawing US Forces could create openings either for Damascus to weaken commitments to former Kurdish allies, or for ISIS remnants to test the situation. The administration's response is fairly straightforward. The US does not need a permanent ground deployment to strike ISIS if it resurfaces. A senior White House official emphasized that Washington retains the ability to respond quickly from elsewhere in the region. It's also important to separate this move from broader regional tensions. U.S. officials also stressed that the Syrian withdrawal is unrelated to current American naval and air power deployments, positioned for potential action against Iran if nuclear talks collapse. As we've been following here on the pdb, Tehran has threatened retaliation against American forces in the region if strikes occur. But this drawdown from Syria, the White House insists, is a distinct and separate strategic decision. So what this signals instead is a pivot. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met last week with his Syrian counterpart to seek assurances that Damascus will continue counterterrorism operations and uphold the ceasefire commitments. But there are complications. I mean, to be fair, there are always complications. Chiral's army includes factions with jihadist sympathies, and some have been linked to alleged abuses against Kurdish and Druze minority communities. Those concerns have made deeper military cooperation politically sensitive in Washington and have factored into the broader reassessment of how closely the US should remain embedded on Syrian soil. So at its core, this withdrawal reflects a broader White House policy. Avoid indefinite military commitments once core objectives have been met. Preserve rapid strike capability, and shift responsibility to regional actors when conditions allow. Okay, Turning now to South Korea, where the political drama that began with a late night declaration of martial law has ended with a life sentence. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted of leading an insurrection, an unprecedented punishment for an elected leader in the country's democratic era. For our longtime PDB listeners, you'll know that we've been following this political crisis from the very beginning, from that chaotic night on 3rd December back in 2024, up to the impeachment removal and a Prolonged legal reckoning. Now, 14 months later, the court has delivered its judgment. The Seoul Central District Court found that Yoon's actions constituted a deliberate attempt to disrupt the constitutional order. The judge said the plan was to send troops to the national assembly, blockade the chamber, and arrest key political fig, including the assembly speaker and party leaders, preventing lawmakers then from gathering to deliberate or vote. To understand why that finding carries such weight, you have to go back to how it all unfolded. Prosecutors say Yoon attempted to use military force to paralyze the legislature, detain political opponents, and seize control of the National Election Commission under the banner of rooting out what he called quote, anti state forces and alleged election fraud. Within hours, lawmakers were pushing past military and police barriers to regain control of the chamber. 190 of them made it inside and voted to lift martial law. The crisis itself lasted only roughly six hours, but it set off a chain reaction. Impeachment within 11 days, formal removal from office four months later, and ultimately this life sentence. In handing down that sentence Thursday, the court pointed to Yoon's refusal to apologize and his failure to attend hearings without justific. The judge said the episode damaged the political neutrality of the military and the police, hurt South Korea's international credibility, and left the country deeply polarized. Now, I want to point out that prosecutors did seek the death penalty here, arguing that Yoon committed a grave destruction of constitutional order by mobilizing troops against parliament. But the court declined to go that far. Instead, it imposed life imprisonment, with labor noting that while the crime was severe, Yun's planning lacked meticulous coordination and the use of physical force was relatively restrained. Of course, this decision did not emerge in isolation. Over the past several months, convictions related to 3rd December 2024 have formally established that those events constituted an insurrection. Last month, Yun's ally and former Prime Minister Han Duksu was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with the court describing the martial law attempt as a self coup carried out by elected power. Earlier this month, the country's former interior minister received a seven year prison term for relaying orders tied to the crisis. Legal experts say those earlier rulings made it increasingly likely that Yun would face the most severe punishment available. The court also sentenced seven co defendants alongside him. Yoon's legal team called the ruling, quote, a predetermined conclusion and a show trial, accusing the judiciary of bowing to political pressure, and Yoon is expected to appeal. Despite the ruling, this legal saga is not over. Yoon faces six additional criminal trials, including a treason charge alleging he ordered drone incursions into North Korea airspace to provoke a confrontation that could then justify military rule. The judge's decision places Yun alongside a line of South Korean leaders who have faced prison over abuses of power. In 1996, former military rulers Chun Du Won and Roh Tae Wu were sentenced for their roles in a coup and the Guangzhou massacre. Both later were pardoned. Former President Park Gun Ye received a lengthy corruption sentence in 2018, which was later reduced and ultimately erased by a presidential pardon. So if you're keeping track at home, every South Korean president who has served a prison sentence has eventually been pardoned. Yun is obviously hoping that that pattern will be repeated yet again. Okay, coming up in today's Back of the Brief, the Pentagon may be entering a new nuclear age, transporting a deployable micro reactor by air for the first time. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you likely know me as the host of the President's Daily Brief. At least I hope you do. But you may not know I'm also quite the expert on romance and gift giving. It's true. I am constantly fielding questions like Mike, what should I get my wife or girlfriend to show that I care? Well, here's a top tip. What you need to do when you want to show a little love to that special someone is just go to Cozy Earth. That's right. It's right there in the name Cozy. That's what they're all about. If you haven't been shopping at Cozy Earth, I have no idea what you're doing with your time. For instance, their bamboo pajama set. You gotta set. Check this out. It's a total sleep upgrade. Lightweight, but cozy. There's that word again. And ridiculously soft. The fabric is actually cooler than cotton, so you fall asleep faster and you stay comfortable all night long. That sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Or get this. 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Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me now at a special discount for PDB listeners. You get 20 off your Delete Me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com PDB and use promo code PDB at checkout. Again, to get 20 off, just go to JoinDeleteMe.com PDB and enter the code PDB at checkout. Once again, that's JoinDeleteMe.com PDB code PDB. Hey PDB listeners, Mike Baker here with a quick recommendation for your podcast playlist. Look, if you like deep, insightful conversations with world class thinkers and who doesn't? Come on, check out the Jordan Harbinger Show. It's available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Jordan sits down with people who've been in the room at the highest levels, from national security leaders to thinkers reshaping how we understand the world. You'll hear ideas and stories that go way beyond the usual sound bites. Two episodes. I'd recommend an interview with our friend Ryan Macbeth on Venezuela's collapse. That's a clear look at how a once wealthy oil state unraveled and what that means, of course, for regional stability. And also his conversation with Douglas Murray where they explore the pressures facing Western democracies and what those trends mean for long term stability. Download the Jordan Harbinger show. That's H A R B I N G E R Just like it sounds on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows. Or just go to jordanharbinger.com start to dive right in. It's one of those podcasts that makes you smarter, so give it a go. In today's Back of the Brief the Pentagon just took a major step toward fielding portable nuclear power for US Forces, airlifting a small reactor for the first time in what officials are calling the start of an American nuclear renaissance. Earlier this week, the Department of Defense, in partnership with the Department of Energy and private firm Velar Atomics, transported components of the company's unfueled Ward 250 microreactor aboard a C17 aircraft from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Defense Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffy and Energy Secretary Chris Wright were both aboard that flight, underscoring the significance the administration is placing on this push toward next generation Warfare Technologies. The Ward 250, in case you were wondering, is a 5 megawatt reactor. It's small by commercial standards, but capable of powering roughly 5,000 homes. Pentagon officials say this marks the first airlift transportation of a microreactor, a significant milestone as the Trump administration moves to accelerate domestic nuclear deployment. Duffy framed the move in strategic terms, saying, quote, powering next generation warfare will require us to move faster than our adversaries to build a system that doesn't just equip our warfighters to fight, but equips them to win at extraordinary speed, end quote. He added that such reactors could provide energy security for military bases without reliance on the civilian power grid and in overseas operations, allow US Forces to operate without fear that adversaries could disrupt traditional fuel supply lines. Now, as our regular listeners will know, President Trump has made expanded energy production, including nuclear, a central pillar of his agenda. Last May, he issued four executive orders aimed at boosting domestic nuclear deployment to meet rising energy demands tied to national security priorities, including artificial intelligence data centers and space and cyber infrastructure. Energy Secretary Wright has said the administration hopes to have three microreactors reach criticality, meaning fully operational on US soil by the 4th of July. Valor Atomics was selected by the Energy Department to achieve that milestone and has indicated that once the microreactors are up and running, it hopes to begin selling power on a test basis by 2027, with full commercial deployment targeted for 2028. Proponents argue microreactors could be a game changer for remote installations. They are designed to be transportable, of course, require fewer fuel deliveries than diesel generators and could be rapidly positioned to power isolated bases or forward operating environments. Still, the technology is not without controversy. Critics caution that even small reactors produce significant amounts of radioactive waste, noting that long term strategies for disposal of that waste remain an unresolved issue. They also stressed that small nuclear reactors cannot yet generate power at a competitive price, raising questions about their commercial viability. So for now, the development remains in its early stages. The reactor components transported this week are unfueled and will ultimately head to the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab for testing and evaluation. In other words, it's not an operational deployment, it's a proof of concept milestone. Still, the broader implications are hard to miss. Modern warfare increasingly depends on power for data processing, autonomous systems, missile defense, communications and AI integration. By investing in mobile nuclear energy, the Pentagon hopes to be treating energy resilience not as a support function, but as a strategic asset in its own right. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Friday 20th February. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and as you likely discovered upon waking up this morning, it's Friday. And of course, Fridays mean brand new episodes of our soon to be, possibly, hopefully acclaimed extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. This week's most excellent guests include analyst, smart guy, author, man about town, and friend of the show, Buck Sexton. We're talking all things Cuba, possible regime change, and of course, we're shamelessly promoting his new book. Also, retired Naval Intelligence Commander Paul Chabot joins us to discuss the potential conflict that's taking shape in the Middle east between the US And Iran. You can catch the Situation report tonight at 10pm on the first TV as well as on our YouTube channel. You just go to YouTube and search up Presidence Daily Brief and of course on podcast platforms everywhere. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
