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The President's Daily Brief
July 16th, 2025: Trump Tells Zelensky To ‘Make Putin Feel The Pain’ & Israel Strikes Syria Again
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Tony Hawk
Rated T for teen.
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Mike Baker
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Later in the show, a US Operated oil field in Iraq's Kurdistan region is on fire after a drone strike forced the suspension of operations. Kurdish officials are calling it an act of terrorism targeting vital infrastructure. Plus, Israel launches a second round of airstrikes in southern Syria vowing to protect the country's Druze minority from advancing regime forces, including militias sporting ISIS patches on their uniforms. And in today's back of the brief confusion still over last month's tragic Air India crash. A preliminary report offers some clues but key details remain unknown or at least unreported. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. I want to return to our coverage of President Trump's about face on arming Ukraine and his economic threats against the Putin regime as speculation surfaces about the potential for U S backed strikes inside Russia. According to an exclusive report from the Financial Times published Tuesday. They quickly made the rounds inside the Beltway, as you might imagine. Trump privately encouraged Ukraine reportedly to step up their strikes deep inside Russian territory following his disappointing third of July call with Vladimir Putin during his conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky the next day, Trump allegedly asked, quote, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St. Petersburg too? To which Zelensky replied, quote, absolutely we can if you give us the weapons. The president reportedly went even further, telling Zelensky to make Russians, quote, feel the pain to force Putin to the negotiating table. But White House officials and Trump himself were quick to push back on that report from the Financial Times. While White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed the rough details of the discussion, she said the Financial Times took Trump's words, quote, wildly out of context in order to get clicks, adding that the President was, quote, merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing, end quote. When asked about his alleged encouragement to Zelensky on Tuesday by reporters on the White House lawn, Trump said, no, he shouldn't target Moscow. After being asked which side of the war he's on, Trump added, I'm on humanity's side. I want the killing to stop, end quote. He further stated that he does not intend to provide Ukraine with long range missiles, as some reports have alleged. Still, as we discussed yesterday, American American weapons will once again flow to Kyiv after Trump reached a new arms deal with NATO allies on Monday. The announcement came as the President gave Putin a 50 day deadline to reach a peace deal with Kyiv, threatening new sanctions and 100% secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian energy products if Putin ignores the ultimatum. Under the arms agreement, European allies will send advanced American weaponry to Ukraine from their own stocks, while purchasing replacements from America's military industry. They'll also have the option of directly purchasing new US Weapons for immediate transfer to Ukraine. Discussions are already underway with nearly eight dozen NATO countries on the logistics of the agreement. The priority is getting Kyiv much needed Patriot air defense systems so they can better protect their cities from Russia's relentless bombardments. Now, as our regular listeners are well aware, the Kremlin has significantly escalated their aerial attacks on Ukraine over the past few weeks to devastating effect. According to the New York Times, June saw the highest level of Ukrainian deaths of any month since the war began in February of 2022. Leaders in Kyiv have long stressed the need for more Patriot missile systems, as they are the only batteries capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Ukraine has eight Patriot systems, though two are currently being refurbished and nearly all are deployed around the capital of Kyiv, which of course leaves other Ukrainian cities vulnerable under the new arms deal. Germany has already committed to purchasing two Patriot systems to send to Ukraine, while Norway has committed to purchasing one. Trump said another unnamed country was willing to sell all 17 of their US Patriot systems for transfer to Ukraine, likely referencing Switzerland, which agreed to buy 17 Patriot launchers from Raytheon back in 2020. But as to what other weapons may find their way to Ukraine, that picture is less clear. Despite Trump's denial regarding long range weapons, sources with knowledge of the discussions claimed to the Washington Post that Trump is considering providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles that could in theory be used to hit the Russian capital. Other reports suggest the arms deal could include weapons previously provided to Ukraine under former President Biden, such as army tactical missile systems known as ATACMs. But Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have not elaborated on what the first wave of weapons will include, though the package has an estimated price Tag of roughly $10 billion. For context, a single Patriot battery costs roughly $1 billion. Actually, it's more if you get the sport package and cup holders and floor mats, while each Patriot interceptor missile cost comes in at roughly $3.7 million. So with all that in mind, how is Russia responding to Trump's dramatic foreign policy shift? A Kremlin spokesman said Tuesday that Putin was still analyzing the arms deal and deciding on how to respond, but called Trump's statement very serious. Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and also, by the way, voted the Russian official most likely to say crazy ass things said Russia, quote, didn't care about the developments in Washington. Sources close to the Kremlin later told Reuters that Putin is unfazed by the threat of sanctions. They said he'll likely continue the war and even expand his territorial ambitions until the west bows to his demands. I mean, really, the dude is Dr. Evil. He just needs the hairless cat sitting in his lap to complete the picture. Alright, coming up next, a drone strike ignites a U. S run oil field in Iraq and Israel ramps up airstrikes in Syria in an effort to protect the Druze population from a combination of Al Sharaz forces and local ISIS affiliated militias. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. 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Tony Hawk
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Mike Baker
Welcome back to the PDB A drone strike ignited an American run oil facility in Iraq's semi autonomous Kurdish region on Tuesday. That's the second attack in as many days. This represents the latest flashpoint in an escalating power struggle between Kurdish authorities and Baghdad. The strike hit a production site operated by US based HKN Energy in the Dahuk province just hours after Iraq's prime minister met with the company's vice president to sign a preliminary agreement for new investment in a separate field. That deal, intended to project stability and lure western capital, now stands in stark contrast to the flames ravaging one of HKN's production sites. In a statement, HKN confirmed that, quote, an explosion occurred but all personnel were safely accounted for. However, the facility remained on fire late Tuesday as emergency crews scrambled to contain the blaze. Operations were suspended and the cause is still under investigation. No group as of now has claimed responsibility. The timing and targeting have drawn immediate suspicion. Kurdish leaders have pointed the finger at Iran aligned militias operating under the Popular Mobilization Forces Now. That's a coalition of paramilitary groups with deep ties to the Iranian regime. The coalition also has a formal affiliation with Iraq's armed forces. The strike followed a similar drone attack Monday on an oil field in Erbil province. Together, the two strikes suggest a coordinated campaign aimed at sabotaging northern Iraq's energy infrastructure. Kurdistan's Ministry of Natural Resources condemned Tuesday's strike as an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan region's vital economic infrastructure. The ministry also demanded that the central government in Baghdad take all urgent and necessary measures to stop the attacks and hold those responsible to account. The US Embassy in Baghdad echoed that alarm, warning that the Iraqi government must, quote, exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory, end quote. The statement added that such strikes jeopardize both economic stability and the flow of foreign investment. For those of you not necessarily following the region's politics, this isn't just about a burning oil site. The Kurdistan Regional Government and the central government of Baghdad have been locked in a bitter tug of war for years now over oil exports and revenue sharing and control of security forces. While the Kurdish region enjoys constitutional autonomy, attempts to operate its oil sector independently have repeatedly sparked political and legal battles, with the central government making energy infrastructure basically a powder keg. The Iraqi military, however, pushed against the Kurds finger pointing. The military accused Kurdish leaders of issuing claims in the absence of evidence and cautioning that such rhetoric could invite further chaos by emboldening hostile parties intent on destabilizing the country. Complicating matters further is the specter of regional spillover. During last month's 12 day war between Iran and Israel, Tehran backed proxies across the region, including inside Iraq, threatened to strike US Assets if Washington intervened, raising concerns that Iraq is once again possibly becoming a potential staging ground for proxy warfare. If these attacks persist, the implications are very significant. Foreign firms may pull out, Baghdad's grip on national security could weaken, and the long running power struggle between Kurds and the central government could tip from a war of words to something much worse. Okay, turning to Syria, Israel launched fresh airstrikes against government forces near its border for a second straight day on Tuesday, expanding its military response in an effort to shield the embattled Druze minority. The Israeli military set its latest round of strikes targeted government troops and heavy weaponry positioned in violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement that bars military deployments near the Israeli frontier. Now that's a red line that Jerusalem says Damascus has repeatedly crossed. A day earlier, Israeli forces struck government tanks believed to have been used in battles against Druze fighters in southern Syria. On the ground in the Druze majority city of Sweda, the scene has been nothing short of chaotic. According to the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Nearly 100 people have been killed since Sunday. A Reuters reporter described hearing multiple strikes and bursts of gunfire echoing through the streets, bodies lying where they fell as tanks were towed away from smoldering neighborhoods. Israel's air campaign comes as part of what Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz described in a joint statement as a necessary step to protect the Druze. The statement read Quote, Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, warning that the Syrian government not test the Israeli resolve. Southern Syria has long held outside strategic importance for Israel, prompting repeated warnings against Syrian military entrenchment there. The Druze, an offshoot of Islam with significant populations in Syria, Lebanon and Israel, are widely regarded inside the Jewish state as a loyal minority. Many serve in the idf, and that relationship has consistently shaped Jerusalem's policy when Druze communities come under fire. And yet the ground reality in Sweda is anything but clear. Fighting initially erupted between local Druze groups and Sunni Islamist Bedouin fighters. But in a now familiar twist, Syrian Islamist government forces joined the fray, accused by community leaders of backing the Bedouins. According to various sources, many of the militia fighters have ISIS patches on their uniforms. A prominent Druze spiritual leader who opposes the new government in Damascus initially supported the deployment of Syrian troops to restore order, but later condemned government forces, accusing them of what he described as a total war of extermination. Syria's defense minister claimed a ceasefire was restored Tuesday with government troops supposedly under strict instructions to fire only in self defense. But residents say shelling continued throughout the day with fresh reports of strikes in neighborhoods. Damascus, meanwhile, condemned the Israeli strikes, as you might imagine, and warned of retaliation, claiming the attacks were a violation of Syrian sovereignty. The Syrian Interior Ministry dismissed the clashes in Suada as criminal unrest, not sectarian violence, blaming the turmoil on bandits and criminals. A spokesman for the ministry insisted that the Druze remained central. Interim President Ahmad Al Shiraz, so called National Unity Project. The US weighed in cautiously with Syria envoy Tom Barrack saying Washington was in contact with all sides to quote, navigate towards calm and integration, end quote. Well, there's a diplomatic statement if you've ever heard one. While some Druze factions denounce Israeli involvement, others are quietly welcoming the air cover. As we discussed on the PDB back in May, Israel struck near the presidential palace in Damascus after deadly clashes between pro government forces and Druze fighters. That followed the March killings of dozens of Alawites, deepening long standing distrust of Al Sharah's Islamist led government among serious minorities. The Trump administration has bet heavily on Al Sharra, encouraging normalization with Israel as part of a regional thaw. But with more Druze dead and Israeli airstrikes resuming, well, that bet may be unraveling in real time. Coming up next in the back of the brief, investigators are chasing leads, but mystery still surrounds the crash of air India Flight 171 and a report on the tragedy frankly isn't providing many answers. Stay with us. Hey, Mike Baker here. I want to take a few moments of your time to talk about your online security. That's pretty important, right? Well, it is. 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Mike Baker
In today's back of the brief, speculation is mounting over the cause of the deadly Air India crash last month after a controversial preliminary investigation report was issued over the weekend. As a reminder, an air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London's Gatwick Airport crashed just moments after takeoff in the western city of Ahmedabad. And that was on June 12, crashing into a medical college hostel near the airport. All but one of the 242 passengers on board were killed in the disaster, and another 29 people on the ground also died. While the preliminary assessment by Indian investigators did not draw any definitive conclusions about what went wrong, it appeared to rule out mechanical defects, maintenance issues or design flaws, significantly narrowing the inquiry to the actions of the pilots. The main focus now is on the fuel switches on the Boeing 787 jet that crashed. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, investigators found that two fuel control switches on the plane were switched off in rapid succession just seconds after takeoff, cutting off fuel to both engines. Just 10 seconds later, the switches, which sit between the two seats in the cockpit, were turned back on. But by then, it was reportedly too late to fully restart the engines and gain enough thrust to keep the plane in the air. For some background, these switches are normally only used to turn the engines on and off before and after a flight. They're equipped with a locking mechanism that requires pilots to manually pull the switches out before they can be flipped to prevent accidental deployment. Given the protections, aviation experts said it was unlikely that the switches were activated without human involvement during the takeoff. According to the cockpit voice recorder, the report states that one pilot asked the other, quote, why did you cut off? The other pilot replied, quote, did not do so. But the report did not provide the full transcript of the conversation again, which was captured by the cockpit voice recorder, or identify which pilot asked about the fuel switches. While preliminary reports are not intended to offer a full account of an incident, nor are investigators under any legal obligation to make their initial findings public. Critics say the investigators are intentionally omitting critical details in the absence of clear facts. Of course, speculation is rapidly spreading that the crash may have been deliberately caused by one of the pilots. Air India officials and investigators have blasted that theory is deeply irresponsible and insensitive and have asked the public not to draw premature conclusions. But industry experts have also expressed concerns about the seeming lack of transparency. There appears to be a growing consensus that critical information is missing or being withheld, leaving more questions than answers. That's according to a report from the BBC. One pilot told BBC, quote, they've told us stuff they want us to know at the moment and withheld what they don't want us to know. An aeronautical analyst with the consulting firm Liam Co. Echoed those sentiments, saying, quote, they have all this technical detail, then you have this reference to dialogue, but it doesn't even tell you who's speaking. It's someone trying to hide something. After the preliminary report was released, the Airline Pilots association of India said the evidence, quote, suggests a bias toward pilot error. But again, the public, well, the public is still waiting on more definitive answers. A final report could take up to a year to complete. In the meantime, regulators in India, South Korea and Singapore said they've ordered inspections of the fuel control switches on all their Boeing airplanes. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Wednesday, 16 July. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhfirsttv.com and if you get a free moment in your otherwise busy schedule, please check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Can find that at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.