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The President's Daily Brief
March 17th, 2025: Trump Unleashes Hell On The Houthis & ISIS Commander Eliminated In Iraq
00:22:41
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- [00:01]
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Mike Baker
It's Monday, the 17th of March. 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, the US Launched airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen this weekend, just days after the group vowed to resume attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. We'll break down the results of those strikes and how the Houthis are responding later in the show. The Trump administration, well, clearly had a busy weekend on the national security front. A joint U. S. Iraqi operation took out a senior Islamic State leader, one responsible for funding and planning global terror operations. Plus, after seven months, it looks like Ukraine's invasion of Russia's Kursk region is coming to an end. And in today's back of the brief, negotiations to secure American hostages in Gaza have stalled. Hamas is refusing to release one captive in the bodies of four others unless Israel implements its ceasefire agreement. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. President Trump has unleashed the largest U.S. military operation in the Middle east since taking office, hitting the Houthi militants of Yemen and sending a blunt warning to their financial and military backers in Iran. On Saturday, just days after the Houthis vowed to resume attacks on Israeli vessels, President Trump ordered a series of decisive airstrikes targeting the group and promised more to follow until they permanently cease their attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. That's according to a report from Reuters. The strikes hit a Houthi stronghold in the capital city of Sanaa, several Houthi military sites in the southwest city of Taiz, and a power station critical to the group's operations in Yemen's northwest. The bombardment left at least 31 dead and more than 100 injured, according to local reports. Even though those figures can't yet be independently verified. White House national security Adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday that the operation took out multiple leaders of the Iranian backed terror group, calling it a, quote, overwhelming response as opposed to what he described as the feckless Reaction of the Biden administration to the Houthis provocations over the past 16 months. Trump announced the action in a post on Truth Social. Where else would you announce the action? Where he criticized his predecessors quote, pathetically weak response to the Houthi attacks. Noting that it's been more than a year since a US Flagged commercial ship was able to safely traverse Mideast waters, Trump said, quote, the Houthi attacks on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective, end quote. He added a direct warning to the Houthi militants, saying, quote, your time is up and your attacks must stop starting today. If they don't, hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before, end quote. Now, despite the threat, Houthi leadership issued a typically defiant response. A spokesman with the group's political Bureau called the U.S. strikes a, quote, war crime, claiming they mostly killed women and children, and vowed to continue attacks on commercial and military vessels until the blockade on aid coming into Gaza is lifted. In a statement, the Houthis said, quote, our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation, end quote. As a reminder, since Hamas launched its terror attacks on Israel back on 7 October 2023, the Houthis have carried out at least 145 attacks on commercial vessels and 174 attacks on US military ships in the Red Sea and Suez Canal area, one of the world's most vital maritime corridors. Of course, their attacks have rattled global trade, driving up shipping costs and disrupting critical supply chains across the world. Some 70% of global trade traffic is now diverting around South Africa to avoid Houthi attacks near the Suez Canal. The Houthis are the last Iranian proxy group of any real capability left in the Islamic regime's axis of resistance. After Israel laid waste, of course, to the leadership of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza last year, the Biden administration took a cautious approach, with the Houthis launching targeted strikes at various times last year on the group's infrastructure and boosting maritime patrols in the region. But the actions, well, frankly, did little to deter the Houthi aggression. U.S. secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the the Trump administration's approach will be far more comprehensive, stating Sunday that U.S. strikes will continue at an unrelenting pace until the Houthis capitulate or no longer have the capability to disrupt international shipping. President Trump also sent a blunt warning to the terror group's backers in Iran, saying To Iran, support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately. Do not threaten the American people, their president, or worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, beware. And he's spelled beware in all caps, so you know that means business, because America will hold you fully accountable and we won't be nice about it, end quote. Secretary Hegseth echoed those sentiments on Sunday, arguing that Iran has been enabling the Houthis for far too long and that the regime, quote, better back off, end quote. Like the Houthis, the Iranians are also digging in their heels. The top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, issued a warning on Sunday saying Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they take their threats into action. Still, the regime was quick to distance themselves from the Houthi attacks, claiming that Iran plays no role in shaping the national or operational policies of the Houthis. And they managed to say that with a straight face. The new US Strikes come less than two weeks after the Trump administration redesignated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, reimposing a label that former President Biden had lifted. A source familiar with the White House's strategy confirmed that their new campaign against the Houthis will last for days, if not weeks. All right, coming up after the break, the US And Iraq take out a senior ISIS leader. And after seven months, Ukraine's bold push into Russia's Kursk region appears to be over. I'll be right back.
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- [08:26]
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Terms and conditions may apply. Welcome back to the pdb. A joint Washington and Baghdad operation has eliminated a Senior leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as Abu Khadija, who played a key role in the terror group's global financing and logistics. The strike conducted by an American drone in Iraq's western Al Anbar province on Friday also killed another ISIS operative. Now the Special Forces operations from the US And Iraq are currently sifting through the wreckage, gathering intelligence from the strike site. U.S. central Command characterized the mission as a, quote, precision airstrike, while General Michael Kurilla underscored Khadijah's significance, calling him, quote, one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani echoed that assessment, describing Khadija as, quote, one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world and confirming Iraq's direct coordination with US Forces in carrying out the strike. This operation is just the latest in Iraq's ongoing counterterrorism campaign, which, with US Backing, has systematically dismantled ISIS terror cells over the past two years. Sudani framed the strike as yet another blow, quote, against the forces of darkness and terrorism. President Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the mission's success, asserting that Khadija had been relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid war fighters. The commander in chief also credited both the Iraqi government and regional authorities for their role in supporting the operation, before adding that Khadija's, quote, miserable life was terminated. As we've been tracking here on the pdb, the killing of the senior ISIS figure in the region comes as the terror group has been regaining ground in Syria, conducting more attacks than at any point since its territorial collapse nearly six years ago. The UN reports that there were more than 300 ISIS led attacks in Syria last year alone. The Islamic State once controlled large portions of Syria and northern Iraq after its lightning offensive back in 2014. Though Iraq officially declared victory over the group in 2017, ISIS remnants have continued to wage a brutal insurgency. Just last year, the terror organization also claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall. Khadija's Death marks the third time since 2019 that a top ISIS leader has been eliminated in Iraq or Syria. It's worth noting that historically, the terror group is known for swiftly replacing its terminated commanders. Those successors often operate in the shadows, their identities sometimes unknown, for months. Okay, turning now to the front lines of the Ukraine Russia war, Kyiv's seven month offensive in Russia's Kursk region is, frankly, all but over. A rapid Russian counteroffensive in recent days has shattered Ukrainian positions, reclaiming nearly all of the ground lost since last October on Sunday, Russian forces recaptured Sudza, the largest town Ukraine seized in Kursk. Home to some 5,000 people before the war, the attack was swift and overwhelming. Precision airstrikes, relentless artillery barrages and infantry assaults forced Ukrainian defenders into a desperate retreat. By the time the dust settled, Ukraine's forces had fallen back to a narrow strip of land just 40 square miles down from the 530 square miles that Ukraine controlled at the height of their offensive in Kursk. Ukraine's withdrawal was anything but orderly. Russian advances cut off escape routes, leaving Ukrainian forces trapped in scattered pockets across the border region. Even attempts to evacuate the wounded were met with relentless Russian fire. By the time Ukraine's top commander arrived at the front, any hopes of salvaging the operation had vanished. Battlefield maps released by both Kyiv and Moscow confirm the extent of Ukraine's losses. What remains of its presence in Kursk has now been reduced to isolated holdouts. Meanwhile, Russian officials wasted no time consolidating control, clearing out extensive minefields left behind by retreating Ukrainian units. As we've discussed here on the pdb, Ukraine's Kursk incursion initially delivered a strategic and symbolic blow to the Kremlin. Launched back In August of 2024, the offensive caught Russia flat footed, forcing its forces into a frantic deployment. Ukrainian troops stormed across the border, seizing over 100 villages and towns, stretching Moscow's defenses thin and proving that Kyiv could mount an attack deep inside Russian territory. The early gains, driven by Ukraine's tactics and Western supplied weaponry, rattled Russian commanders. Russian President Putin became the first Kremlin leader since Stalin to face the grim reality of having to expel a foreign army from Russian soil. But once Moscow regrouped, the response was overwhelming. Russian forces began unleashing a punishing aerial bombardment, deploying glide bombs and fiber optic guided drones that shredded Ukrainian supply lines, armored columns and defensive positions. These drones gave Russian operators real time targeting precision, making resupply efforts nearly impossible for Kyiv. And then, of course, came the North Koreans. By December 2024, an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops had arrived in Kursk, fresh from months of training inside Russia. Unpracticed in modern battlefield tactics, the North Korean units resorted to large scale human wave attacks, which, while crude and costly, proved effective. I guess it's amazing what can be accomplished on the battlefield when you don't care about the lives of your soldiers. By March, Ukraine's hold on Kursk was disintegrating, and now Ukraine's forces have all but abandoned the region. The retreat has sparked backlash within Ukraine's military leadership. Critics argue that Ukraine's top commander waited too long to pull back, needlessly exposing troops to encirclement and heavy losses. But Ukrainian President Zelensky downplayed the setback, insisting that the operation did achieve strategic goals. He pointed out that the incursion demonstrated Ukraine's offensive capabilities and delayed a potential Russian assault on northern Ukraine. For now, Ukraine is shifting its focus to other battlefronts. In the east, Kyiv's forces have blunted Russian advances, while in the north, Ukrainian troops are counterattacking in Sumy, where Western intelligence warn of a looming Russian push. Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff told reporters Sunday that the president is expected to speak with Putin this week. According to Witkoff, Putin accepts the philosophy of Trump's proposed ceasefire terms, whatever that means. The details of any potential deal remain unclear. Putin previously insisted that any ceasefire must include Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions and recognizing Russian territorial gains. Those are terms that Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Hamas is refusing to release an American Israeli hostage and the bodies of four others unless Israel agrees to its ceasefire terms. We'll have those details next.
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- [17:30]
Mike Baker
In today's back of the brief Hamas declared that it will only release American Israeli hostage Eden Alexander and the bodies of four American hostages if Israel fully complies with its ceasefire terms. The terror group framed the demand as the US worked to revive stalled negotiations. A senior Hamas official speaking anonymously on Saturday, detailed the conditions. Israel must immediately resume negotiations on the ceasefire's second phase once the hostages are freed, reach a final agreement within 50 days and withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor. That's the buffer zone along the Israeli Egyptian border. But the demands don't stop there. Hamas is also insisting on unrestricted humanitarian aid and the mass release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel suspended aid to the enclave earlier this month to push Hamas into accepting a temporary extended ceasefire. Israel dismissed these terms outright late Saturday. Prime Minister Netanyahu's government refused to make unilateral concessions, warning that a pullout from the Philadelphia corridor would hand Hamas a smuggling lifeline, allowing it to rearm through the tunnels. Alexander, a 19 year old American Israeli soldier, was abducted during Hamas's 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel and is believed to be the last surviving US citizen held hostage in Gaza. According to Israeli officials, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, with at least 35 of those presumed dead. Efforts to broker a new ceasefire deal remain stuck in neutral. Over the weekend, Netanyahu ordered negotiators to continue indirect talks, but there's been little movement. President Trump's Middle east envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been pushing for a revised deal. Yet Hamas last week rejected a US proposal that Israel had agreed to, which would have freed half of the remaining hostages in exchange for Israeli commitments to discuss a permanent ceasefire. Meanwhile, tensions on the ground are boiling over. While no major fighting has occurred in Gaza since the ceasefire took hold on 19 January, Israeli airstrikes remain active. On Saturday, airstrikes pounded a northern Gaza town, killing at least nine people. The IDF says the first strike targeted terrorists operating a drone near Israeli positions, while a second hit terrorists recovering drone equipment. The military identified six of the dead as Hamas terrorists, including a participant in the 7 October attacks and a former prisoner released in the ceasefire deal. Hamas, as expected, condemned the strikes, accusing Israel of sabotaging any opportunity to implement the truce. Well, to be fair, we wouldn't have needed the truce if Hamas hadn't slaughtered 1200 men, women and children and taken over 250 hostages back on the 7th of October of 2023, and then of course, proceeded to kill many of those hostages. So, well, there's that. As we've been tracking here on the PDB the ceasefire's first phase expired earlier this month, and with Hamas refusing to budge on its latest demands, Eden Alexander's fate, the fate of the other remaining living hostages, and the future of the broader ceasefire hangs in the balance. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Monday 17th March. Now, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com now hopefully you had a chance to catch our latest episode of the award winning PDB Situation Report over the weekend. Okay, to be honest, we haven't won any awards yet. I I just made up the award winning bit. But you have to admit, it's got a nice ring to it. This weekend's guests included David Dowd from the foundation for the Defense of Democracies, as well as Fred Flights, former senior CIA analyst and national security official. You can catch it and past episodes on our YouTube channel, at President's Daily Brief and on all the 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.
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