The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 18th, 2024: Syrian Rebels Disband & Iranian Nationals Charged Over Deadly Jordan Drone Strike
18 Dec 2024
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, the leader of the rebel opposition that overthrew Syria’s Assad regime has announced plans to disband their militant militias and form a new national army, as they work to consolidate their power and distance themselves from their radical past. Then, the U.S. Justice Department has charged two Iranian nationals in connection with a fatal drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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It's Wednesday, 18 December. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Okay, it's the late afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed.
First, the leader of the rebel opposition that overthrew Syria's Assad regime has announced plans to disband their militant militias and form a new national army, as they reportedly work to consolidate their power and, at least on paper, distance themselves from their radical past. Then, the U.S.
Justice Department has charged two Iranian nationals in connection with a fatal drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more. But first, our afternoon spotlight. We'll begin with an update out of Syria, where the new regime replacing deposed dictator Assad is beginning to take shape.
After establishing a transitional government in the immediate wake of Assad's ouster, the rebels are now moving to further consolidate their power and establish institutions that are built to last.
On Wednesday, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, leader of the top rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is known as HTS, announced that Syria's rebel factions will be disbanded and their fighters will be trained to join a new national army under the direction of the Defense Ministry.
The decision to dissolve the rebel groups is largely a strategic play aimed at easing international restrictions on their new transitional government. As we've discussed here on the PDB, HTS, a former arm of Al-Qaeda that used to be called the Nusra Front, is a U.S. and E.U. designated terror organization.
While they've since tried to position themselves as moderates, the terror designation and the sanctions that come with it could significantly impede their plans to reform and rebuild Syria. Al-Jilani said Tuesday, quote, we have to adopt a state mentality, not an opposition mentality, end quote.
He called for international sanctions against Damascus to be lifted so refugees displaced by the civil war can return home. Separately, he spoke of the need to restore relations with the UK and US.
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