FDD Briefing on Middle East Conflicts

Aug 31, 2024

Morning FDD Briefing - August 30

Speaker

  • Jonathan Shanzer
    • Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)

Multi-Front War in the Middle East

  • The war is now 329 days old.
  • The IDF recovered the remains of an Israeli soldier killed on October 7.
  • Hamas is prolonging the situation, increasing trauma for Israelis and Palestinians.

Guest

  • Lucas Tomlinson
    • Correspondent at Fox News Channel
    • Background in the Navy, served in Afghanistan
    • Reported from conflict zones, including Israel, Ukraine, Afghanistan

Hamas and Leadership Dynamics

  • Ismael Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas, was killed.
  • Yahya Sinwar is consolidating power in Hamas.
  • Hamas is a unified paramilitary terrorist organization.
    • Khaled Meshal was poised to replace Haniyeh but was overlooked.
    • Meshal called for the resumption of suicide bombings.
  • U.S. allies: Qatar and Turkey allow Hamas operations on their territory.

Headlines

UNIFIL and Lebanon

  • The UN Security Council renewed UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon.
  • UNIFIL has not effectively maintained peace.
  • The mandate renewal does not mention Hezbollah.
    • Hezbollah has fired more than 7,500 rockets at Israel since October 8.

Iran and Nuclear Enrichment

  • Iran's enriched uranium stockpile has increased.
  • 164,000 kg of uranium enriched to 60% as of August 17.
    • Jump to 90% enrichment for weapons is feasible.
  • FDD has a new report on Iran's nuclear developments.

Jordan and Iran

  • Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, advocates for strengthening Jordan against Iran.
  • Iran is smuggling weapons and drugs into Jordan through Syria.
  • Proposals include:
    • Security fence along the Jordanian border
    • Continued anti-terrorism operations in the West Bank
    • Stricter sanctions against Iran

Lucas Tomlinson on Field Reporting

Experiences in Israel

  • Arrived days after the October 7 massacre.
  • Observed resilience of Israeli citizens near conflict zones.

Pentagon and U.S. Policy

  • Fox News covers foreign policy with balanced reporting.
  • Many attacks on U.S. service members in Iraq and Syria with limited responses.
  • The U.S. military is actively involved in deterrence, but responses have been limited.

Houthi Rebels and Red Sea Crisis

  • Houthi rebels threatened a Greek oil tanker.
  • Potential environmental disaster due to an oil spill.
  • No U.S. warships currently in the Red Sea.
  • U.S. requested European assistance, which has been minimal.

War in Ukraine Report

  • Tomlinson was in Ukraine before the invasion.
  • Ukraine has made recent territorial gains.
  • Issues with Russia receiving weapons from North Korea and Iran.

FDD Publications

Wall Street Journal Article

  • Authors: Mark Montgomery, Brad Bowman
  • Criticism of U.S. defense support rhetoric in relation to Taiwan.

Iran Nuclear Program Report

  • Authors: Orde Kittrie, Brad Bowman, Behnam Ben Taleblu
  • Recommendations to deter Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Commentary Article

  • Authors: Jonathan Shanzer, Emily Bornstein
  • Discusses potential U.S. strategy in the Israel-Hamas conflict, referencing Ronald Reagan.

Closing

  • The Morning FDD Briefing will return on Wednesday after Labor Day.
  • Encouragement to support FDD and read their analyses.

Note: This outline is a condensed version to aid in studying and reviewing the key points discussed in the FDD Morning Briefing.