Morning Wire XX
[0] Nearly a year after the much -criticized U .S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the country is in ruin.
[1] One success was the takedown of al -Qaeda's leader in Kabul.
[2] Justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more.
[3] We have a firsthand account of what it's like on the ground in the Taliban -controlled country.
[4] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley.
[5] It's Thursday, August 4th, and this is Morning Wire.
[6] military recruitment is at a record low.
[7] What effect is this having on our nation's security?
[8] And L .A. takes a stand against homeless encampments near schools, pitting fed up parents and teachers against activists.
[9] Emergency shelters are not enough.
[10] We need permanent supportive housing.
[11] We need all these people.
[12] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[13] Stay tuned.
[14] We have the news you need to know.
[15] If you like this podcast, subscribe to our Morning Wire newsletter available exclusively to Daily Wire members.
[16] Get the MorningWire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at DailyWire .com slash subscribe.
[17] Use code MorningWire to try Reader's Pass membership and get your first month for only 99 cents.
[18] The leader of Al -Qaeda was killed by a U .S. drone strike this week in Afghanistan's capital.
[19] The strike comes near the anniversary of the much -criticized U .S. withdrawal from the country.
[20] Joining us to discuss the implications and the situation on the ground there now is former AFP Afghanistan bureau chief, Lynn O'Donnell.
[21] First, let's talk about the killing of this al -Qaeda leader right there in the heart of Kabul where you recently visited.
[22] What do we know?
[23] Well, as far as we know, in the early hours of the 31st of July Kabul time, Amun al -Zohahiri, who is the leader of al -Qaeda, was taking the air on a balcony of a house that he was living in in a Shishi area of Kabul.
[24] And he was hit by a drone, at least one we know of, maybe more, that also killed the son and son -in -law of his host, whose name is Sirajedin Hakkhani, who is one of the senior leaders of the Taliban.
[25] Now, how did U .S. officials know where the terrorist Al -Wahiri was going to be?
[26] Well, finding out is all about human intelligence on the ground, as it was with Osama bin Laden.
[27] You have to find somebody who can tell you that this person is in this place, and then what they appear to have done is long -term surveillance to make sure that the person who'd been identified as Zawahiri was in this particular building and was their long -term.
[28] And apparently he came often onto the balcony.
[29] This was like 6am, 6 .30am on the 31st of July.
[30] It's hot in Kabul at the moment.
[31] I can tell you that because I was just there.
[32] and taking the early morning and late evening air is a very pleasant thing to do, and it seems like that's what he was doing at the time.
[33] Okay, now what about the political implications?
[34] What does the taking down of an al -Qaeda leader in Kabul mean politically?
[35] Well, there's a whole lot of levels there, a whole lot of layers.
[36] If you're talking about what it means to the Taliban, in my view, it exposes fictions, frictions, frictions, factions, within the Taliban that have been becoming increasingly clear over the last few months.
[37] You have Sirajuddin Hakkani, who is an incredibly brutal terrorist in his own right.
[38] He's the interior minister of the de facto administration, so he controls security, and he's also very, very close to the al -Qaeda leadership.
[39] So it is believed that it was as his guest, as Stradin Hikhani's guests that Al -Zawahiri was present in Afghanistan.
[40] But you also have the presence of dozens and dozens of terrorist and anti -West jihadist organizations that have fought side by side with the Taliban for 20 years for their victory, and they are being thanked by being invited to come on in and settle down and be our guests.
[41] You also have Pakistan, I think it's pretty clear and pretty well.
[42] knowing that Pakistan supported the Taliban throughout their war, and they now find themselves in opposition to the Taliban because their greatest enemy is called Teriki Taliban or the Pakistani Taliban, TTP, and they've also been given safe haven inside Afghanistan by the Afghan Taliban.
[43] And so the Pakistanis and the Americans have been in close consultation over recent months about whether or not America establishes an air base in Pakistan so that it can fly drones over Afghanistan.
[44] So I know that this is getting very detailed and intricate, and this is the way it is.
[45] It's layer upon layer.
[46] Politically, it's very clear now that the Biden administration and the Taliban have been cooperating at certain levels on counterterrorism intelligence.
[47] It's also clear that politically the Taliban is becoming divided.
[48] And as one person said to me, this is the beginning of the beginning of the end for the Taliban.
[49] Well, Lynn, thank you so much for joining us.
[50] That was journalist Lynn O'Donnell, former AFP Afghanistan Bureau Chief.
[51] Coming up, military recruitment falls to a record low.
[52] You can get this show and all of the content you love wherever you are, all on the Daily Wire app.
[53] Even if you're not a Daily Wire member, you'll be the first to know what's trending with mobile notifications for the latest news, and you'll get content from all of your favorite Daily Wire shows.
[54] Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
[55] The U .S. military is seeing a huge drop in enlistments as it struggles to convince young people to serve their country.
[56] Now, some observers have raised concerns about having a smaller military facing the many dangers abroad.
[57] Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraida Lorty is here with the details for us.
[58] So, Marade, just how big is the drop in enlistments?
[59] Sure, so this is a pretty severe military recruitment problem.
[60] The New York Times reports that as of late June, the Army has reached only about 40 % of its goal for the fiscal year that ends this September.
[61] The Navy has reached only 89 % of its goal.
[62] The Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force have done better and met or topped their goals, but it still leaves the Defense Department at only 85 % total recruitment overall.
[63] Nevertheless, this is shaping up to be potentially the worst enlistment decline since right after the Vietnam War.
[64] And it could lead to some platoons not being able to function because there just aren't enough soldiers to staff them.
[65] So it sounds like it's becoming a pretty serious problem specifically for the Army.
[66] So what's driving the drop in enlistment?
[67] Well, one factor is the COVID pandemic.
[68] Pandemic lockdowns made it hard for recruiters to go out and connect with people face to face.
[69] Another issue is that many young Americans are not physically fit to be accepted.
[70] into the military, or have backgrounds that disqualify them.
[71] About 76 % of adults ages 17 to 24 are either too obese to qualify for enlistment or have other medical issues or criminal records that would prevent them from enrolling without a waiver.
[72] The labor shortage in civilian life is another issue.
[73] The military life is less attractive when people can take their pick of civilian jobs.
[74] There are many more jobs than people right now, and the unemployment rate is at only 3 .6%.
[75] Only about one in 10 young people now say they would consider joining the military.
[76] At the same time, the mandatory COVID vaccinations and rumors about politicized training activities are making the military less attractive in conservative -leaning communities, which have traditionally been a strong source of recruits.
[77] So what is the military doing to address this issue?
[78] Well, the military is now offering up to $50 ,000 in enlistment bonuses and quick cash of about $35 ,000 for some recruits who start basic training within $30 ,000.
[79] days.
[80] The armed forces also loosen certain rules like the standards around neck tattoos to attract more people.
[81] The Army in June even went as far as saying recruits no longer needed a high school diploma, but they backtracked on that move soon afterwards.
[82] Last month, Army officials sent out a memo about the recruiting issues saying that many Americans don't understand the army, can't see themselves in army life, and don't trust the military as much as they used to.
[83] So unless the Army can address some of these issues, it's hard to see how it's going to solve the recruitment problem.
[84] Well, Marade, thanks so much for bringing us this story.
[85] Thanks, Georgia.
[86] That's Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allardy.
[87] The L .A. City Council has voted to crack down on homeless encampments, at least in certain areas.
[88] Georgia, you've been following this.
[89] Tell us about this new measure in L .A. So the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to prohibit homeless dwellings within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers.
[90] The measure passed with a strong majority of 11 to 3, which I think reflects the growing frustration that a lot of Angelinos are feeling around this issue.
[91] And this was actually an expansion of a pre -existing ban that already included a ban on sitting, sleeping, or camping on the premises of a school or daycare centers that have been specified by the council.
[92] Now, this measure would affect approximately 750 schools in the L .A. area, and it was brought forward after parents and teachers complained to the city.
[93] Now, it's not clear whether the city actually has the capacity to enforce this kind of ban, but it's at least a sign that L .A. is taking steps to rain in the homeless encampments.
[94] The second and final vote won't be until next week, but it's possible it won't succeed because there's already been some pretty significant pushback from activists.
[95] Tell us about that.
[96] What kind of pushback are they seeing and what are the protesters saying?
[97] The city council meeting was actually interrupted by a group of protesters who say the measure criminalizes homelessness and public.
[98] poverty.
[99] Here's some sound from that meeting.
[100] You put the pressure on the city council to repeal 41 -18 because it's not solving the problem of my house is this.
[101] You cannot criminalize poverty.
[102] Now, looking at the videos of the meeting, it's not a small group.
[103] The seats were filled with protesters.
[104] And the meeting actually had to recess for an hour before order was restored and the vote could actually happen.
[105] One of the council members who voted against the measure said he did so because the homeless don't have a place to go because the numbers have overwhelmed the shelter capacity.
[106] This ordinance is based on the false premise that the problem is that people are refusing to go indoors and we have a plethora of opportunities for them.
[107] We don't have a place for 60 % of the people who are on the street.
[108] Now, the timing is also difficult because a program with several hotels that are currently housing homeless is set to end soon.
[109] Opponents, though, say the priorities should be making sure kids can safely come and go from school.
[110] Here's Council President Nuri Martinez explaining her vote.
[111] I am housing people, and we're doing the outreach necessary to bring people inside.
[112] The least I can do from my community, which I grew up in and I still live there, is to be able to clear the public right away for them to send their kids to school every day and feel safe.
[113] And safety is becoming a major issue for L .A. residents, including the homeless.
[114] On August 1st, a homeless man stabbed another homeless man to death outside of the Santa Monica Public Library during daylight hours.
[115] And it's incidents like this that may be why four in 10 L .A. residents now say they feel unsafe in the city.
[116] And one in five say they're contemplating moving out of L .A. That's according to the L .A. Times.
[117] Now, homelessness was a major campaign issue in the primary for mayor.
[118] Is there evidence that L .A. voters are ready for a new direction on this?
[119] Absolutely.
[120] So in June, billionaire Rick Caruso, who was seen as the conservative candidate, way overperformed expectations in the Democratic primary, winning 41%.
[121] And the leading progressive candidate, Karen Bass, came in at 37%.
[122] Those two will face off in a runoff election in November.
[123] So we'll have to wait until then to find out how Angelinos really feel about this.
[124] So if homelessness is so unpopular with voters, why is there so much energy behind these protests?
[125] So we reached out to author and homelessness advocate Michael Schellenberger about that.
[126] And Schellenberger has been tracking the homelessness issue and the politics that surround it.
[127] And he actually characterized the leaders of the protest at this meeting as anarchists and anti -capitalists.
[128] He says they ostensibly want socialized housing, but their activism around homelessness is secondary to their broader political movement.
[129] He did say, though, that sympathetic liberals have joined their cause on homelessness out of compassion.
[130] What's occurred in California and Seattle, Oregon, progressive West Coast cities, but increasingly in progressive cities around the country is that progressive policymakers have decided that it's more compassionate to let people just remain in the throes of late -stage addiction, living intense, defecating publicly, engaging in prostitution, human trafficking, and sexual assault rather than require them to stay in shelters, require them to get drug treatment, require them to get psychiatric care.
[131] So things have only gone from bad to worse.
[132] So we're going to find out next week if this measure passes, and in November, we're going to see if L .A. is ready for a new mayor.
[133] Yeah, that'll be a fascinating election to watch.
[134] Georgia, thanks for the report.
[135] Other stories we're tracking this week, California Democrats signed a bill Tuesday that would create state -funded drug -using sites in the cities of Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
[136] Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday.
[137] China is now conducting military drills around the island nation and blocking some of its trade as, as a show of strength.
[138] Paul Pelosi, husband of Nancy Pelosi, entered a plea of not guilty on DUI charges in a California court on Wednesday.
[139] U .S. Representative Jackie Wolorski of Indiana was killed in a head -on car collision on Wednesday.
[140] Hall of Fame broadcaster, Vin Scully, died Tuesday night at 94 years old.
[141] Scully called thousands of games during his 67 -year career.
[142] Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
[143] We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation.
[144] If you love our show and you stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five -star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
[145] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[146] Thanks for waking up with us.
[147] We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.