The President's Daily Brief - April 17th, 2024: Defensive Coalition, Biden’s Oil Ordeal, & Ukraine’s Missile Shortage

Episode Date: April 17, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We delve into the groundbreaking formation of the Middle East's new defense coalition, an unprecedented alliance showcasing regional unity against Iran's military aggressions. Analyzing President Biden's diplomatic tightrope walk, we discuss the potential repercussions of cutting off Iran's oil exports amidst skyrocketing global oil prices and the delicate balance with China. Ukraine's President Zelensky sounds the alarm over a severe missile deficit, highlighting the country's exposed weaknesses and the desperate need for increased military support. In the Back of the Brief, we expose startling connections between China and the American fentanyl crisis, as disclosed by a House Select Committee's report on Chinese financial backing of fentanyl production. 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. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Wednesday, 17 April. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll begin today's show by looking at the Middle East's new coalition of defense that stood in defiance of Iran's drone and missile assault. It's a testament to the success of a long-standing U.S. objective to unify regional powers against Iranian threats. Later in the show, President Biden continues to tread cautiously, possibly appeasingly, if that's a word, with Iran, will explain how the U.S. might hold back from cutting off Iran's oil lifeline, a move that could further inflame oil prices and spark tensions with China. And who needs that during an election year?

Plus, a dire plea from Ukraine, as President Zelensky reports a critical shortage of defense missiles, laying bare the nation's vulnerabilities and underscoring its urgent call for more. military aid. In the back of the brief, a startling revelation from a House committee points to China's alleged role in fueling America's fentanyl crisis. We'll unpack the new report that implicates Chinese subsidies in the manufacture and export of this deadly drug. But first, today's PDB spotlight. In a historic turn of events that challenges the traditional dynamics of Middle Eastern geopolitics, Arab nations have quietly aligned with Israel to bolster regional defense capabilities, revealing a complex web of alliances facilitated by decades of U.S. diplomacy. Now, we've already covered the

participation of Jort in the defense of Israel, but we're also learning that a broader collection of Arab nations contributed to Saturday's efforts. There's a very solid article in the Wall Street Journal that outlines just how this coalition came together as part of a decades-long effort by the United States to create closer military ties between Israel and Arab adversaries who have a common enemy in Iran. The coalition includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. This cooperation has been kept quiet due to the obvious potential to inflame anti-Israel political sentiment in partner nations. So we're not exactly talking about. about a Middle East version of NATO, but rather an informal air defense cooperation that's been

built to counter Tehran's arsenal of drones and missiles. According to officials, interviewed by the journal, the cooperation of Arab nations began even before a single drone was launched. Iranian officials reportedly tipped their hand two days before the attack, briefing their counterparts from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries on the outline of their plan, in part because Iranian missiles and drones would be entering other nations' airspace on their way to Israel. That information was then passed along to the U.S., giving the Pentagon time to reposition aircraft and missile defense resources. Once the attack began, the coalition kicked into high gear. The Iranian missiles and drones were tracked from the moment they launched by early warning radar systems in partner countries.

Those countries then passed along that intelligence to a U.S. operations command center in Qatar, which then transmitted the information to fighters and warships and missile defense batteries that were actively intercepting the drones and missiles. They also opened their airspace to warplanes and in some cases even supplied their own forces to assist. All of the Arab nations involved have been hesitant to acknowledge their participation in Israel's defense. However, earlier this week, the Saudis did confirm their role. A source close to the Saudi royal family told Israel's Khan News Agency that it used a system that automatically intercepts any suspicious entity in its airspace. That source accused Iran of using Hamas to instigate the Gaza

war in order to thwart a deal that would normalize relations between the Saudis and Israel. Now, the American government has been trying to build this coalition for decades, and Saturday's cooperation is the manifestation of all those efforts over the years. As an example, the previous administration made a strong effort to normalize relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors with the Abraham Accords. Look, while you can love Trump or hate Trump, the Abraham Accords effort clearly played a role in the defense of Israel during the Iranian regime's attack on Saturday evening. And there is little doubt that Iran, guiding and using its proxy Hamas, encourage the 7-October brutal attack on Israel in an attempt to scuttle the promising and developing

relationship between the Saudis and Israel. That's not just my opinion, but the opinion of at least one senior U.S. official who told the Wall Street Journal, quote, the Abraham Accords made the Middle East look different, because we could do things not just under the surface, but above it, end quote. All right, before we go to break, a quick reminder for new listeners. If you'd like listen to the show Ad-Free and gain access to exclusive content, well then, let me formally extend an invitation for you to become a premium member of the PDB. To sign up today, just go to PDB Premium.com. Coming up next, we'll break down why President Biden may avoid harsh sanctions on Iran's oil amid rising prices in Chinese relations. Plus, we highlight Ukraine's urgent

appeal as President Zelensky reveals a concerning missile shortage, intensifying their plea for military support. I'll be right back. Fox News is now streaming live on Fox One. When it matters most, turn to the voices you trust. We go beyond the headlines, bringing you the stories you won't hear anywhere else. Live coverage, sharp analysis, real perspective, at home or on the go. Stay connected when it counts. Stream Fox News on Fox One. Download today. I wrote a little song to remind you,

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See you on the roof. Welcome back. As the fallout from Iran's attack against Israel continues to intensify, I want to take a moment to look at the options available to the U.S. to squeeze the Islamic regime and, importantly, ask if the Biden administration has the political will or Kahones to take aggressive action against Iran. After all, for three years, the Biden administration has placed Iran apologists in key state department and Pentagon positions, hoping that a president.

policy of appeas and a light touch would somehow bring the mullahs into the community of nations. Well, not to spoil the ending, but their Iran policy hasn't worked. Now, an obvious target for any administration serious about taking on the Iranian regime would be Tehran's lucrative oil trade, specifically with China. However, analysts warn that President Biden is unlikely to issue any new sanctions on Iran's crude exports for fear of upsetting China, as well as. causing gas prices to spike as we head into election season, and that's according to our Reuters' report. Well, you wouldn't want to upset China, and you certainly wouldn't want voters paying more for gas

in an election season, particularly when your poll numbers are in the tank. In the wake of Iran's attack, House Republicans accused Biden of failing to enforce existing sanctions against the Iranian regime, making it easier for their leaders to fund terrorism throughout the Middle East. They promised swift action this week and followed through on Monday evening passing a bill called the Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act by an overwhelming margin. The legislation would expand sanctions on Iran by clamping down on Chinese financial institutions that purchase Iranian oil, while banning U.S. financial institutions from doing business with any Chinese firms found to be engaging with the regime. For some context, crude exports are the lifeblood of Iran's economy.

economy, and China accounted for roughly 90% of those exports last year, purchasing an average of 1.1 million barrels of Iranian crude per day. That accounted for roughly 10% of China's oil imports last year. Now, the House bill faces an uphill climb in the Senate, where, in addition to concerns about China, Democrats, frankly, are weary of doing anything that may push gas prices higher as we head towards November. Analysts also say that Biden, who is already juggling a strained relationship with China's Xi Jinping, is hesitant to do anything that could further destabilize the U.S. China relationship. With mounting pressure to take action against Iran, however, the administration now faces the

vexing problem of how to rein in Iran without antagonizing China. We should note, China's business has helped Iran almost completely arrayed. their losses from sanctions imposed back in 2018 by former President Trump, rendering them somewhat meaningless without increased enforcement. Kimberly Donovan, a sanctions expert for the Atlantic Council, told Reuters, quote, I would not expect the administration to tighten enforcement in response to Iran's missile and drone attacks against Israel over the weekend, mainly for concerns it could lead to increases in oil prices. The price of oil and ultimately the prices of gas at the pump, become critical during an election year, end quote.

Well, I know it's not going to happen, but how refreshing would it be if an administration would actually prioritize what's right over what's politically expedient? Okay, shifting gears to the war in Ukraine. Leaders in Kiev are warning that in the absence of continued U.S. military aid, their forces are beginning to falter against Russia. President Zelensky revealed in a recent interview with PBS that the Ukrainian military was unable to stop a Russian missile attack last week that destroyed the largest coal-powered thermal plant near Kiev because they, frankly, ran out of missiles for their air defense systems,

that's according to a Reuters report. Zelensky said that during the assault, Russia fired 11 missiles towards the Tripilska power plant, but said his forces were only able to intercept seven. When asked why, Zelensky told PBS, quote, because we had zero missile. We ran out of all missiles. Attacks against Ukraine's power stations and facilities have intensified in recent weeks, crippling an already seriously damaged energy grid. The attack on the power plant in Tripilska was a particularly damaging blow, as it was the main source of power to the Ukrainian capital and two neighboring regions.

Russia is taking advantage of Ukrainian vulnerabilities now, particularly their rapidly dwindling supply of missiles and lack of sophisticated air defense systems. For weeks, Zelensky has urgently called on the U.S. and European allies to fill the gap, but any potential aid coming from the U.S., well, that remains tied up in a deadlocked Congress. Kiev did get a bit of good news on this front from Germany, whose chancellor promised on Saturday to send an additional patriot air defense system to Ukraine amid Russia's renewed aerial assaults.

While Zelensky was grateful for the show of support, he has stated that Ukraine realistically needs 25 patriot systems to defend its territory. Zelensky pointed to the effectiveness of the Israeli Iron Dome, which prevented serious damage or casualties during the Iranian bombardment of Israel on Saturday as a model for what could be possible in Ukraine with greater international support. Zelensky has warned, however, that time is increasingly a factor, saying that if Russia continues with their current pace of attack, Ukraine will run out of defensive missiles entirely. He spoke harshly regarding members of the U.S. House of Representatives, where a proposed $60 billion aid package has been stuck since last fall.

Zelensky told PBS, quote, nobody cares how many people are dying in Ukraine every day. They only care about their approval ratings. That's what it's all about, but forgetting that dead people don't care about ratings, end quote. The Ukrainian leader added, I can tell you, frankly, without this support, we will have no chance of winning. Now, as we discussed yesterday on the PDB, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to bring separate aid packages for Israel and Ukraine to the floor for a vote this week, though, frankly, the fate of these bills is anything but certain. For what it's worth, I'm not really sure what the Republicans in Congress,

who currently oppose any more aid to Ukraine, imagine will happen in this war if the U.S. stopped supporting the Ukrainian military. I mean, maybe they don't care. And if that's the case, then that particular gaggle of representatives should have to come out and say, we don't care if Putin wins, not our problem. At least then, they'd be honest.

Coming up in today's back of the brief, we take a look at China's hand in America's fentanyl crisis. A House report exposes out Chinese subsidies may be making the epidemic worse. I'll be right back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic

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Bring it on. In today's back of the brief, a disturbing report from a House Select Committee on China is shining a light on the alarming tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party in the illicit fentanyl trade. According to the committee, China is using tax rebates to underwrite the production and exportation of fentanyl components, contributing to the drug crisis in the United States. The new findings highlight China's key role in this drug trade and accuses the Chinese Communist Party of subsidizing companies that have been implicated in the global distribution

of this incredibly dangerous drug. The committee's investigation, which spanned several months, revealed a concerning lack of law enforcement measures from China to stop the flood of fentanyl-related substances into the U.S. The emerging details suggest China's complicity in perpetuating the drug crisis and cast doubt on promises that it's made to halt their export. Well, wait, if You can't trust promises from the Chinese regime, I don't know what the world is coming to. The House panels deep dive into the crisis, involved scrutinizing Chinese online platforms and state documents and tracked narcotics transactions, building a case for increased international cooperation and dialogue among law enforcement to address the threat. To combat the influx

of fentanyl from China, the report calls for the formation of a specialized task force targeting the vulnerabilities in the illicit drug trade network, yeah, Washington, D.C. loves nothing more than creating new task forces. It also recommends expanding sanction powers and enhancing trade and customs protocols to block fentanyl trafficking routes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need to close the loopholes in regulatory and enforcement frameworks. Now, I haven't read the entire committee report yet, but perhaps they could have also suggested that the U.S. should actually cure the southern border. I mean, maybe it's just me, but having a semi-porous or porous border, at least based on my experiences anyway, in counter-narcotics operations, well, it doesn't help

to mitigate the problem. Finally, the report also suggests that China believes the U.S. has to do more to mitigate its own opioid demand. Oh, well, thanks, China. We'll get busy on curbing the demand side while you stop facilitating the trafficking. How's that sound? And that, my friend, and that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday's 17 April. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.

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