The President's Daily Brief - May 6th, 2024: Israeli Ammo Woes, Kim’s Missile Secrets, & Canada Arrests Assassins

Episode Date: May 6, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   We’ll bring you the latest in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, where the Biden administration is pressuring the Netanyahu government to call off an offensive in Rafah by suspending vital ammunition shipments.   A shocking discovery on Ukraine’s battlefields reveals North Korean ballistic missiles equipped with advanced US and European components.   We cover a major development in Canada, where a hit squad allegedly linked to the Indian government has been arrested in connection with the 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist.   In our Back of the Brief segment, tensions escalate in Niger as Russian military personnel, including those from the group formerly known as Wagner, occupy an airbase alongside US troops.   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

Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade. Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right.

Bad advice. You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. Today's episode is brought to you by B. Transform your sleep with Beam's dream. It's the secret behind 15 million nights of improved sleep. Think about that, 15 million nights. Fall asleep faster, you stay asleep longer, and you know what?

You're going to wake up refreshed. Get up to 40% off at shopbeam.com slash PDB and use the code PDB. It's Monday, 6 May. 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 kick things off with the latest from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with the Biden administration,

pressuring the Netanyahu government to hold off on its offensive in Rafah, and the Biden administration is reportedly suspending shipments of ammunition to the Jewish state. Later on in the show, we reveal a bombshell from Ukraine's battlefields, North Korean ballistic missiles containing advanced U.S. and European components, What? We'll also discuss a major development in Canada, where authorities have arrested a hit squad allegedly tied to the Indian government implicated in the 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. And in today's back of the brief, we explore the escalating tensions in Niger, where Russian military personnel, including members of the private army formerly known as the Wagner Group, are now

occupying an air base alongside U.S. troops. Strange bedfellows. Not literally. But first, today's PDB spotlight. The Biden administration is now playing hardball when it comes to dealing with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to our report in Axios, the U.S. has suspended shipments of military equipment meant for the Israeli military, and this would mark the first time since the 7th October attacks by Hamas that the U.S. has prevented weapons shipments from reaching Israel. The news comes after U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reportedly had a tough conversation with Netanyahu while he was in Tel Aviv this past week, and as the administration continues to worry that an offensive operation in Rava designed to eliminate remaining Hamas battalions

and key leadership could significantly worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, not to mention significantly worse than the Biden administration's chances of holding on to the youth and Arab-American vote. But that was chertlish of me. According to two sources briefed on the meeting, Blinken told Netanyahu during their meeting that any major military operation in Rafah would lead to the U.S. publicly opposing it and would have an adverse impact on U.S. Israel relations. Oh, you think? Yesterday, at the outset of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement possibly directed at the Biden administration. Posting to X, Netanyahu said, quote, in the terrible Holocaust, there were great world leaders

who stood by idly. Therefore, the first lesson of the Holocaust is, if we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend us, and if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone, end quote. U.S. officials are still holding out hope that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas can be secured in the coming days. However, the prospects of such a deal appeared to dim a bit over the weekend, and by a bit, I mean quite a bit. During a visit to Israeli military forces in Gaza this weekend, Minister of Defense Yoav Galant said, Israel sees, quote, worrying signals that Hamas isn't going to move toward an agreement on releasing hostages. In addition, Israel closed off a critical humanitarian,

crossing into Gaza yesterday after a rocket barrage was fired by Hamas from the southern Gaza city of Rafa. The Israeli army reported that a barrage of rockets were fired at Keremshalom, a key humanitarian aid transfer point, which U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited just last week. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, and according to a social media post by Israel's foreign ministry, at least 10 Israelis were injured in that rocket attack. According to the IDF, the rocket attack was carried out from an area close to the Rafa crossing with Egypt, just 350 meters or so from a civilian shelter. Coming up next, we uncovered disturbing evidence on the battlefields of Ukraine.

Ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea found with advanced components from the U.S. and Europe. Apparently, despite years of sanctions on the Hermit Kingdom, Kim's regime has still managed to access sophisticated technology to improve and build out their arms industry. Then we shift our focus to Canada, where authorities have arrested members of a hit squad allegedly linked to the Indian government and allegedly responsible for the 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. I'll be right back.

Welcome back. For months, it has been apparent, and we've been reporting, that Russia is relying on North Korea for a significant portion of its weaponry in Ukraine. Initially, it was thought that North Korea was simply supplying mostly outdated armaments from its extensive Cold War era stockpiles, including artillery and small arms ammunition. However, North Korea has also been providing some of its more advanced weapons to Russia, and that includes short-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets up to 435 miles away. Weapons inspectors have been analyzing numerous items in use by the Russian military, including some fragmentation and recovered parts from ballistic missiles imported from

Pyongyang and fired into Ukraine by the Russian military. And earlier this year, according to a BBC report, those inspectors made a shocking discovery. While examining the components of a Huasong 11 series ballistic missile that had landed in the city of Kharkiv back in January, they found that the missile was, quote, bursting with the latest foreign technology. As a matter of fact, most of the electronic parts for the missile had been manufactured in the U.S. and Europe over just the past few years. Weapons inspectors even discovered a U.S. computer chip made as recently as March 23. Now, that means that North Korea has been illegally obtaining Western components, sneaking them into the country, assembling the missile and secretly shipping them to Russia, where they had been transported to the

front line and fired all in a matter of months. So it's clearly a very efficient operation that they've got going on. And the biggest bombshell here is that the Kim regime has been mass-producing weapons that contain components that Western companies are prohibited from selling to North Korea under the current sanctions regime, including advanced computer chips. So you ask yourself, just how is North Korea beating Western sanctions and getting their hands on this advanced technology? Well, it's a good question to ask yourself. The answer being, well, modern weapons often use the same computer chips that are found in phones, washing machines, and cars. Manufacturers sell billions of these chips to distributors, who then, of course, supply them to a variety of firms

around the globe. According to Joseph Byrne, a North Korea expert at the London-based think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, North Koreans based overseas, set up fake companies in Hong Kong or other Central Asian countries to buy the items using predominantly fat stacks of stolen cash. They then send the products into North Korea, usually over its border with China. And if a fake company is discovered and sanctioned, well, another one quickly pops up in its place. According to estimates, North Korea has shipped more than 7,000 containers worth of weapons to Russia since the start of the Putin-Kim partnership and bromance last year.

Now, this is going to surprise a lot of you, but both Russia and North Korea deny the illicit trade or engaging in shenanigans of any sort. All right, turning now to Canada and revisiting our previous coverage of the suspected assassination program run by the Indian government. On Friday, Canadian police arrested three Indian men in Edmonton, Alberta, all allegedly members of a hit squad involved in the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeeb Singh Nijar. Nijar, an Indian-born Canadian citizen, was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia.

The arrested individuals, all Indian nationals who have been in Canada for between three and five years, have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy. Now, Canadian authorities are still actively investigating the case and have not ruled out, further arrests as more details of the plot emerge. A superintendent for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the RCMP, mentioned that the agency is investigating whether the three men are directly connected to the Indian government. The arrests came more than seven months after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement that Canadian law enforcement was pursuing, quote, credible allegations of involvement by Indian government agents in the deadly attack.

The assassination and Trudeau's subsequent allegation. The assassination, and Trudeau's subsequent allegation, have significantly strained Canadian-Indian relations, leading to the expulsion of diplomats and the suspension of trade talks. Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi's government has denied involvement, dismissing the allegations as, quote, absurd. As previously reported, this alleged Indian assassination program extends beyond Canada. A secret intelligence assessment from Pakistan, revealed last year by the intercept, implicates India's intelligence agency, the research and analysis wing in plotting to murder activists, particularly those residing in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Canada. The primary targets of these assassinations

have been members of the Sikh diaspora, many of whom are separatists advocating for the creation of a separate Sikh state known as Khalistan. The Indian government labels the separatists as terrorists and considers them a threat to their national security. Last year, U.S. authorities thwarted the plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh activist in New York City, arresting an Indian government employee and an Indian drug trafficker. The activist, holding dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, serves as general counsel for Sikhs for justice, which is actively campaigning for this independent state. All right, coming up next in today's back of the brief. As the Pentagon negotiates the ordered withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger, a potentially

dangerous situation has emerged. Russian military personnel have occupied part of an air base where U.S. troops are stationed. It's like a Cold War version of guess who's coming to dinner? 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, Sweet and romantic like a lingering touch. Solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy. Ultra concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power.

Find your euphoria. Discover the euphoria elixir collection by Calvin Klein. In today's back of the brief segment, I wanted to give you an update on the ongoing saga in Niger, where the government has demanded that the U.S. withdraw its troops from the country after being there under a status of forces agreement since 2012. It's a story we've been closely watching here on the PDB, as it highlights a troubling regional development, the lessening of U.S. presence and influence in Africa as Russia and China work to increase their reach on the continent. Despite the local government's persistent call for withdrawal and deteriorating conditions for U.S. troops,

over 1,000 American personnel remain stationed in the African nation, although U.S. officials are negotiating the withdrawal with Nigerist military junta, no clear timeline for the exit has been announced. But now, it looks like the government of Niger has thrown a major curveball. Recent reports indicate that Russian military personnel have entered the air base that currently hosts U.S. troops, Russian military forces and paramilitary forces, many of whom are said to be members of what was formerly known as the Wagner Group, began arriving in April. It's currently estimated that between 60 and 100 of these Russian personnel are are now stationed at the base alongside American forces. As of right now, it's being reported

that the Russians are segregated on a separate compound and pose no immediate threat to U.S. troops. However, obviously, this still represents a potentially dangerous situation. The Russian personnel are occupying a portion of Air Base 101, which has been used by the U.S. since 2019 as part of its military efforts to conduct surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the region. The base is strategically located in the Sahara, enabling the U.S. to monitor and respond to extremist activities across West Africa. Now, that mission is carried out with the use of sophisticated surveillance equipment and drones, which has led, obviously, to concerns that Russian forces could gain access to valuable U.S. hardware. Now, the Pentagon is playing down the threat

posed by the Russian presence on Air Base 101. One U.S. defense official, speaking to Reuters, said, quote, the situation is not great, but in the short term, manageable, end quote. And U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, also acknowledged the situation this weekend. Speaking at a press conference in Hawaii, Austin noted, quote, I'm always focused on the safety and protection of our troops, but right now, I don't see a significant issue here in terms of our force protection, end quote. Oh, no, nothing to see here. It goes without saying that U.S.-Russia relations are at a post-Cold War low, and despite Pentagon efforts to play down what's happening in Niger, well, it has the potential to escalate into a significant diplomatic and

security dilemma. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 6 May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And as you may well have heard from talk on the street, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money,

because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds-fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.