The President's Daily Brief - October 24th, 2024: US Adversaries Plot Post-Election Violence, Terror In Turkey, & Al Jazeera's Alleged Ties To Hamas

Episode Date: October 24, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:     U.S. intelligence agencies are warning that Russia, China and Iran are escalating their efforts to influence the 2024 presidential election, and are planning to stoke divisions and even violence following the vote to undermine confidence in American democracy. Later in the program, we’ll turn to Turkey, which was rocked Wednesday by a major terrorist attack targeting a large Turkish defense and aviation company that left at least five people dead and 22 injured. Then, an update on the ongoing violence in Haiti, as gangs ramp up attacks to expand their territorial control, and the country’s transitional government begs the U.N. to launch a peacekeeping mission. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, the IDF recently uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip suggesting six Al Jazeera journalists working in the region are actually operatives for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. 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]  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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That's a lot of years in a row. So go to Patriot Gold Group.com or call 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Thursday, 24 October. Welcome to the president's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. Coming up on today's show, U.S. intelligence agencies are warning that Russia, China, and Iran are escalating their efforts to influence the 2024 presidential election and are planning to stoke divisions and even violence following the vote to undermine confidence in American democracy. Well, it seems like that would be reason enough to enact additional sanctions on all three.

I mean, not to sound like a parent, but if there's no consequences for bad actions, the three despotic toddlers running Russia, China, and Iran won't change their behavior. Later in the program, we'll turn to Turkey, which was rocked Wednesday by a major terrorist attack targeting a large Turkish defense and aviation company that left at least five people dead and 22 injured. Plus, an update on the ongoing violence in Haiti as gangs ramp up attacks to expand their territorial control, and the country's transitional government begs the UN to launch a peacekeeping mission. And in today's back of the brieb, in a report out of Israel, the IDF recently uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip indicating that six Al Jazeera journalists working in the region

are actually operatives for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. But first, today's PDB spotlight. I want to begin in the U.S. with a stark warning from U.S. intelligence agencies regarding efforts by America's adversaries to stoke domestic divisions as we head towards the home stretch of the 2024 presidential election. Officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence briefing reporters Tuesday about the wide-ranging threats facing the election, said Russia, China, and Iran are escalating their efforts to undermine the vote, and, more disturbingly, are considering fomenting violence

in the aftermath of the election to further inflame America's intense political divisions. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the goal is to weaken American democracy by undermining confidence in the outcome of the election, which, of course, is now less than two weeks away. Officials warned that the foreign actors will likely engage in wide-ranging disinformation operations to encourage voters to challenge the validity of the results and may also engage in more targeted physical threats of violence. A U.S. intelligence official told the journal, quote, Some foreign actors have the capacity to stoke protests and take violent actions during this period. In particular, Iran and Russia are probably willing to at least consider tactics,

that would contribute to such violence, end quote. Iran has been under the spotlight for months over their attempts to engage in violent acts around the election. As you're likely aware, the Islamic regime is involved in ongoing attempts to assassinate former President Trump, plots that intelligence officials, say, have intensified in recent months. Additionally, hackers linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, have been engaged in a multifaceted effort to infiltrate the inner circles of Trump and the Biden administration as well in an effort to influence the outcome of the election. They managed to breach the Trump campaign through a phishing email in June

that targeted longtime Republican operative and Trump ally Roger Stone, successfully stealing internal campaign documents that they subsequently distributed to American media outlets and members of the Harris campaign. Russia, meanwhile, is reportedly considering their own operations to promote violence in the aftermath of the vote. Intelligence officials said they expect the Kremlin to stoke domestic chaos regardless of who wins, but said they'll be more likely to encourage discord in the event of a Harris victory. During Tuesday's briefing, officials revealed a Russian intelligence unit has already tried to recruit unwitting persons inside the U.S. to organize protests related to the election outcome.

An intelligence source told the journal, quote, Russia believes election controversies distract and weaken the United States. Some of these influence efforts are aimed at inciting violence and calling into question the validity of democracy as a political system, end quote. Additionally, the Russians are already engaged in disinformation campaigns

that aim to spread fake viral content. In one example cited during Tuesday's briefing, Officials said a Kremlin-linked propaganda group was behind a recent viral post that alleged that Democrat Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz sexually abused one of his former students when he was a high school teacher. The claim was quickly debunked, but was amplified by influencers allowing it to garner millions of views across various social media channels. The briefing coincides with a new threat assessment released by Microsoft on Wednesday, which warns that Russia, Iran, and China are also ramping up efforts to use generative AI and cyber-influence operations to try and steer the vote in the final days of the campaign. China, in particular,

is said to have unleashed an army of social media bots targeting voters in Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee. The operation is employing fake accounts to disparage Republicans in those states who are facing competitive down-ballot races. Microsoft said the Chinese network has, quote, parroted anti-Semitic messages, amplified accusations of corruption, and promoted opposition candidates, end quote. Now, the group, known as Taizzi Flood, reportedly has close ties to China's Ministry of Public Security. They believe the politicians are being targeted for their past denunciations of the Chinese government.

Unsurprisingly, well, this is very much unsurprisingly, officials with the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, condemned the allegations from both U.S. intelligence officials and Microsoft as, quote, malicious speculations, claiming they have no intention of interfering in the election. Not going to do it. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran, well, they've been silent on the allegations. All right. Coming up next, we'll turn to Turkey, which was rocked Wednesday by a major terrorist attack, targeting a large Turkish defense and aviation company that left at least five people dead and 22 injured. Plus, an update on the ongoing violence in Haiti as gangs ramp up attacks to expand their territorial control. And the country's transitional government begs the UN to launch a

peacekeeping mission. I'll have those stories when we come back. Ryan Reynolds here from Mintmobile, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required.

Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back to the PDB. I want to turn your attention to Turkey, where armed assailants stormed the headquarters of Turkey state-run aerospace

company, Turkish aerospace industries, on Wednesday. Now, the attack left five people dead and 22 others injured in what Turkish officials quickly labeled a terrorist incident, with initial reports suggesting the involvement of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or the PKK, as it's known. For decades, the PKK fought a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state, seeking autonomy for Kurdish regions. This conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives over the years, and the group is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and other Western allies. Turkey has endured repeated attacks from Kurdish separatists, radical leftist groups, and jihadists like the Islamic State. The PKK's violence often flares up following political developments,

and it's known for launching high-profile attacks on state institutions. Wednesday's attack near Ankara occurred just a day after one of Turkish President Erdogan's closest allies suggested the possibility of releasing Abdullah Ocelan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. if he were to call for an end to the insurgency. Ocelan has been held in prison near Istanbul since 1999, and the potential of his release hints at a shift in the long-stalled peace talks between Turkey and the PKK. The Interior Minister confirmed the grim details of the attack,

stating that it was, quote, most probably carried out by the PKK. The Minister noted that two attackers, a man and a woman, seen with backpacks, rifles, and explosives, were killed during the evening. incident, he added, quote, we believe these individuals were members of the PKK, while noting that investigations were ongoing. And thus far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The mayor of the district, where the terrorist incident took place, told local media that hostages had been taken in a cafeteria inside the compound. As of late Wednesday, it remains unclear how the hostage situation has been resolved. President Erdogan condemned the, quote,

heinous terrorist attack during a meeting with Russian President Putin at the Brick Summit in Russia, emphasizing the attack undermines Turkey's peace. Turkish aerospace industries, a critical player in Turkey's defense sector, produces vital components for aircraft, helicopters, drones, and military technology. The attack represents a significant blow to the country's defense industry, striking at the heart of its efforts to reduce reliance on foreign defense contractors. In the immediate aftermath, the social media platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook were restricted across Turkey. That's according to NetBlocks, a group that monitors internet disruptions.

The Turkish government does impose such measures following terrorist incidents to limit the spread of unverified information. Turkey's pro-Kurdish people's equality and democracy party condemned the attack, expressing suspicion that the assault may have been time to derail potential peace talks. All right, let's shift our focus to Haiti, where escalating gang violence is overwhelming, previously untouched regions deepening the country's humanitarian crisis. In a desperate plea, the Haitian government is now requesting that the UN transform the current multinational security support mission into a UN peacekeeping operation in response to growing unrest and mass displacement. Over the past week, the Viv Anzam Alliance of Armed Gangs, which overthrew

the government back in March, intensified its attacks, seizing areas around the capital, border prince, and expanding into suburbs and farming regions. The gang violence has terrorized communities and overwhelmed the Haitian police force, which remains critically under-resourced despite international assistance. Maria Isabel Salvador, head of the UN-integrated office in Haiti, described the worsening situation to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, stating, quote, the spread of violence from land and sea is spreading terror and fear, overwhelming the national security apparatus, end quote. Salvador detailed a massacre last week, where gang members killed at least 115 people,

including children. This led to over 4,000 residents fleeing from the area, adding to the 700,000 Haitians, already displaced by the ongoing. gang violence. The renewed violence has deepened Haiti's humanitarian crisis, of course, leaving over 5 million Haitians facing hunger and thousands nearing famine. On Monday, Haiti's acting Prime Minister announced he recalled the island's depleted police force and soldiers from VIP protection areas, redeploying them to active combat zones. The Haitian government's plea for a UN peacekeeping mission comes seven years after the last UN mission departed the island.

Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti's transitional presidential council, formally requested U.N. Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez to intervene earlier this week, stressing that the current support mission led by Kenya since June is, quote, critically under-resourced and unable to restore order. So far, that support mission has deployed only 400 international security personnel from Kenya, Jamaica, Belize, and the Bahamas, just a fraction of the two. 2005 that were initially expected. This delay has severely hindered efforts to curb the growing power of the gangs and hampered their ability to effectively assist the Haitian police. Now, Voltaire's request

marks a significant political shift as he's a member of the Fonmi Lavalas party, which has been historically opposed to foreign intervention. Rising political tensions within Haiti's transitional government are reportedly further complicating the situation and threatening to paralyze stabilization efforts such as they are. The international community has expressed concern over the deteriorating situation. Well, that's nice. Deputy U.S. Representative of the U.N. Dorothy Shea echoed Voltaire's call for transforming the current support mission into a UN peacekeeping operation, stating that such a move would, quote, secure more stable funding and expand the mission's capabilities," end quote. However, opposition from Russia and China, who have historically resisted

foreign intervention in Haiti, preferring instead intervention in Ukraine and Taiwan, could block swift UN action. Okay, up next in the back of the brief. The IDF recently uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip, revealing that six Al Jazeera journalists working in the region are actually operatives for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. I'll have those details after the break. 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 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. Choice Hotels gets you more of what you value. Comfort in, it's calling your name. Save on the stay. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim. Book direct at sourceotels.com. In today's of the brief. The Israeli military has accused six Al Jazeera journalists working in Gaza of being active members of both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad terrorist groups. Officials with the IDF said they recently uncovered a stash of documents from the Gaza Strip that unequivocally prove that these reporters serve in the military wings of both groups and have spearheaded efforts to spread Hamas propaganda on Al Jazeera, particularly in the

northern Gaza Strip, according to a report from the Times of Israel. The IDF distributed the documents to members of the press on Wednesday, which included membership lists, phone directories, and salary slips for operatives with the Qasam brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades. The Al-Jazeera reporters' names all appeared in the documents. One of the reporters allegedly doubles as the head of a rocket-launching squad for Hamas, while another allegedly serves as a team commander in Hamas's Nusurat Battalion. Their roles varied with others listed as snipers, propagandists, and training commanders. In a statement, the IDF said, quote, these documents are proof of the involvement of Hamas terrorists in the Qatari media network, Al Jazeera, end quote. Now, Al Jazeera, whose coverage of the war in Gaza

does tend to be highly critical of Israeli operations, have denied all the allegations against their reporters, accusing Israel of using, quote, fabricated evidence. Representatives for the outlet claimed Israel has a long history of hostility towards the network and said the allegations were a, quote, blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide. They added, just because these journalists are moonlighting for Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, that doesn't mean their reporting will be biased, end quote. All right, fine, I made up that last bit, that last quote.

While the allegations have yet to be independently verified, Al Jazeera has a checkered history with the militant groups in Gaza. Four Israeli hostages were rescued in June from the home of a Palestinian journalist and former spokesperson for Hamas who had previously written a column for Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera quickly denied any association, threatening to sue anyone claiming that he was an employee. That's a new tact. And an Al Jazeera staff journalist and a freelancer who were killed in an Israeli air strike back in January were also alleged to be terror operatives working for Hamas in Gaza, though the network has long denied the claims. The following month, another journalist with the network was accused by Israel of being a deputy company commander with Hamas after he was injured in an air strike.

Israel, for their part, has recently intensified their scrutiny of Al Jazeera's local branches, raiding the channel's offices in the West Bank last month, and ordering that they remain closed for at least 45 days. That followed the controversial rate of Al Jazeera's offices in East Jerusalem in May, which were permanently shuttered. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 24 October. Now, if you have any questions or comments or humorous anecdotes, just reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com.

And don't forget what your mother told you. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by simply visiting BDB Premium.com. Always listen to your mom. I'm Mike Baker. Now, I'll be back later today with the BDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe.

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