The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 30th, 2023: Russia's Weapons Trade With Iran & India's Ties To An Attempted Assassination

Episode Date: November 30, 2023

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     Leaders in Tehran and Moscow have finalized a deal on a weapons package that will see the Iranian regime get their hands on advanced aircraft in exchange for their continued military support of Putin’s war in Ukraine. The attempted assassination of a Sikh separatist in New York appears to be linked to a larger network targeting the separatist group with ties to an official inside the Indian government. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.     Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Shop Ultima on Amazon or in store at Target and Whole Foods Market. It's Thursday, November 30th. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. It appears that leaders in Tehran and Moscow have finalized a deal on a weapons package that will see the Iranian regime get their hands on advanced aircraft in exchange for their continued military support of Putin's war in Ukraine. We're also learning more about the attempted assassination of a Sikh separatist in New York by an Indian national, who appears to be part of a larger network tied to an official inside the Indian government. But first, our afternoon spotlight.

Russia and Iran have reportedly agreed on a weapons deal that will arm the Iranian regime with state-of-the-art fighter jets and attack helicopters. The unprecedented exchange is just the latest signal that the two foreign powers are drawing closer together. While Moscow has yet to publicly confirm any weapons transactions, Iran's Japan's Deputy Defense Minister said Wednesday that a deal has been inked and the process of acquiring the aircraft is currently underway. Now the package will reportedly include an unknown number of SU35 fighter jets, MI28 attack

helicopters and Yak-130 jet trainers, according to a report by Business Insider. Additionally, Russia will reportedly help Iran with their missile program and aid the regime satellite collection capabilities. Unconfirmed reports suggest the number of fighter jets could be as high as 24. Now, such a deal would obviously be a major boon to Iran's military. They haven't acquired fighter jets from the Russians since the early 1990s. Putin's benevolence towards the Iranian regime comes at a price, which, frankly, Iran is more than happy to pay. While the Russians provide the Iranians with new military equipment and technology,

Russia will continue to receive munitions for their beleaguered war effort in Ukraine. Separately, the White House said last week that intelligence indicates Iran is also preparing to send advanced short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to shore up their dwindling supplies. Now, concern has been growing in the halls of Washington, D.C., over the increasingly cozy relationship between the Putin regime and the Iranian leaders. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby recently warned that the unprecedented cooperation threatened the security of the entire, entire international community and risked further destabilizing the fragile situation in the Middle

East and the war in Ukraine. It's worth remembering, though, that Vladimir Putin is not exactly an honest broker. How's that for a diplomatic statement? And some observers have wondered just how long Russia may drag their feet on following through with the deal. An analysis from the Institute for the Study of War published on Tuesday noted that Iranian leaders have claimed since late 20, that they would be receiving a shipment of Russian fighter jets, but have yet to get their hands on anything. However, this is definitely a marriage of convenience. Putin has very few options when it comes to allies capable of replenishing his war supplies. All right, coming up after the break. We return to the unfolding situation regarding the attempted assassination of a Sikh separatist

in New York, which appears to have been orchestrated by an official inside the Indian government. I'll be right back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong.

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I wanted to update you on the unfolding story of an alleged assassination plot orchestrated by the nation of India. As we reported last week, U.S. authorities thwarted a conspiracy to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil. That conspiracy has now been confirmed, as has the target, an American citizen in New York who advocates for a Sikh separatist state. In Manhattan, an indictment unveiled the accusation against a man named Nikiel Gupta, charging him with orchestrating this assassination plot. Now, Gupta allegedly collaborated with an Indian official who remains unnamed to arrange a hit on the victim in New York City. This official was reportedly willing to pay $100,000

for the hit, with Gupta facilitating a $15,000 advance to the would-be assassin. The Indian official provided Gupta with the victim's home address, phone numbers, and daily routine, all setting the stage for the murder. Gupta's instructions to the would-be assassin, were very specific, carry out the hit promptly, but steer clear of dates marking high-level Indo-American diplomatic engagements. However, the plot quickly unraveled as the hitman he hired was, in fact, an undercover federal agent. Charges have now been brought against Gupta for murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit the same. Now, the intended target of the assassination was an American citizen named Grapotwan Singh Panan, a lawyer and a leader of Sikhs for justice,

and that's a New York-based group that's been labeled a terrorist organization by the Indian government. Reacting to the indictment, Panon said, quote, The attempt on my life on American soil is the blatant case of India's transnational terrorism, which has become a challenge to America's sovereignty and threat to freedom of speech and democracy, end quote. As we've been reporting here on the PDB, this latest plot in New York is not an isolated incident. It echoes a fatal attack in Canada on another Sikh activist, Hardeeb Singh-Nijar, which Canadian authorities believe was also linked to India. This killing has ignited an ongoing diplomatic clash between Canada and India. Now, despite these allegations, the Indian government, of course, has steadfastly denied any involvement in these plots.

One final note today. Henry Kissinger passed away yesterday at the age of 100. Now, Kissinger was the leading U.S. diplomat of the Cold War era, best known for negotiating arms-controlled deals with the Soviet Union, working to end the Vietnam War, Middle East peace negotiations, and opening China to Western trade. Now, some considered him a giant of diplomacy, while others were critical of his involvement

in everything from toppling the Chilean government to supporting the bombing campaign in Cambodia. But regardless of viewpoint, Henry Kissinger was front and center for decades in influencing and guiding U.S. foreign policy. A little known fact about him. Kissinger served in the U.S. Army's 84th Infantry Division during World War II,

during which he worked in intelligence operations, including the capture of Gestapo members. He was awarded the Bronze Star. RIP, Dr. Kissinger. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday 30 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here from MintMobil, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much.

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