The President's Daily Brief - September 14th, 2023: Cold War Echoes: Putin’s Meeting with Kim & Nature’s Fury in North Africa

Episode Date: September 14, 2023

In this episode of "The President's Daily Brief": A new alliance stirs as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin meet in Russia, hinting at an ammunition deal that might boost Moscow's efforts in Ukraine. Nature’s fury tests Libya and Morocco. An update on Elon Musk's contentious decision in occupied Crimea as a key Democratic lawmaker is demanding an investigation. 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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Let's get briefed. We'll begin today in Far Eastern Russia, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-Nutt has pledged his support to Vladimir Putin. The relationship has moved from the exchanging a friendship bracelet to a full-on bromance, raising fears of a new ammunition deal that could feel. Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine. In a summit that lasted over four hours, the two isolated leaders explored a concerning alignment of interests and the revival of the Cold War Alliance. Later on, we'll move to North Africa, where the nations of Libya and Morocco are each grappling with the disastrous and deadly aftermaths of two natural disasters. And in today's back of the brief, I have a follow-up

to a story from earlier this week, as a key democratic lawmaker is calling for an investigation into SpaceX CEO Elon Musk over his decision not to support a Ukrainian attack in occupied Crimea. But first, today's PDB spotlight. The much-anticipated summit between North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Lan and Vladimir Putin, which we've discussed previously here on the PDB, is now in the books, and as expected, it looks like the two leaders are pledging mutual support to each other's interests and objectives. And when I say it looks like, I mean, Kim literally expressed his complete support for Putin's war in Ukraine. During the four-hour-long meeting, the North Korean leader said, and I quote,

we have always supported and stand by all decisions of President Putin. He called Russia's invasion a sacred struggle against Western imperialism. Putin returned the love and adoring sideways glances, talking up economic ties and reminding everyone that Russia was the first nation to recognize North Korea's sovereignty all the way back in 1948. Oh, it's a long-term romance. So what should we expect moving forward? With North Korea's extensive munition stockpiles and its large arms industry, there's a

better than good chance that Kim might be looking to help out Russia with some firepower. After all, many North Korean weapons are Soviet-style, making them compatible with what Russia has. And what does North Korea get in return? Well, the meaning spot, a Russian spaceboard called Vostoknykosmotr might be a clue about Kim's game plan. He likely sees this relationship as a way to acquire advanced weapons from Russia that could create a significant concern for the U.S. and its Asia allies. Oh, and speaking of weapons, while all this was going on, North Korea decided to test out a couple of short-range ballistic missiles. South Korea spotted them flying from Sunan near Pyongyang's International Airport, heading east over international waters where they eventually landed harmlessly. All right, when we come back, a double tragedy that's shaking North Africa.

Libya and Morocco are struggling with catastrophic disasters that have left at least 18. thousand people dead and many thousands more injured are missing. I'll be right back. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot machine by aristocrat gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package. The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29th. Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th, out of anniversary. UN. Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of

Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. Welcome back to the President's Daily Brief. I want to turn now to the Libyan City of Durnah, about 190 miles east of Benghazi, where the death toll from catastrophic floods continues to rise. On Sunday evening, two dams in the Mediterranean city burst after a torrential downpour, causing water to search through the city and drag entire home. with their occupants into the sea. Reports indicate entire neighborhoods have been washed away. The aftermath has been heartbreaking. As of Wednesday, the death toll stands at over 6,000 people,

but that's a conservative estimate. Morgs are already at capacity and bodies are beginning to pile up in the streets. Hospitals are out of commission, just when they're needed the most. Around 10,000 more people are unaccounted for. They might be lost at sea or under the city's rubble. The United Nations highlighted another grim fact. Over 30,000 people have been displaced by these floods. As rescue teams scrambled to dig through collapsed buildings,

there's an urgent call for more humanitarian aid. But here's the challenge. The massive damage to roads and bridges has made many parts of dirt up just impossible to reach. There are only two main routes open into the city at the current time. And if that wasn't bad enough, the storm knocked out all communications lines. leaving families outside Libya, waiting for any word on their missing family and friends. Now, Libya was one of those spots that burned bright in the headlines for a short period of time, and has since faded from most people's memories.

It was only 12 years ago that the country fell into significant civil war, with various warlords battling and rebels eventually killing the longtime Libyan strongman Moimor Gaddafi in October of 2011. it. Less than a year later, on September 11, 2012, members of Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American compound in Benghazi, resulting in the deaths of four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Since that time, Libya has been what, in technical terms, would be considered a hot mess. There's no unified government, little to no interest from the international community to get involved and a general sense that warlords, terrorists, and criminals hold sway inside the country. The general in-country chaos and lack of a centralized government have compounded the devastating

results of the Dernar flooding. Now, as Libya struggles with floods, the nation of Morocco is dealing with the aftermath of Friday's magnitude 6.8 earthquake that rocked the high Atlas mountains not too far from the bustling city of Marrakesh. The devastation is staggering. Over 2,900 people have lost their lives, and another 5,500 plus are injured, marking this as the deadliest quake to hit Morocco since the 1960s. Imagine entire communities flat. In places like Tinmel, which is about 75 miles from Marrakesh, nearly every house, has started rubble now, leaving its residents without a roof over their heads. The rugged terrain isn't doing rescuers any favors either. Despite the challenging conditions, international search teams from countries like Britain, Spain, and Gutter

are pitching in alongside the Moroccan military. However, hopes of finding any more survivors are dwindily. Interestingly, while Morocco has welcomed search and rescue teams from a handful of countries, it's been a bit hesitant about accepting other forms of aid. Aid groups across Europe are scratching their hands, wondering why Morocco isn't rolling out the red carpet for all the help and assistance it can get, especially since around 300,000 people are in need. The U.S., France, and other nations have offered their assistance, but so far, Morocco seems to be playing it close to the vest when it comes to accepting that foreign aid. All right, in today's back of the brief, a follow-up to our story about Elon Musk not giving the

Ukrainian military access to his Starlink internet. Senator Elizabeth Warren is stepping it, demanding an investigation into the billionaire's decision, because, well, it's Washington, D.C., where politicians can't let the day pass without demanding an investigation into something. I'll be right back. Spring is the season everyone refreshes everything except their blinds. People put it off because they think it's complicated, but at blinds.com, we've spent 30 years proving it's not. Right now, you can save big during the Spring Cyber Monday sale. Whether you want to DIY it or have a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we've got you.

Free samples, real design experts, and zero pressure. Just help when you need it. Shop up to 50% off site wide. Huge savings on special buys. Plus a free professional measure now during the Spring Cyber Monday sale. Rules and restrictions apply. Welcome back to the PDB. Earlier this week, we highlighted the brewing controversy over Elon Musk's decision

to not activate Starlink over-occupied Crimea after an urgent request from the Ukrainian government. What was Musk's reasoning? Well, it was clear from the Ukrainian government's request that they wanted to use the Starlink system to target Russian ships docked at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Musk later explained that he wanted to steer clear of direct involvement in the conflict, keeping SpaceX out of the crosshairs and what he felt

could be a massive escalation of the conflict. Now, this story has taken a twist. Fast forward to today. Senator Elizabeth Warren has some questions. Speaking outside a forum on artificial intelligence over on Capitol Hill, where Musk was also present, she's calling for a closer look into those contracts, and how Musk, or any tech CEO, for that matter, can make such decisions independent of the government's input. She's suggesting that Congress and the Department of Defense revisit U.S. military's deals with SpaceX,

especially after its recent agreement to buy Starlink terminals for use in Ukraine. And a fun fact, for those of you keeping score, this is not the first time that Warren has targeted Musk. Earlier this summer, she nudged the SEC to take a closer look at Musk's roles at both Tesla and Twitter. I'm sure Warren's latest call to investigate Musk has nothing to do with politics. Look, Musk runs a company that developed a robust technology, Starlink, that is proven critical to maintaining communications within Ukraine. But he's not the U.S. government. He wants a private sector company.

If the U.S. government wants to dictate how the Sterling technology is used to prosecute the war, maybe, just maybe, they should develop and offer the same technology, rather than the right. relying on the private sector to fill in the gaps. But the reality is, the private sector tends to be much better at innovating and developing new technologies. Senator Warren wants to act righteous about how Musk elects to use his company. That's fine. But she doesn't have the right to tell Musk what to do. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 14th September. If you have any questions of comments, reach out to us at PDB at the First I'm Mike Baker. Until tomorrow. Stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.

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