The President's Daily Brief - September 16th, 2024: Moscow’s Nuclear Deal with Tehran, CIA Claims in Venezuela, & U.S. Takes Out ISIS Leaders

Episode Date: September 16, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A joint warning from the US and UK highlights concerns over the growing alliance between Tehran and Moscow. Reports suggest that Russia may be sharing nuclear secrets with Iran in exchange for Tehran's supply of ballistic missiles to aid Russia's efforts in Ukraine. Venezuela has detained three American citizens, accusing them of involvement in a CIA-backed plot to destabilize the country and assassinate President Maduro. New details have emerged from a joint U.S.-Iraqi military raid in western Iraq targeting the Islamic State. The U.S. announced that four senior ISIS leaders were killed in the operation. And in today's Back of the Brief, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile in an attack that reached central Israel, marking the first strike of its kind in the ongoing conflict. 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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brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. Today, we'll kick things off with what the FBI is calling an apparent assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. It's, of course, a developing story and a very active investigation, so we'll have further details this afternoon during our afternoon bulletin, and, of course, during the week, as we learn more specifics. Then, in today's PDB spotlight, we'll examine a joint warning from the U.S. and UK about the growing alliance between Tehran and Moscow. There are concerns that Russia may be sharing nuclear secrets with Iran in exchange for Tehran supply a ballistic missiles to Moscow.

Now, let me put it this way, if I could. It would be naive to the point of recklessness to believe that there isn't serious weapons technology transfer going on between Russia and Iran. Later in the show, we'll cover Venezuela's detention of three American citizens accused of plotting to destabilize the country, as if Nicholas Maduro hasn't destabilized it enough on his own. The Venezuelan government claims that they were part of a, oh, of course, a CIA-backed plot to assassinate President Maduro, because that would be Chapter 2, I believe it is, in the Dictators' Handbook for Dummies, when you're being accused of stealing the election by your own citizens, blame the CIA. Plus, we've got new details on the joint U.S. Iraqi military raid that targeted

the Islamic State, ISIS, in Western Iraq late last month. The U.S. has announced that four senior ISIS leaders were killed during that operation. And in today's back of the brief, Yemen's Khutti rebels, remember them? Well, they're still causing trouble. They're claiming to have launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile in an attack that reached central Israel, not too far from the Ben-Gurian International Airport, marking the first strike of its kind and the ongoing conflict. Now, hmm, the question, of course, where could the Houthis have gotten a hypersonic ballistic missile? Well, whatever the answer, I bet it rhymes with Iran. But first, the still developing story out of Florida.

Former President Trump was the target of what law enforcement is calling an apparent assassination attempt shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday while golfing at Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach. According to law enforcement officials, secret service agents opened fire on a gunman who was just a couple of holes ahead of where the former president was playing. At the time, law enforcement sources have indicated that the gunman was between 300 and 500 yards away from the former president. Trump was unharmed and the suspect fled the scene but was a arrested shortly after. The would-be assassin has been identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Ralph.

I guess when you're an assassin or a psycho-killer, it's somewhat traditional to include your middle name. You have to use all three of your names, like Lee Harvey Oswald or James Earl Ray or John Wilkes Booth. Yeah. The agents reportedly spotted Ralph hiding in some bushes and aiming a rifle. Well, that would be a clue. They fired on the man who then sped away in a vehicle. Authorities later recovered what they described as an AK-47-style weapon at the scene, along with a camera and backpacks.

Ralph has had previous encounters with law enforcement. The FBI has launched an investigation, well, that's good, calling this, quote, what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump. In a campaign email sent shortly after the incident, the former president said, I am safe and well, adding nothing will slow me down, I will never surrender. Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee, of course, for president,

also responded to the news. In a post on X, Harris said, quote, I have been briefed on reports of gunshots, fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America, end quote. Although, when one party repeatedly calls the other party's candidate a threat to democracy, a dictator and someone who must be stopped, well, you're obviously running the risk that disturbed

individuals will see that as a call to action. We'll have more details in today's afternoon bulletin. All right, moving on to today's PDB spotlight. An alarming new chapter may be unfolding in the growing alliance between Russia and Iran, one that frankly could reshape the balance of power in Ukraine and potentially beyond. Reports suggest that Moscow might be sharing nuclear secrets with Tehran in exchange for short-range ballistic missiles to support its war efforts in Ukraine. This partnership was reportedly a key topic during strategic meetings between U.S. and U.K. officials in Washington late last week, as British Prime Minister Kirstarmer met with President Biden at the White House to discuss various aspects of foreign policy.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a similar warning last week during his trip to London, saying that Russia is sharing various technology that Iran is aggressively seeking, nuclear and space technologies chief among them. Now, as we've been reporting here on the PDB, Iran has transferred shipments of its FAR 360 close-range ballistic missiles to Russia. Now, these missiles with a range of around 75 miles have also been accompanied by Iranian training for Russian military personnel on the system. Pentagon officials believe that the missiles could be deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine in the coming weeks. Iran, for its part, who here's a surprise, continues to deny these claims, calling them completely baseless and false, while Russia has stopped short of denying the reports,

referring to Iran as a, quote, important partner. However, what's becoming clear is that this cooperation is only deepening. Now, these warnings are. significant, considering new intelligence that was revealed last week about Iran's expanding stockpiles of enriched uranium. Britain, France, and Germany warned last week that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium had, quote, continued to grow significantly without any credible civilian justification, and that it had accumulated four, quote, significant quantities that each could be used to make a nuclear bomb. If true, this emergency. partnership not only escalates the war in Ukraine, but could also further destabilize the Middle

East, of course, undermining international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation. Iran's alleged access to Russian technology poses a threat that, of course, reaches far beyond the battlefields of Eastern Europe. Now, this isn't the first time that Moscow has used its advanced technology as leverage to gain assistance in Ukraine. As we've noted before, Russia is believed to be sharing advanced weapons technologies with North Korea in exchange for munitions that have already made their way to the front lines. Just last week, Lieutenant General Karelo Boudanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, labeled North Korean assistance to Russia as one of the greatest challenges that his country is currently facing. In response to Iran's continued support for Russia's war

efforts, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued new sanctions against Tehran. Last Tuesday, the Biden administration announced sanctions targeting Iran air, and that's the Islamic Republic's flagship airline and its 67 aircraft. However, if past sanctions are any indication, these new measures are unlikely to alter Tecrans' behavior in any significant way, in part, well, because they continue to bypass restrictions thanks to their friends in the Evil League of Evil, including Russia and North Korea. Okay, coming up after the break, Venezuelan security forces arrest three Americans,

accusing them of being part of a CIA plot to overthrow the Maduro regime. Plus, we have new details on the ISIS raid carried out by U.S. and Iraqi forces last month in Western Iraq. I'll have those stories when we come back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection,

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stealing the country's late July presidential election, has decided to blame the CIA. Six foreign nationals, including three Americans, have been detained for allegedly, according to the Maduro regime, attempting to destabilize the country. Dictator Maduro's minions allege that the individual, have ties to the CIA. In a statement on Saturday, Venezuelan Interior Minister Dostado Cabello, alleged that the detained individuals,

three Americans, two Spaniards, at a check, were part of a CIA-orchestrated coup to overthrow Maduro and assassinate several high-ranking government officials. Among those arrested is Wilbert Joseph Castagneta Gomez, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, who, according to Cabello, served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia.

Colombia. Gomez, Cabello alleges, was a key figure in the plot and had been tasked with leading the assassination team. Cabello added that 400 U.S.-linked rifles were confiscated in the alleged plot. 400. In response, on the same day, the U.S. State Department confirmed the detention of a military member in Venezuela. They had, in fact, reported previously that a U.S. citizen with a military background had been detained. It acknowledges, quote, unconfirmed reports. of two additional U.S. citizens being detained. However, the department denied any involvement, stating, quote, any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,

end quote. It's important to note that the timing of these arrests, just days after the U.S. Treasury imposed 16 sanctions on Maduro's cronies, I suppose there's no such thing as a is there, suggests a potential escalation in the Maduro regime's efforts to portray itself as a victim of foreign interference. The Treasury Department targeted, quote, key officials involved in Maduro's fraudulent and illegitimate claims of presidential victory and its brutal crackdown of free expression following the election, end quote. The sanctions include members of the Maduro aligned National Electoral Council, which has yet to release tally sheets, proving that he won the 28th July election. Well, that's because, you know, they got to keep making them.

The sanctions also targeted five judges from Venezuela Supreme Court and members of Venezuela's security forces, which arrested more than 2,400 people in the post-election crackdown launched by Maduro. Since 2017, Maduro himself has been under U.S. sanctions. And if you're wondering, why Maduro's minions might arrest Spanish citizens? Well, late last week, Sparcts, Spain's parliament officially recognized opposition candidate at Mundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela's election. And as we covered on the PDB, Venezuela's attorney general hit Gonzalez with conspiracy charges, accusing him of trying to topple the government. Is there anyone who's not trying to topple the despotic dictator Maduro's government? Fearing arrest, Gonzalez has fled to

Spain where he's been granted asylum. The move outraged Maduro loyalists who called for severing ties with Spain. All right, shifting focus to Western Iraq. The Pentagon is revealing new details about the joint U.S. Iraqi military raid back in late August, claiming that the operation took out four senior ISIS leaders, including the terror group's top operations leader in Iraq and its chief bomb maker. The U.S. military disclosed the new details on Friday, confirming that a total of 14 ISIS fighters were killed. The 29 August dawn operation targeted ISIS's headquarters and associated guesthouses in Iraq's Anbar province. According to a statement from the U.S. Central Command, the operation carried out by ground forces and airborne landings by more than 200 troops from the

U.S. and Iraqi militaries killed Abduljal al-Itawi, described as responsible for all ISIS operations in Iraq. Another major figure killed was Abu Hamam, who oversaw ISIS operations in Western Iraq, an area for the terror organizations, logistics, and planning. Also taken down in the operation was Tunisian National, Abu Ali al-Tunisi. According to CENTCOM, Al-Tunisi was instrumental in providing advanced training on weapons development, particularly in manufacturing explosives, IEDs, suicide vests, and even chemical weapons. His skills made him a high-value target for U.S. forces, and he'd been on the rewards for justice list with a $5 million bounty on his head. The fourth notable figure killed in the operation was Shakira Abud Ahmad al-Isawi,

who was responsible for overseeing military operations in western Iraq, a key operational zone for ISIS. This region had been used as a staging ground for attacks on both Iraqi civilians and coalition forces. According to Iraqi security forces on X, the raid also eliminated ISIS's seconding command for Iraq. Now, while seven American service members were injured during the raid, five in direct combat and two from unrelated falls, there were no confirmed reports of Iraqi casualties. Despite the injuries, Sentgom hailed a mission as a success. The operation collected valuable intelligence as U.S. and Iraqi forces seized a number of ISIS resources, including phones, computers, and other communication tools. These seizures will be instrumental, of course,

in tracking the group's remaining cells and preventing future attacks. On Friday, CENTCOM said in a statement that the operation was designed to, quote, disrupt and degrade ISIS's ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies and partners throughout the region and beyond, end quote. This successful raid is part of a larger, long-term strategy by the U.S. and its allies to systematically target ISIS leadership in Iraq and Syria in order to prevent the group from reorganizing and regaining strength, otherwise known as Operation Inherent Resolve.

The continued targeting of high-level operatives underscores the U.S. and Iraq's commitment to eradicating the ISIS threat, despite the group's attempts to adapt and evolve. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Yemen's Houthi rebels are claiming to have launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile in an attack that reached central Israel. I'll be right back. 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...

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We go beyond the headlines to get the full story. Get live coverage, in-depth analysis, and perspectives from the voices you trust, all in one place. Whether you're at home or on the go, stay connected to the stories shaping our world. Stream Fox News on Fox One. Download today. In today's back of the brief, the Iranian-backed Khatty rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for using a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Tel Aviv Sunday morning, marking the first time that their weaponry has reached that far. While Israel's defense system failed to intercept the missile initially, it was eventually neutralized before causing damage. The Iranian-backed proxy

falsely claimed Israel failed to intercept the missile. The initial failure of the defense system allowed the missile to enter Israeli airspace, causing widespread panic, with the Houthis, claiming that over 2 million Israelis sought shelter. Although the missile was intercepted by Israel's aerosystem after traveling 1,300 miles in under 12 minutes, nine people were injured from debris as they sought cover. Abou Obeda, the spokesman for the Hamas military wing Izzadine al-Kasam brigades, boasted about the missile's reach and its psychological impact on the Israeli population. He described it as a, quote, quality attack showcasing the Houthi's ability to bypass Israel's defense systems and strike deep within Israeli territory. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

addressed his cabinet, vowing decisive action against the Houthis for the attack. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel would impose a, quote, heavy price on those responsible, referencing past Israeli retaliations, such as the July air strike on Houthi rebels that followed their drone strike on Tel Aviv. Obeda were further warned that more attacks would follow, particularly in the lead up to the anniversary of the 7 October attacks. The Houthis framed the attack as part of their broader strategy to support the Palestinian people during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Obeda pointed out that Israel's initial inability to intercept the missile

reveals its vulnerability to attacks from multiple fronts, warning that Prime Minister Netanyahu is, quote, heading towards certain disaster, end quote. Now, interestingly, and of significance, following the Houthi's missile attack, Saudi Arabia called for the international community to further sanction Iran in an effort to restrict the Iran regime's ability to provide sophisticated weapons to the Houthis. The Saudis pointed out that Iran is responsible for much of the chaos in the Middle East,

and a stronger, more aggressive response against the Iranian regime is required. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, 16th September. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. to the show ad-free, if you were hankering for an ad-free experience, well, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. And I do hope you had a chance to check out the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. That's available, of course, on our YouTube channel, that's at Presidents Daily Brief, as well as the first TV, and of course all podcast platforms

where you may get your podcast stuff. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, well, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money,

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