The President's Daily Brief
December 3rd, 2024: Putin Strikes Back in Syria & Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat
Tue, 03 Dec 2024
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Updates from Syria, where government forces, bolstered by Russian airpower, are ramping up efforts to push back advancing rebel forces in the south. A looming trade war as President-elect Trump threatens BRICS nations with a 100% tariff for attempting to abandon the U.S. dollar. Disparate accounts from Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum about a phone call discussing efforts to halt migration through Mexico. And in today's Back of the Brief: heartbreaking news from Israel as an American, once thought to be a Hamas prisoner, is now presumed dead. 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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What updates are there from Syria?
Three weeks to get your holiday shopping done. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Today, we begin with an update from Syria, where government forces supported by Russian air power are intensifying efforts to counter advancing rebel forces moving south. Well, look at Putin.
Chapter 2: How is Russia involved in the Syrian conflict?
He may be busy still with his invasion of Ukraine, but not so busy that he can't help out a fellow despotic dictator in need. Later in the show, another potential trade war on the horizon as President-elect Trump threatens BRICS nations with a 100% tariff if they attempt to replace the dollar.
Plus, Trump and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum are giving different accounts of a phone call in which she reportedly agreed to halt migration through Mexico. And in today's Back of the Brief, sad news from Israel, as an American once believed to be a Hamas prisoner is now presumed dead. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
We'll begin with an update on the violence engulfing Syria, where the Assad regime, with assistance from Russia, is stepping up strikes on opposition forces who managed to capture the country's second largest city, Aleppo, in a surprise offensive last week.
Now, as we've been tracking here on the PDB, the rebel coalition has wasted little time since they captured Aleppo, consolidating their gains over the weekend by seizing key military sites in the east of Aleppo city and pushing further south into several towns in the countryside near Hama, Syria's fourth largest city.
Over the past 24 hours, however, their advance has been blunted somewhat as the government of President Assad ramps up airstrikes against the Islamic rebels with the help of Russian forces stationed in the region. That's according to a report from CNN.
Russian and Syrian government warplanes began their aerial counterattack in earnest Sunday evening into Monday, hitting opposition positions in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, claiming to have killed at least 400 insurgents. At least 20 civilians were also reported killed during these strikes, though the figures cannot yet be independently verified.
Russian President Putin reportedly spoke with Iranian President Massoud Bezeshkin on Monday to discuss the escalating situation. A spokesman for the Kremlin said, quote, Unconditional support was expressed for the actions of the legitimate authorities of Syria to restore constitutional order and to restore the political, economic and social stability of the Syrian state.
Poseshkin has been taking the lead on shoring up the Assad regime's delicate hold on power, sending Iranian militias as reinforcements. At least 300 members of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias crossed the border into Syria on Monday to bolster Assad's forces on the front lines in the north. Assad himself traveled to Russia in recent days to plead with the Putin regime for greater assistance.
That's according to sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. We also learned that on Sunday, Moscow dismissed the general in charge of its forces in Syria. Now for Russia, the stakes in Syria are high. The civil war, which began in 2011, has largely been stalled since 2020, and Russia has been obviously increasingly distracted since 2022 with their invasion of Ukraine.
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Chapter 3: What did President Trump say about BRICS nations?
influence in the Middle East by propping up the Assad regime, ensuring that Syria remained a strategic regional ally alongside Iran, as well as a viable economic partner for arms sales. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, quote, we certainly continue to support Bashar al-Assad and continue our contacts at relevant levels, end quote.
Chapter 4: What is the significance of Trump's tariff threat?
Chapter 5: How does the situation in Israel affect Americans?
Russian President Putin reportedly spoke with Iranian President Massoud Bezeshkin on Monday to discuss the escalating situation. A spokesman for the Kremlin said, quote, Unconditional support was expressed for the actions of the legitimate authorities of Syria to restore constitutional order and to restore the political, economic and social stability of the Syrian state.
Poseshkin has been taking the lead on shoring up the Assad regime's delicate hold on power, sending Iranian militias as reinforcements. At least 300 members of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias crossed the border into Syria on Monday to bolster Assad's forces on the front lines in the north. Assad himself traveled to Russia in recent days to plead with the Putin regime for greater assistance.
That's according to sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. We also learned that on Sunday, Moscow dismissed the general in charge of its forces in Syria. Now for Russia, the stakes in Syria are high. The civil war, which began in 2011, has largely been stalled since 2020, and Russia has been obviously increasingly distracted since 2022 with their invasion of Ukraine.
The rebels are hoping this will play to their advantage and limit Russia's ability to fully commit to the defense of the Assad regime. For some background, Russia entered the fray several years into the civil war back in 2015 on the side of Assad.
Some 5,000 Russian troops were dispatched, along with extensive supplies of weapons and military equipment, which played a pivotal role in a years-long military offensive to retake control of the country, culminating in the retreat of the rebels from Aleppo back in 2016.
Russia framed their entrance into the conflict as an extension of their fight against Islamic terror groups like ISIS and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which are also designated terror groups in Russia. More broadly, however, Putin sought to roll back U.S.
influence in the Middle East by propping up the Assad regime, ensuring that Syria remained a strategic regional ally alongside Iran, as well as a viable economic partner for arms sales. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, quote, we certainly continue to support Bashar al-Assad and continue our contacts at relevant levels, end quote.
The sweeping success of the Islamist rebels poses the biggest challenge to Assad's rule in the eight years since his government retook Aleppo. Now, while the U.S. has long sought to undermine Russia's hold on Syria, analysts have said this particular conflict poses a dilemma for Western governments. Well, yes, it does.
While the insurgents have put Russia and Iran on the back foot, their victory would mean that Syria would then fall into the hands of hardline radicals. An analyst for the Brookings Institution told CNN, quote, Should they be cheering the opposition taking over Syria's second largest city, Aleppo? Or should they actually worry about the city falling under Islamist rule?
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