Background Briefing: March 25, 2024

A Look at the Islamic State’s Global Terrorist Franchises While Putin Tries to Shift the Blame Onto Ukraine

We begin with Putin shifting the blame onto Ukraine as he tries to exploit the rage from the trauma the Russian people have following the slaughter of their citizens in a terrorist attack, which is similar to the anger and lust for vengeance that Americans felt after 9/11 and Israelis after October 7. Joining us to explain who the real perpetrators are, and the global franchising of Islamic State terrorism around the world, is Robert Young Pelton, an author, filmmaker, journalist, and explorer. He is the publisher of Dangerous magazine and has a first-hand perspective on the war on terror from direct contact with the world’s most infamous jihadi, rebel and insurgent groups. His books includeThe World’s Most Dangerous Places, Come Back Alive, Three Worlds Gone Mad, Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror and his autobiography, The Adventurist. He is working on a documentary about Jared Kushner’s secret deals ahead of the Abraham Accords, which were all about lining Kushner’s pockets.

 

Will The U.S. Help Implement the U.N. Ceasefire Resolution, Which for the First Time It Did Not Veto?

Then we assess how much the Biden administration will implement the U.N. resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which for the first time the U.S. did not block with its veto. Joining us is Dr. Trita Parsi, the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, he has served as a professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University and he is the co-founder and former President of the National Iranian American Council. His books include Losing An Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy.

 

Today’s Lifeline Thrown to Trump Reducing His Bond From $454 Million Down to $175 million

Then finally we examine the lifeline thrown to Trump today by the New York Appeals Court that reduced his bond down from $454 million to $175 million, giving him 10 days to pay. Joining us to discuss this and today’s decision in another New York court to start the hush money case against Trump on April 15 is Lloyd Green, an attorney based in New York who was opposition research counsel to George H. W. Bush’s 1988 campaign. He served in the Department of Justice and is a contributing writer at The Guardian where he has an article, “Trump, the ‘law-and-order’ candidate, is an adjudicated fraudster.”