WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13515 Wednesday OCTOBER 23, 2019 Aban 1, 1398 Safar 24, 1441 U.S. lying that Arbaeen trek showed Mojiri makes history Cultural figures with sanctions exempt Muslim unity against at World Wushu top works on Ashura food, medicine 2 enemies 3 Championships 15 tragedy honored 16 Nearly $7b paid for development Zarif says Iran’s relations projects in H1 TEHRAN — Head of Iran’s Planning the remarks on Tuesday during a con- and Budget Organization (PBO) said ference on the occasions of the National that 290 trillion rials (about $6.9 bil- Statistics Day. lion) has been paid for development Last week, the official had announced projects in the country during the first that 430 trillion rials (about $10.2 billion) with China are ‘strategic’ half of the current Iranian calendar is going to be allocated for development year (March 21-September 22), Tasnim projects in the next year’s budget plan, news agency reported. up 53 percent from the figure for the See page 2 Mohammad Baqer Nobakht made current year. 4 Advisor slams Bahrain for hosting conference attended by Israel TEHRAN — Hossein Amir Abdollahi- Twitter account on Tuesday. an, a senior foreign policy advisor to the “It needs to review its short history & Iranian parliament speaker, has strongly think abt future of region more rationally. criticized Bahrain for hosting an anti-Iran Definetely, the Al-Khalifa’s Zionist Regime security conference attended by Israel. has no place in the future of region,” he “Manama Sec. Conference with the added. participation of illegitimate Israeli re- On Monday, Reuters reported that a gime will help ending the AlKhalifa senior Israeli official attended the maritime regime,” Amir Abdollahian said in his security conference in Bahrain. 3 Assad: Erdogan is a thief, Idlib battle basis for ridding Syria of terrorism TEHRAN — Syrian President Bashar bastion of Turkey-backed rebel forces. al Assad on Tuesday denounced Tur- Assad has described the defeating of key’s leader as a thief for attacking the the Takfiri terrorists holed up in Idlib as the northeast of his country and reiterated key to ending the eight-year war gripping a pledge to retake all areas lost to Da- the country as he visited troops deployed mascus in years of foreign backed war, to the frontline against the terrorists in state media reported. the northwestern province. Assad made the remarks as he made a Assad made the remarks in a meeting Amin Jalali rare visit to a frontline of Syria’s conflict, with Syrian army personnel on the front- touring an area in war-torn northwest- lines of al-Habit town, on Idlib’s southern IRNA/ ern Idlib province close to the last major edges, on Tuesday. 13 EDITORIAL U.S. troops withdrawing from Syria have no permission to stay in Iraq: military PERSPECTIVE Mohammad Ghaderi TEHRAN — The Iraqi military says U.S. forces allegedly continue the campaign against the Daesh green light to carry out a long-planned invasion Hanif Ghaffari Tehran Times editor-in-chief that have crossed into Iraq as part of a pullout Takfiri terrorist group and “to help defend Iraq.” of northern Syria targeting U.S.-allied Kurdish Head of the Tehran Times @ghaderi62 from Syria do not have permission to stay on A senior U.S. defense official later clarified that forces in the region. Politics Desk Iraqi soil and can only be there if they are later the situation was still fluid and plans could change. With U.S. troops in Iraq and Turkish forces being transported out of the country. News agencies said Monday that U.S. troops in Syria, some observers are wondering whether Misusing popular “All U.S. forces that withdrew from Syria re- had crossed into Iraq from Syria through the Sahela Ankara and Washington are coordinating their Third British PM may ceived approval to enter the Kurdistan Region border crossing in the northern province of Dohuk. moves for a new chess game in the region. protests in Iraq so that they may be transported outside Iraq. Video images showed armored vehicles car- U.S. military companies against be crucified over Brexit There is no permission granted for these forces rying troops into Iraq, with Iraqi Kurdish sourc- bringing troops home ll documents suggest that a wide- to stay inside Iraq,” the military said in a state- es saying that U.S. troops had crossed into the Meanwhile, Trump says his plans to bring rexit is getting more twisted every spread attempt is underway by the ment on Tuesday. semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. American troops home from Syria and other day. It is obvious that Boris Jonson Aenemies of Iraq to undermine secu- The statement contradicted an announcement President Donald Trump abruptly announced countries have been met with strong opposi- Bis spending hard days. He seems se- rity in the country. They want to create a by Pentagon chief Mark Esper on Saturday that all of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern tion from “military companies,” arguing that it verely concerned about the political future new wave of domestic violence. the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria earlier this month. is easier for him to let the soldiers get killed and of himself and his Conservative Party. Since March 2003, when the United On the other hand, the disagreement Syria were expected to move to western Iraq to The withdrawal effectively granted Turkey a sent back in coffins instead. 13 States invaded Iraq, the chief aim of the between the opponents and supporters of West has been to create chronic crises Britain’s departure from the European Union in the country. has culminated in the recent days. Washington and its Western and regional Erdogan, Putin hold talks as withdrawal deadline for Syria Kurds draws near Britain has recently announced that it will allies believe that in an unstable Iraq they TEHRAN — Turkish President Recep Tayyip regarding Syria following his talks with Putin. before departing for talks with Putin on Tuesday, leave the EU on Oct. 31, despite an unsigned can justify their presence in the country and Erdogan meets with his Russian counterpart, Turkey launched an offensive in northeastern Erdogan said Turkey would resume the Syria opera- letter that the British prime minister was also interfere in its internal affairs. Vladimir Putin, as a deadline draws near for Syria on October 9 with the aim of purging the tion “with greater determination” unless the Kurds’ forced by parliament to send to Brussels. In line with this policy, over the last Kurdish militants to withdraw from Syria’s region near its border of Kurdish militants, whom it withdrawal is completed under the ceasefire deal. “We are going to leave by October 31. We 16 years Washington officials have left no northern border areas near Turkey or face a views as terrorists linked to local autonomy-seeking “If the promises given to our country by the have the means and the ability to do so,” stone unturned to create chaos in Iraq. renewed military offensive. militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). United States are not kept, we will continue our Michael Gove, the minister in charge of no- These moves have been ranging from The meeting is being held in Russia’s Black The incursion came after the U.S. abruptly operation from where we left off with greater deal Brexit preparations, told Sky News. creating Daesh and other Takfiri groups Sea resort of Sochi. The two leaders are expected pulled its forces out of the region, clearing the path determination,” he said. He added, “That letter was sent because to misusing and derailing the popular to exchange views on the “developments in Syr- for Ankara to go ahead with a planned military Turkey’s Syria incursion led the Kurds to reach parliament required it to be sent ... but par- protests in the country. ia, including the normalization of the situation action against Washington’s longtime Kurdish out to the Damascus government for support, liament can’t change the prime minister’s Now Iraq is in a sensitive and delicate in the country’s northeastern regions,” according allies, Press TV reported. striking an agreement with Syrian troops to enter mind, parliament can’t change the govern- situation. Undoubtedly, the magnificent a Kremlin statement. Nine days into the operation, Turkey agreed towns near the border with Turkey. ment’s policy or determination.” and miraculous Arbaeen march has been Putin and Erdogan, it added, will also dis- on October 17 to pause the offensive for 120 hours Russian forces also moved in to replace Amer- It should be noted that Johnson asked one of the greatest positive episodes in cuss “countering international terrorist groups while the U.S. facilitates the withdrawal of Kurdish ican troops in northern Syria in support of the the EU to delay the Brexit process. He also Iraq. That fact that Adil Abdul Mahdi’s and promoting the political settlement process, militants from a planned 120-kilometer (75-mile) Arab country’s army. sent another note, claiming he did not want government was organizing such a huge including in the context of the upcoming launch safe zone between the Syrian border towns of “The most important thing for us is achieving any delay or extension. This act was heavily ceremony and simultaneously working to of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.” Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. long-term stability in Syria and the region,” criticized by many British politicians and reshuffle the cabinet and counter corrup- Speaking at a forum hosted by broadcaster The U.S.-brokered truce is set to expire at Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov even those in Johnson’s party.