WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13327 Wednesday FEBRUARY 13, 2019 Bahman 24, 1397 Jumada Al thani 7, 1440 Tehran: Bolton U.S. seeking to repeat ACL: Iran’s Saipa down Troupes from 12 suffering from chronic Syrian scenario in Minerva Punjab at countries competing in delusion about Iran 2 Latin America 2 Preliminary Stage 2 15 Fajr theater festival 16 See page 2 Iran 82% self-sufficient in producing foodstuff ECONOMY TEHRAN — Some 82 current year (which ends on March 20, deskpercent of Iran’s food- 2019). stuff needs is being supplied by domestic In addition to supplying the domestic producers, Tasnim news agency reported needs, foodstuff account for a significant quoting an agricultural official. part of Iran’s non-oil exports. According to Deputy Agriculture Dairy products, sweets, saffron, tomato Minister Abbas Keshavarz, the coun- paste, juices and concentrates, animal food, try’s self-sufficiency rate in wheat pro- poultry and aquaculture, yeast, pasta, as East duction has increased from 65 percent in well as wheat flour and potato products the Iranian calendar year of 1392 (March are some of the main items exported from 2013-March 2014) to 105 percent in the Iran to the world markets. Great opportunities for Japanese Europe investment in Iran: Larijani POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian a meeting with Chuichi Date, speaker of deskMajlis Speaker Ali Lar- Japan’s House of Councilors. ijani who was on tour of Tokyo proposed on Larijani said it is essential for the two Tuesday that there are great opportunities countries to take more steps in line with for Japan to invest in Iran. strengthening relations. “There are suitable opportunities for Larijani, who visited Japan at the official tour fails Japan’s investment in Iran in various ar- invitation of his Japanese counterpart, also eas of industry, medicine, gas, oil and praised Japan’s efforts to preserve the 2015 petrochemical industry,” he said during nuclear deal after the U.S. withdrawal. Bahrainis determined to continue at once peaceful struggle for change: Al-Wefaq As Bahraini people gear up to mark the banned from conducting any activity by eighth anniversary of their uprising against the Al Khalifah rulers, said in a statement the ruling Al Khalifah regime on February on Tuesday that Bahrainis have increas- 14, the country’s main Shia opposition ingly witnessed Manama’s “corruption, group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic So- tyranny and recklessness” over the years, ciety, has reaffirmed its determination to Bahrain’s Lulu TV reported. continue peaceful rallies until its demands Al-Wefaq described the country’s de- for political reforms are met. teriorating situation as “frightening,” and AP Al-Wefaq, which has been dissolved and warned of a bleak future. 13 ARTICLE ARTICLE Heshmatollah Rahnama #StandwithIlhan: Social media users defend Ilhan Omar Martin Love Latin American expert Political analyst from after her forced apology over anti-Semitism North Carolina Social media users are flocking to #Standwith- politicians. he addressed them in 2015. Ilhan after Rep. Ilhan Omar was pressured to Although her statements were backed up, “I don’t think her apology was adequate,” he Humanitarian issue an apology for her tweets about the Israel Omar faced an onslaught of outrage from a wide unironically said of Omar. Respect warranted lobby’s influence over U.S. politicians, after she range of commenters, from Chelsea Clinton to Omar “unequivocally” apologized for her re- aid, a sham for was accused of anti-Semitism. President Donald Trump, who said she should marks in a statement which also reaffirmed the for at least two Omar was seemingly forced to apologize by be “ashamed of herself.” This despite the fact that problematic role of lobbyists in U.S. politics. This more attacks Democratic leadership after she tweeted about Trump faced criticism for making anti-Semitic prompted many to accuse her of not apologizing bright Americans Israeli influence and named the powerful Israel tropes about members of the Republican Jewish enough, while her supporters expressed disap- and pressure on lobbying group AIPAC as having a hold over U.S. Coalition liking money and making deals when pointment that she was apologizing at all. 3 ne does not normally equate a person (who is retired now from decades Venezuela Oin the CIA) as one with sound views and good instincts about the challenges t is clear that self-declared President of to the world of a government that has Venezuela Juan Guaido is a written U.S. Understanding Donald Trump and the White House: A few books the top Amazon reviewer for non-fiction. How with an annotated bibliography for a total of 300 been making – to put it simply – stupid scenario for the Venezuelans to comfort EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I did this happen? short reviews. I loaded these on a week-end and moves and continues its errant ways under their sufferings from the economic crisis. By Javad Heirannia A: This was absolutely not planned. When was instantly Amazon reviewer 1,500. After that Donald Trump. But one such person is The root cause of the economic hardship, TEHRAN — Robert David Steele, a former Ma- Amazon first opened its book review feature over I started doing longer summary reviews for my Philip Giraldi who writes articles outside ironically, is the U.S. financial sanctions rine Corps infantry officer and CIA spy who was fifteen years ago, I had published two books, ON own memory reasons, reading roughly two books the mainstream media about what he sees on Venezuela and its humanitarian aid is recommended for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, INTELLIGENCE: Spies and Secrecy in an Open a week, and the collection, which is free online, has that is slowly destroying U.S. credibility the key to solve the problems of Venezuela regularly answers questions for Tehran Times. World with a Foreword by Senator David Bor- grown. I removed my reviews from Amazon when worldwide. as Guaido Marques puts it. You have reviewed over 2,500 non-fiction en (D-OK), and THE NEW CRAFT OF INTEL- they started banning books, reviewers, and specific In one article penned this month by Caritas Venezuela is a Cathlic church books across 97 categories of non-fiction. At one LIGENCE: Personal, Public, & Political with a reviews that their Zionist controllers considered Giraldi, he points out that the most dis- charity and NGO which helps entry of point you were Amazon reviewer #25 and always Foreword by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), each “politically incorrect.” 7 turbing aspect of the Trump gangsters is negligible amount of medical supplies their presumption that decisions made and food products. On the other hand, by the government are binding on the the Red Cross has warned that dispatch rest of the world, as if the U.S. literally of charitable goods without the consent of E-government, a new opportunity that should be seized rules the world. For example, no other Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro By Setareh Behroozi ment services, reduce unnecessary expenses and to establish e-government and what differences country has ever demanded that nations is dangerous for Venezuela. Moreover, During recent months, Iran’s Information and ease traffic jam, which is the main cause of air that makes in the lives of citizens? halt trading with each other outside of this humanitarian aid is a “military-po- Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry pro- pollution in big cities. Why e-government? actual war, and sought to penalize them litical tool.” moted electronic government in the country. The Iran’s e-government is based on the National Regarding the rise of internet penetration in if they did trade. The New York Times calls the aid, first phase of e-government services project in Information Network, an ongoing project to de- different nations, the online services provided Various rulings against Iran in the “An opposition effort to weaken Presi- Iran officially came on stream under the title of velop a secure and stable infrastructure network by the government inform citizens and facili- context of legislation have been particu- dent Maduro’s support for food delivery.” ‘Mobile Government’ in mid-May 2018. in the country. tate their administrative procedures through larly damaging, but any group or country According to political scientist Dimitri The project aims to facilitate some govern- But what is e-government? Why is it important e-services. 10 that has been deemed a “state sponsor Pantoulas, “Humanitarian assistance, with of terrorism”, and that includes Syria of underlying agenda of 99 percent military late, have been vilified. The notion that purpose and one percent humanitarian Hezbollah chief says the U.S. ought to respect the sovereignty aspect, seems to test the military’s loyalty of other nations even when their internal to Maduro, Are they with Maduro or not? multidimensional policies disagree with the U.S., Giraldi Will they dismiss these contributions? If says, has been abandoned. Nothing new the answer is NO, Maduro’s countdown victories owing to Iran here, sadly. starts. This is a challenge for the opposition Giraldi is an American patriot in the who want to show that they can rule, but POLITICS TEHRAN – The Leba- desk very best sense of the word because he is if they fail, Guiado will lose face forever.” nese Hezbollah leader has not merely knowledgeable, but also quite The White House is notorious for its thanked Iran for its support, which “have simply an honest person at a time when, interventionist record. On the one hand, led to victories in various fields.” given the fact that most of the world’s oil it puts on an act that the “humanitarian Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah made the business is transacted in fiat dollars, the aid” will help eradicate its defamation, comments in a meeting with the visiting U.S.