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American analyst: Iran’s performance at containing COVID-19 ‘truly amazing’

TEHRAN: A senior American political analyst tells the Tehran Times that despite U.S. “economic assaults” on Iran efforts by Tehran to contain the coronavirus pandemic have been “truly amazing”.

Yuram Abdullah Weiler also casts doubt about the number of coronavirus victims given by western countries.

“It could be that the western powers are not doing enough testing, or are not reporting the true numbers,” Weiler opines.

The analyst also censures Donald Trump for his handling of the deadly COVID-19 in the U.S., saying “this dangerously demented dilettante should be indicted for negligent homicide.”

Following is the text of the interview:

Question: Reportedly, people are queuing up in the U.S. to get free food. If true, what does this suggest?

Answer: Over 15 years ago when I volunteered at a food bank in the relatively prosperous city of Denver, Colorado, people were already lining up to get free food. This was before the global financial meltdown of 2008 and I can only imagine what it must be like there now with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought most of the U.S. economy to a halt.

Since the presidency of Ronald Reagan and his philosophy of “government is the problem,” the social safety nets set up under the Franklin Roosevelt administration during the Great Depression of the 1930s have been gradually and persistently dismantled. As a result, private organizations, often in partnership with local governments have tried to fill the gaps, but without consistent, adequate funding, these programs are at best stop-gap measures in lieu of support at the national level.

With the ascendancy of Trump, who has done his best to gut any remaining social programs, we see the culmination of the neoliberal agenda. In February at the height of the stock market when the Dow Jones index was around 29500, this little man, who really should be tried for negligent homicide, proposed more budget cuts to the Centers for Disease Control after having eliminated 80 percent of the agency’s capabilities to respond to a global outbreak like we are seeing now.

Q: Are these things the consequences of capitalism in which a very small percentage, or better to say "one percent", keeps everything in its possession to the extent that when a crisis, such as the Covid-19 emerges, the people are pushed to near starvation.

A: Absolutely. The neoliberal ideologues see the free market as the solution to all social problems, and when applied to healthcare, housing and food distribution, the results are exactly what we are witnessing now in the United States: millions of people lack access to healthcare, cannot find affordable housing and are food insecure.

Q: Don't you think that the weaknesses of capitalism are being laid bare more evidently in such situations?

A: Definitely. One of the consequences of the free market is the lack of robustness in the healthcare delivery system. The free market approach dictates profit maximization, so healthcare deliverers concentrate on what is profitable, such as elective surgeries or other boutique services, which only the one percent, as you put it, can afford. There is absolutely no incentive for a corporate healthcare provider to plan for a “black swan” event like the COVID-19 epidemic. For a large health care conglomerate to provide hospital beds and to stockpile masks and other supplies would be considered a breach of fiduciary trust.

And this is precisely the problem with applying the for-profit model to the healthcare system. If a hospital system only uses 85 percent of its beds on average, then eliminating the unused 15 percent would make the system more profitable by reducing unnecessary costs. The end result of this process, which has been going on in the U.S. for at least 40 years, is a bare-bones healthcare system that functions efficiently, but has no robustness to cope with a pandemic, a hurricane, an earthquake or any other unusual calamity.

Q: Socialism is being constantly attacked by the capitalists. However, in a country in which avaricious capitalism does not talk first, the public should enjoy minimum standards of living, having a home (no matter how small it is) and have access to free healthcare. In view of such realities, don't you think that capitalism must be controlled?

A: As for myself, I have long held that public control of an enterprise must be in direct proportion to the amount of capital invested. I suppose a corollary of this would be that all essential public services, such as healthcare and public transportation, should be nationalized. Certainly, public housing should be expanded on a national level, as currently the local public-private partnerships building “affordable housing” suffer from an inability to meet the demand.

Recalling the Iranian experience, Imam Khomeini (ra) instituted a Construction Jihad following the victory of the Islamic Revolution. While it would be too much to expect a similar national program in America, even in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, still there is historical precedent: President Franklin Roosevelt took dramatic action during the Great Depression to revitalize the economy. So, if after the COVID-19 outbreak subsides American policymakers are still too arrogant and ideologically challenged to use Iran as a model for rebuilding their country, then they can look back 80 years to Roosevelt’s actions for guidance.

Q: Also, do you think that the statistics given by the U.S. about COVID-19 victims are true, especially as officials in Washington keep accusing Iran of covering up the extent of the crisis at home?

A: Ask an old mathematician a statistical question, and... Well, no, frankly I believe the U.S. numbers reported are low. There is a theorem in statistics called the Law of Large Numbers. Basically, the idea is that given a set of random samples, the averages of each should converge to the same value as sample size increases. Now looking at the attack rates, that is, the cumulative number of confirmed cases per 100,000 persons, the range is from 0 (Yemen) to almost 1000 (San Marino) with 500 (Iceland) in the middle. The U.S. is around 150 in the middle of the other major western powers, ranging from 100 to 200. To me, this seems like an incredible spread. It could be that the western powers are not doing enough testing, or are not reporting the true numbers.

Q: Do you also believe that the world, in general, failed to contain the virus?

A: If we accept the hypothesis that the virus had its origins in Wuhan, then, based on reported cases and deaths in comparison to Europe and America, China has done a spectacular job of containing the pandemic. Likewise, Iran’s efforts at containing the outbreak have been truly amazing, especially given that the country remains under an economic assault by the United States, and can’t even purchase all the necessary medical and humanitarian supplies for its population.

Q: What is your assessment of the handling of the virus by the Trump administration?

A: Honestly, I would have to say at best, the current U.S. president has shown a complete lack of leadership, leaving individual state governors to cope with the outbreak as best as they can. Here in New Mexico, we are fortunate enough to have a governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who saw the danger coming, marshaled the necessary resources and issued a state-wide stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of the virus.

Forgive my bluntness, but had the culpable clown in the White House taken the pandemic seriously when first informed of it in his daily security briefings in December 2019, and acted decisively upon the warnings, there would have been fewer than the 23,000 deaths as of this moment. Medical supplies could have been allocated from federal stockpiles; a national task force of medical professionals could have been formed; responses, testing methods, and strategies could have been developed; and, international lines of communication made ready.

But no, the bigoted buffoon in residence chose to pretend, at least publicly, that there was no danger, everything was under control, and the coronavirus would die out. Worse yet, this criminal con man claimed hydroxychloroquine was a cure, and several people have died as a result. That’s why I maintain this dangerously demented dilettante should be indicted for negligent homicide. So now, Americans are faced with a raging pandemic that also happens to be causing an economic crisis, which portends to be greater than the Great Depression.

Q: It seems that East Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, have been acting more successfully in containing the virus than the U.S. and European countries. What are the reasons?

A: The number one reason for Japan and South Korea’s success in combatting COVID-19 is effective leadership. Both countries’ leaders recognized and acknowledged the threat, informed the public of the danger, and initiated a vigorous program of mass testing and quarantine. The opposite happened in the U.S., with Trump being more interested in keeping stock prices high for his billionaire buddies than in the wellbeing of his fellow Americans. In Europe, there seems to have been a lack of coordinated leadership, so each country acted more or less independently, much like the individual states in the U.S. have done.

Q: How do you see the post-Coronavirus world?

A: Whether or not one believes the coronavirus was engineered, it is clear that the one-percenters had contingency plans in place to activate during such a calamity. For example, the speed with which the U.S. Federal Reserve responded was astounding. On March 3, long before Trump fully acknowledged the severity of COVID-19, the FED lowered the federal funds rate to 0 to 0.25 percent, which represents an extremely drastic 1.5 percent reduction, in response to falling stock prices. In addition, the FED has returned to the policy of quantitative easing (QE), purchasing treasury and mortgage-backed securities, as it did during the 2008 global financial crisis. The greatest activity is in the so-called repo market, where the FED has gone from loaning $100 billion overnight to $1 trillion to keep credit markets afloat, and even is offering $500 billion for up to three months.

The immediate problem for U.S. small businesses is staying afloat until the pandemic passes. While loans are available from the FED through banks, problems have already arisen. Wells Fargo was unable to process loans because of additional reserve requirements imposed as a result of past behavior involving fraudulent accounts. Additionally, navigating the bureaucracy requires legal help that most small businesses do not have nor can afford. Furthermore, with their customers lacking sufficient disposable income to buy goods and services, many small businesses will undoubtedly go under.

As far as the aftermath of U.S. healthcare, I really don’t see major changes coming despite the shocks now taking place. With privatization so engrained in the minds of policymakers, it is almost inconceivable that, in the wake of COVID-19, there would be a logical and rational shift towards nationalized healthcare. In addition, Americans react negatively to any hint of socialized medicine, or threats to their imagined and nonexistent freedom of choice when it comes to medical care. I would expect at most in the post-coronavirus world that Medicare might be expanded by lowering the eligible age to 60, and the so-called ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act, might be amended to provide a greater choice of coverages.

It is harder to predict what the post-corona virus American society will look like. Following the relaxation of social distancing and a resumption of daily schedules, people will undoubtedly feel the residual effect of COVID-19 for years to come. The only similar event with respect to a profound impact would have been the 9/11 attacks, and it was years before daily life returned to a semblance of normality. With the coronavirus, I doubt that life in America will ever be the same. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Source: PressTV
 
The Italian media has reported that the frigate deal is part of a much larger package that includes another four frigates, 20 corvettes based on the Falaj class that Fincantieri built for the United Arab Emirates, 24 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole jets, 24 M346 jet trainers, and a surveillance satellite.
lol falaj class. :rofl::rofl:
 
Marjan, The MEK supporter singer died recently, So MEK accounts were on the edge lately cause they were reminded of their glooming fate, Dying alone.

MEK a-holes orchestrated a ceremony from her:

They also started tweeting about her and how popular she was and blah blah blah, Some examples:
https://twitter.com/peymaneh123/status/1271848609743396864
https://twitter.com/NasrinPazuki/status/1271874409230458880
https://twitter.com/amsafavi/status/1271711097683410944

Someone should start mapping these accounts that are talking about Marjan, They are MEK linked accounts.
 
A video that all of Persian speakers should watch:


Yek keshewar ba qudrat dushmaneshan dawera ma shod

Marjan, The MEK supporter singer died recently, So MEK accounts were on the edge lately cause they were reminded of their glooming fate, Dying alone.

Someone should start mapping these accounts that are talking about Marjan, They are MEK linked accounts.

Agar feqt Iran yek diaspora dasht ke ma tewaned keara mefad anejam dhad
 
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Read this interesting article about Houthis building their own drones:

Iranian proxy forces have created their own drone manufacturing industry, increasing threats to the region, defence experts and intelligence sources have warned.

There are increased security concerns that Houthi rebels in Yemen are becoming increasingly capable in making unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can carry explosives long distances.

Their new skills are part of Iran’s strategy to use drones and UAV technology to project its power across the region with the ability to use ‘plausible deniability’ as an excuse for attacks.

It is now using the technology, aligned with its development of highly accurate ballistic missiles, to demonstrate to Gulf States, the US and others that a military attack on Iran would come with significant consequences.


“When you look at what Iran has been doing, it is all very consistent with its reliance on non-conventional tools that allow it to project power with plausible deniability that does not lead to the threat of direct confrontation,” said Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

The Middle East specialist warned that Iran’s brinksmanship could result in a “confrontation without that being the intention”.

She added: “Iraq is the closest case we have seen where this type of strategy is translating into warfare between the two sides.”

The greatest success with drones came after Houthi-made models were used alongside Iranian cruise missiles to attack two oil production facilities belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco in September last year. The development confirmed Iran's role in arming the Yemeni militia faction.

“The Houthis have their own drone industry,” a military intelligence source told The National.

“And they are not stupid. They get a new bit of kit, they take it apart and see how it works.

“Amazingly they’ve gained knowledge in ballistic missiles, land attack cruise missiles and drones because that’s the kit they’re getting across the border and by sea from Iran.

“As well as equipment, Iran is providing technical advisers and engineer know-how on how to turn drones into deadly attack weapons.”

The growing Houthi threat to the region has been examined by other analysts at RUSI. Justin Bronk, a Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology at the London-based institution, said: “While it’s low tech – that’s a benefit. If you want to enable your proxies - and Iran does this very successfully with relatively small-scale technical transfer – you need just key components and a few technical specialists. As a result the Houthis have been able to set up quite an impressive indigenous drone battlefield drone industry.”

In a case of “reverse proliferation” the Iranians then took the Houthi manufactured drones to the launch area in Iran – opposite the Kuwait border – and used them alongside their own cruise missiles as part of a “plausible deniability” operation against Saudi. At the time the Houthi drones did not have sufficient range to fly from Yemen 800 kilometres to the Aramco plant.

Both Iranian and Houthi drones are considered a serious threat for countries like Saudi with critical infrastructure spread across a vast geographical area where one attack could cause serious problems. It is also near impossible to defend the infrastructure against drone attacks.

While Iran is passing on its knowledge to allies, it is also expanding drone use for its own forces. Without a strong air force, Iran has found it can achieve ISR – intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance – by flying drones over the battlefield.

This allows troops on the ground to see what’s ‘over the hill’ making it harder to be ambushed or easier to spy on enemy forces.

But they are also becoming effective at using drones to call in highly accurate artillery and mortar fire.

The use of drones for indirect fire is making Iran’s proxies “massively more lethal”, according to Mr Bronk. “For example, a mortar is inaccurate and it’s very hard to be precise in an ambush unless you have a small drone – quadcopter or multi-copter or small UAV - at which point you can spot where your first round goes, adjust with your second and get your third on target. We’ve seen lots of use of that by Iran proxies.”

This can be used against military bases or embassies.

Currently all of Iran’s drones have to be operated by a remote control from a ground station, limiting the range of the bigger drones like the Shahab 129 to about 200km. Iran has yet to match the ability to remotely control drones from space on a par with America’s massive satellite communications network.

However, defending against drones – especially mass attacks – is very difficult as a definitive technology does not exist, although defence manufacturers are looking at laser and jamming technology alongside detection equipment.


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A shot down drone on display.

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An IED built with Iranian components and camouflaged as a cooking pot recovered by Arab Coalition forces in Yemen.

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An Iranian-supplied STEYR .50 Calibre sniper riffle being used by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

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An Iranian-built Qasef-1 drone used by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

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Two anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM). The one on the right is a Russian-made Kornet, and on the left is an Iranian imitation. Markings show they were built in 2015 indicating they were smuggled to Yemen after the UN arms embargo.

VB_19-06-18_Weapons-15.jpg


IEDs camouflaged inside a fake rock. Arab Coalition officials estimate they have defused up to 30,000 such devices since the war began.

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IEDs camouflaged inside a fake rock. Arab Coalition officials estimate they have defused up to 30,000 such devices since the war began.

VB_19-06-18_Weapons-6.jpg


Farsi language was found enscribed on the wiring of this drone battery from a Qasef-1 UAV indicating its Iranian origins.

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The engine of a Qasef-1 drone shot down by Arab Coalition forces in Yemen.

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Limpet mines.

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Electronics of an IED.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/me...heir-own-drone-industry-in-yemen-1.1032847#11
 
یک زمانی حوثی ها می گفتن گزینه های استراتژیک رو می کنیم و همه پوزخند میزدند و می گفتند پس کی رو می کنین​

یه زمانی ایران میگفت تنگه ها رو میبندیم و جواب میومد شاید برای مدت کوتاهی ببندید ولی بازش می کنیم. .خودتون به تنگه هرمز بیشتر نیاز دارید
هرمز رو دور می زنیم
پوز خند​
:)
 
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Farsi language was found enscribed on the wiring of this drone battery from a Qasef-1 UAV indicating its Iranian origins.
is there something wrong with my eyes ? I can't see anything persian
 
8 million + Covid-19 infections worldwide
436,218 death so far
4.1 million have recovered
Approx 140,000 new cases a day
Approx 5000 deaths a day

2.1 million infected in the USA
117,000+ deaths in the USA
870,000+ recoveries in the USA

Iran is now at number 9 rather than 10 or 11 in the global Covid-19 rankings.

It seems however that there are other countries like
Mexico 4000+ infections 269 deaths today
Peru 4800+ infections 150 deaths today
Pakistan 5000+ infections 97 deaths today
India is at 10,000 and 300 deaths a day
Russia is at 8000-10,000 with 100-300 deaths a day
Brazil is at average 20,000 with 500-1000 a day
Saudi Arabia 4507 infections today 39 deaths today

It seem as if several nations will soon bypass Iran within the next few weeks.

This is sad because various European countries. like France, Italy, Spain, which were very hard hit, seem to have mostly overcome the crisis, with very minimal numbers.

Even looking at Turkey, the country is doing much better than Iran, with only 15 deaths yesterday, although it should be noted that they just reopened their economy and many provinces are still under lockdown. Also in recent days their daily infection rates have seen a significant increase from 1000 to around 1500. Only time will tell.

Then there are countless nations, like for example Afghanistan, poor nations that cannot even afford testing and in some cases you hear stories of people NEVER receiving results or waiting weeks. According to a recent test conducted by a group of scientists, half of the people in Kabul are showing symptoms of Covid-19

There are also several claims by experts and scientists stating that Erdogan and his family did everything in their power to cover up the true extent of Covid-19 epidemic in Turkey, since him and his family own extensive shares in the new massive Airport which was built and many hotels and tourist related industries. Perhaps the true numbers are being sugar coated in a desperate attempt to bring tourists back ?

Iran is not really doing well with the Coronavirus epidemic. Iran is now going through a second wave, which could not be avoided since the US prevented the IMF from giving Iran vital loans.

Instead of 2 months, Iran was only under lockdown for 1 month. At the end of that one month the numbers had been significantly reduced. However when Iran opened up its economy again, it's now experienced a second way, with higher infection rates than the first wave. However the death rates have been significantly reduced, probably due to acquired experience by medical experts and the procurement of vital equipment like respirators.

In any case Iran is not doing that well, probably average in the world with daily infection rates of 2000+ and daily death rates of 50-100.

There are countries that are doing much worse. The USA still isn't doing that well, with 20,000 infections yesterday, although with only 300 deaths. The US has also been able to significantly reduce their daily death rates.

Today was NOT good for Iran and neither was yesterday, 2472 new infections yesterday with 107 deaths and 2449 new infections today with 114 deaths. The death rate has now climbed above 100.

I'm not sure if this is because Iran didn't lockdown for long enough or if its because the government isn't spending enough time and energy trying to enforce social distancing and other measures. I think the time has come to enforce severe penalties on those who refuse to go along with the rules and regulations, Perhaps one warning and then the next time a steep fine, even jail time for repeat offenders ?

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Famed Iranian Actor Mohammad Ali Keshavarz Dies At 90

Mohammad Ali Keshavarz, a legendary actor in Iranian film, theater, and television, has died at the age of 90 in Tehran.

Keshavarz was hospitalized in early June with a kidney problem, after which he was placed in the intensive care unit due to a lung infection.

The prominent actor had been ill since 1990 and hospitalized several times.

Keshavarz was born in Isfahan in 1930 and began his theatrical career in the late 1930s.

Over several decades, he featured in about 50 movies, more than 30 television series, and several theaters.

Among his most famous roles were those in the popular television series The Patriarch and such films as Clay and Mirror, Mother, and Ragbar.

He is considered one of the five great male actors in Iranian theater, cinema, and television.


https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-culture-film-television-keshavarz/30670381.html
 
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Farsi language was found enscribed on the wiring of this drone battery from a Qasef-1 UAV indicating its Iranian origins.
they r using DIY stuff like neo 7m GPS module, I also used neo ublox 6m, and its pain to activate them and receive data for the first time. it takes hours.
 
I am looking for the Iranian underwater rifle. Anyone?
I think I have seen a link for it years ago.
........
 
“All is well” has become a known phrase for everyone.

EaiQATwXQAEvwZe


Reportedly, India lost 20 soldiers and maybe land?? and now they are trying to defuse the situation!
........
 

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