Memories of Akbar Hashemi - 5 January 2003

  Mehdi wanted the movie "House on the Water" which was banned;  I will see it for help to be released

Asefi, the Foreign Spokesman, said that the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs wanted to come to Iran, but the leadership opposed it

We were their daughter's guest for the wedding of Hedi.  I criticized the way the news was reflected.  I said to Mr. Khatami, regarding the visit of the Iraqi Foreign Minister, it is better to act based on interests.

Full text of the newspaper:   

Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Mirmohammadi, [Mohammed] Mutolian, [Hossein Shamsai] and [Hashem] Rahbari from the Islamic Civilization Party came to consult about the city council elections and consult about the general situation of the country.  

Mehdi, [CEO of the country's fuel consumption optimization organization] came and said that there is no economic justification for buying gas from Turkmenistan, because we don't have customers.  He demanded that the movie "House on the Water" [made by Bahman Farmanara] which was banned;  I will see it for help to be released.  

Mr. [Ali] Shamkhani, [Minister of Defense] and [Syed Ali] Hosseinitash, [Director of the Defense Industries Research Institute] came to discuss the uranium enrichment industries and its development and its dangers from the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency and presented proposals.

Mr. [Hamidreza] Asefi, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came.  He explained about his working method and wanted to get rid of the fundamental and basic policies of the regime. He said, [Naji Sabri], the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq was supposed to come to Iran and the leadership opposed it, but due to the uproar created by some representatives in the newspaper, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President withdrew.  I said, if we know the expediency of his entry, we shouldn't be afraid of commotion. He said, it has been suggested that he bring an concession regarding damages and prisoners, which he has not yet accepted.  

In the evening, Mr. Hossein Marashi, [the representative of Kerman] came. He said, the participants are worried about the [survey] case of Mr. [Abbas] Abdi and [Behrouz] Granpayeh.  

Mr. [Hossein] Nasiri, the secretary of the [Supreme Council] of the Free Zones, came.  He gave explanations about Chabahar and Qeshm and the disturbances that exist for their administration.  

We were the guests of the leadership.  For Wilimah, the marriage of Hoda, their daughter with [Musbah Al-Hadi], the son of Mr. [Mohammed Baqer] Bagherikani.  There Mr. [Mahdi] Karroubi, [Speaker of the Parliament], told the meeting of the Chairman of the Parliament and the Guardian Council.  I criticized the way the news was reflected.  I told Mr. Khatami, [the President], about the trip of [Naji Sabri], the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, it is better to act based on interests.

It was announced that there were two martyrdom operations in Tel Aviv yesterday and 23 people were killed and 100 were injured.  Saddam [Hussein], [President of Iraq], said today that he is resisting America and called the investigators spies.