Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - October 16, 2000 - Meeting with Deputies of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council Regarding Petrochemical Plans

A meeting was held with the deputies of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council to discuss petrochemical projects.

One of the issues faced by the Strategic Research Center, as noted in Hashemi's earlier writings, is the appointment of the center's head by the head of the Expediency Council, while simultaneously appointing his deputies as well. This creates coordination issues and a lack of necessary management from the head of the center for deputies who derive their authority from their appointer.

An interview with Hamid Akhundi and Alireza Jalali regarding the television series "The Revolution Alone."

Full Entry of the Day:

I had a meeting with the deputies of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council. The discussions focused on petrochemical plans. The deputies expressed the need for greater budgetary and decision-making powers.

In the afternoon, I officiated the wedding of the child of Mr. Heydari, one of the employees of the Expediency Council, and conducted an interview with Mr. Hamid Akhundi and Mr. Alireza Jalali, producers of the television series "The Revolution Alone." They asked questions about important issues related to the export of the revolution, various groups, movements, and foreign interventions.

I stayed in my office at night and worked online until midnight. The issue of the Palestinian Intifada remains at the forefront of global concerns. Hezbollah in Lebanon announced that they have captured an Israeli colonel, which is significant news. Israel is attempting to assert that this individual was kidnapped in Switzerland with Iran's assistance; however, Hezbollah claims they detained him in Lebanon, stating that he entered Lebanon using a fake passport. There is considerable speculation surrounding the Sharm El Sheikh conference, which is set to take place tomorrow with the participation of Bill Clinton, the President of the United States, Hosni Mubarak, the President of Egypt, Ehud Barak, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Javier Solana, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union. Today, we had good rainfall; thank God.