Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 17, 2001 - Meeting with Brigadier General Ahmad Haqtalab, Commander of the Guard Corps, and Security Recommendations

• Farewell meeting with the Finnish ambassador in Tehran.
• Continuing complaints from Sheikh Habibullah Mohammadian, representative of the Supreme Leader and Friday Prayer Imam of Zahedan, regarding his farewell message from his position in Zahedan and Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
• Complaint from Bijan Namdar Zanganeh regarding the treatment he received and senior appointments in the Ministry of Oil.
• Meeting with Ali Vaqili and Ahmad Reza Jalali Naeini to discuss developmental consultations.
• Meeting with Brigadier General Ahmad Haqtalab, Commander of the Guard Corps, focusing on security recommendations.

Full Diary Entry:

Mr. [Antti Kuistinen], the Finnish ambassador, came to bid farewell. I expressed gratitude for Finland’s relatively good stance in condemning Israel’s aggressions against the Palestinians and called for balanced trade between the two sides. I criticized America for its dual policies regarding terrorism, ignoring state-sponsored assassinations by Israel and the anti-revolutionary killings in Iran, and warned against hasty and rash actions against Afghanistan.

Mr. [Habibullah] Mohammadian, the Imam of Zahedan, visited and expressed his distress that Mr. [Seyyed Reza] Taqvi, [the head of the Council for Policy-Making for Friday Prayer Imams], had told him to prepare for a farewell next week. He was upset and sought assistance in addressing his issues.

Mr. [Bijan Namdar] Zangeneh, the Minister of Oil, came by. He was deeply upset about the attacks and inspections directed at him from all sides. He remarked that if he hadn’t taken some positive actions, he wouldn’t be facing such treatment. He also mentioned that Mr. [Ahmad] Rahguzar was not prepared to accept the position of managing director of the oil company and that the managers under Mr. [Mohammad Reza] Nemat-Zadeh, [the CEO of the National Petrochemical Company], were unhappy with him due to strict measures and confrontations.

In the afternoon, Mr. [Ali] Vaqili, [the head of the Oil Industry Research Institute], and Dr. [Ahmad Reza] Jalali Naeini visited. They had proposals regarding calculated information dissemination to raise public awareness and prevent demagoguery, discussing the dangers of a U.S. invasion. Mr. [Ahmad] Haqtalab, the commander of the protection unit, came to emphasize the need for increased protection and caution regarding revolutionary figures in the current circumstances. He is heading to Umrah.

Pakistan has announced the closure of its borders with Afghanistan, and its delegation is negotiating with Taliban leaders regarding the handover of Osama bin Laden, [the leader of al-Qaeda]. Reports have surfaced that on the day of the attack on America, American Jews did not go to work, and [Ariel] Sharon, [the Prime Minister of Israel], canceled a meeting with Jews, leading many to suspect Israel’s prior knowledge or involvement in the operation. Many European countries have stated they will not participate in America’s retaliatory military attacks, and the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, which has claimed cooperation with America, has now conditioned its support on America not attacking the people.