Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - November 18, 1999 - The Armed Forces Judicial Organization’s Report: The Bombing Near the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad Attributed to Suspects from the Chain Murders Within the Ministry of Intelligence

In today’s entries of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's memoirs, the most significant revelation is the information provided by the Armed Forces Judicial Organization. They report that the bombing near the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, which took place in September and killed two people, was the work of individuals involved in the chain murders, specifically members of the Ministry of Intelligence at that time.

However, in Hashemi's memoirs, at least through 1999, there is no mention of any decisive or exemplary actions taken to address these allegations. After reviewing media records, no concrete action against these individuals was reported in the media of that period either.

A meeting of 56 countries for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) took place in Istanbul, Turkey. [Boris] Yeltsin, [President of Russia], also attended. His response to criticisms and pressure regarding the situation in Chechnya is important.

[Ehud Barak], Prime Minister of Israel, also attended, and [Bill Clinton], President of the United States, urged him to fulfill his commitments to hand over portions of the West Bank territories to the Palestinians. It was scheduled for Monday this week that an additional 4% of the land would be handed over, but disagreements over the selection of territories, the handover method, and sovereignty issues led to a delay.

The military court announced that the bombing in Mashhad, which killed two people in September, was orchestrated by remnants of the group responsible for the chain murders. The bombing was meant to apply pressure and portray the country as insecure.

For a speech at the "Unity Conference" held by the Combatant Clergy Association, we went to the Martyr Motahhari School. This event followed a similar gathering held in Qom by the Society of Seminary Teachers.

[Mohammad Reza] Mahdavi-Kani, [Secretary-General of the Combatant Clergy Association], [Ali] Meshkini, [Chairman of the Assembly of Experts], [Mehdi] Karroubi, [Secretary-General of the Association of Combatant Clerics], and I gave speeches. I worked at my office until 4 PM, then returned home.

Tonight, it was announced that Mr. Yeltsin, due to the negative atmosphere regarding Chechnya at the Istanbul summit, angrily left the meeting and returned to Russia. He also walked out in protest during Mr. Clinton’s speech, but later, Russia’s Foreign Minister, [Igor Ivanov], invited the head of the OSCE to visit Chechnya, easing the crisis. It’s evident that Russia is determined to resolve the Chechen issue, while the West seeks to apply political pressure through this avenue.

At the Istanbul summit, an agreement was signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Turkmenistan to build oil and gas pipelines through Georgia and Turkey, with the U.S. President signing as a witness. This move appears to be a counteraction to Russia’s efforts regarding oil and gas routes through Chechnya, as well as a response to Iran’s agreement with Shell Oil Company, which was signed three days ago despite U.S. sanctions. The U.S.-China agreement for China’s accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is also significant.