Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - March 17, 2000 - Rejection of Immediate Meeting Request by Mohammad Khatami

The request for an immediate meeting from Mohammad Khatami was rejected for reasons that Hashemi chose not to mention in the memoir, although it can be inferred from the previous and subsequent entries.

A report on the events of these days by Mohsen Hashemi.

Akbar Hashemi's reflection on the highly significant remarks made by Madeleine Albright, the U.S. Secretary of State at the time, which highlighted an opportunity that the Islamic Republic missed due to guidance from Ayatollah Khamenei. Further details will be provided in the 2000 memoir entries.

I spent the entire day at home. Mr. Khatami, [the President], requested a meeting at my residence. For certain reasons, I postponed it. Most of my time was spent revising the interview with Hokoomat-e Eslami magazine, preparing the memoirs from 1982 [post-crisis] for publication, and reviewing bulletins. I also worked on refining the indices for Tafsir Rahnama. I completed the eighth volume and began the ninth from Surah Ibrahim.

Today, instead of Friday prayers, Eid al-Adha prayers were held across Iran. Some of the family gathered for lunch. Yasser went to Rafsanjan, and Fa’ezeh and her children visited Behesht-e Zahra and did not join for lunch. Mohsen, [Managing Director of Tehran Metro], expressed his frustration with the government, Mr. Khatami, and Dr. [Hassan] Habibi, [First Vice President], over their failure to secure necessary funding for the metro. There was also discussion about the harsh pamphlets being distributed against the family of Imam [Khomeini] and Mr. Khatami in some areas, noting how such actions harm the revolution and societal well-being, being a result of the current unhealthy internal divisions.

[Madeleine Albright], U.S. Secretary of State, delivered a lengthy speech today, expressing a desire to resolve the differences between the U.S. and Iran and establish relations. As a gesture of goodwill and support for the Iranian government, she announced the lifting of the ban on importing Iranian pistachios, carpets, and caviar into the U.S. At the same time, she reiterated previous American positions, accusing Iran of supporting terrorism, pursuing nuclear weapons, and opposing peace in the Middle East. She also criticized the concentration of power in the hands of the Supreme Leader and questioned the state of human rights in Iran.

Tensions between China, Taiwan, and the U.S. have escalated. Taiwan’s presidential elections will take place tomorrow. China has announced that if the pro-independence candidates in Taiwan win, they will face military action from China. Taiwan has put its armed forces on high alert. The U.S., through its Secretary of Defense, has warned China against resorting to force and has threatened to intervene in favor of Taiwan in the event of war.