Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - 22 December 2001

Hashemi's account of the margins of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami's speech at the University of Tehran
Formation of the Expediency Council's Infrastructure Committee and Approval of Draft Parts of the Industry and Members' Criticism of the Fight Against Financial Corruption
Sheikh Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeh's Report on the Preparations for the Lifting of Ayatollah Montazeri's Detention
Full text of the diary:
The Infrastructure Commission [of the Expediency Council] had a meeting. The general policies of the industrial sector were completed. Some criticized the way the fight against financial corruption was committed, saying that it would lead to the cooling of managers and further recession of the economy.

In the evening, Mr. [Gholamhossein] Mohseni Ejei, the head of the Special Court for the Clergy, came. He appreciated the sermons of the last Friday prayers. He said that he had told his wife at home that he had made such a decision, and that his wife, who had heard the sermons, had said, "Thank you on my behalf." On the other hand, Israel and the counter-revolution are angry [at the Friday sermons on Quds Day], saying that they are close to a solution on the issue [of lifting the siege], except for Seyyed Hadi [Hashemi, Ayatollah Montazeri's son-in-law] and one other person, all of his supporters have been released.  
In a meeting held at Mr. Montazeri's house to celebrate the baby of Saeed's son, the prisoners were also taken away, and Mr. Montazeri spoke positively and said that the regime should be forgiving. At the same time, Saeed and Seyyed Hadi have said that the fact that we have this meeting is a sign of the pardon of the regime.

He said that he had asked Ayatollah Montazeri for an appointment and that the date had not yet been determined, but that one of the nights of Ramadan, Mr. Ahmad Montazeri had invited him to break his fast by phone, but he had not been able to go. In the same call, Ayatollah Montazeri also spoke on the phone and thanked them for their efforts to solve the problems of the cases. He also criticized the way the judiciary dealt with the opposition and the way it dealt with economic corruption, saying that they do not have the right policy and strategy, and I approved it.
In Afghanistan, during a ceremony, Mr. Hamid Karzai, [the head of the interim government], took over the responsibility of running the country in place of Mr. [Burhanuddin] Rabbani, [the president of the Mujahideen government]. About 30 countries participated. Yesterday, the United States attacked a convoy of Pashtun sheikhs who were going from Paktia to Kabul for the celebrations, killing 65 people, claiming that they were from the Taliban. Lebanon's Hizbullah and the Islamic Jihad have opposed the cessation of martyrdom operations.
During today's speech by Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami at the University [of Tehran], the students chanted harsh slogans against the government and the judiciary.