Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 15, 1987

I was at home. Most of my time was spent reading the reports - accumulated during my week-long trip. Mr. Rezaei reported from the front that last night we had new developments in the Maut area and enemy patrols had also started and it was decided that a part of the operation called Fatah 5 would be announced today, because the Ramadan camp says that the Patriotic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan, which was our partner in this attack, is expecting an announcement and that the operation of the regular forces called Karbala 10 would be announced tomorrow.

I asked Mr. [Ali] Shamkhani [commander of IRGC ground forces] and Mr. [Mohammed] Faruzandeh [Chief of IRGC General Staff] to explain the effects of Iraq's use of chemical weapons in the 8th Karbala operation. They said that we had about 300 martyrs and about 2000 chemically injured people, and because it was used at night in Aqaba Square and in the cities of Khorramshahr and Abadan, and the forces did not have time to defend themselves, there were many casualties.

The children were the guests of the family of the late brother [Qassem Hashemi] in the afternoon. Efat went to get Yasser's report card. He was upset and protested about the non-revolutionary speech of the [school] meeting speaker.

In the evening, the chiefs of forces were guests of Ahmad Agha. [Mr. Mohammadi Ray Shahri] Minister of Information and [Mr. Ali Falahian] his successor also came. Imam participated in the meeting. I gave the report of the fronts and told about some strength. The imam was of the opinion that the army and the IRGC have political movements that are harmful to the war, and that the more facilities that have been obtained compared to the past, have weakened the spirit of trust in them. I said that in the meantime, the growth of the people and facilities of the Iraqi army should also be taken into account.

Mr. Ray Shahri [Minister of Information] raised the problems and limitations of the Ministry of Information in dealing with the counter-revolution. In this case, he wrote a letter to the Imam, and the Imam has referred to the heads of the three powers. It was decided that they would be allowed to detain counter-revolutionary people for 24 hours before the permission of the prosecutor, if they were found guilty, and for this purpose, they would have up to two hundred armed [forces]. He was advised to be tolerant with the people and the accused and not to leave the hand of extremists and to provide information to the accused. I came home late.