Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 21, 2003

Mr. Hassan Khalilian, the advisor to the Minister of Interior on veterans' affairs, came and gave a report on the affairs of veterans' offices in the provinces. He criticized the government's management and said that in meetings with some scholars in Qom, they praise the services and management of the Construction Crusade era and criticize the current situation.

Mr. Ali Asghar Jafari Isfahani, a former representative of Lenjan, came. He criticized the representatives of Isfahan in the parliament and Mr. Seyyed Jalal al-Din Taheri, the former Friday prayer leader of Isfahan, and sought help for his personal affairs.

Mr. Abolhasan Firouzabadi, the Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs of the Ministry of Intelligence, came. He said that he had a disagreement with the minister over the allocation of funds and has been sidelined. He said that jamming anti-revolutionary televisions broadcasting from America is possible with a small satellite transmitter from the sea, but locating it is possible for America. He said that the technical work done during your period has now stagnated.

In the evening, Mr. Hossein Mozaffar, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, Dr. Abbas Paknejad, and Mojtaba Rahman Doost, advisors to the President on veterans' affairs, came. They gave a report on the actions they have taken for veterans.

Thirty scholars, preachers, and seminary students from Iraq came. They are guests of the Quds Force. They thanked Iran for its attention and assistance and for Iran's achievements. They said that the people have been relieved of the tyranny of the Ba'athists and that they must be patient until a popular government is formed. They cannot tolerate another war and internal conflicts, but they also have many problems. They complained about the programs of Sahar Radio and Al-Alam TV.

I also analyzed the situation in the region and Iraq, saying that Iraq is going through the most sensitive period of its history, and the defeat and expulsion of America could be the greatest honor in Iraq's history. I gave each of them a copy of my memoirs, which have been translated into Arabic, and a volume of the letters exchanged between Saddam and me.

The Iraqi Governing Council failed to agree on the election of a president, and a three-member group was appointed for management and began discussing the appointment of ministers.

The release of the opinion of the commission appointed by Mr. Khatami regarding the death of Zahra Kazemi has angered the counter-revolutionaries, because the special committee has not determined the cause of death or the perpetrator, and has requested the judiciary to investigate these two matters, while both the Ministry of Intelligence and the Tehran prosecutor are accused.

Mr. Mohsen Armin, a representative of Tehran and spokesman for the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, explicitly accused Mr. Saeed Mortazavi in a speech yesterday in parliament. The prosecutor's office has said that on the last day of her detention, Zahra Kazemi was in the custody of the Ministry of Intelligence. Particularly after the appointment of the Tehran prosecutor's office by Mr. Hashemi Shahroudi for the investigation, the anger of opponents has increased. Both human rights centers and Bill Graham, the Canadian Foreign Minister, have announced that it must be pursued, the body must be sent to Canada, and an international investigation must be conducted.

The Saudi government has announced that it has arrested 16 people in connection with a plot to sabotage vital centers in the country and has seized some weapons and explosives. George W. Bush, in a meeting with Silvio Berlusconi, explicitly accused Iran and Syria of supporting terrorism and threatened them. Observers see the repetition of the threat as a reflection of America's problems in Iraq.

The EU foreign ministers also made the development of trade relations with Iran conditional on Iran's positive action on human rights, the death of Zahra Kazemi, non-opposition to the roadmap, and the cessation of nuclear activities, which is a form of coordination with America.