Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 20, 1983

I contacted the front and the Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shohada Headquarters and the 28th Sanandaj Division and asked about the operation. All the reports say that the first phase of the attack, which began at midnight, has been successful. We have attacked the Shiler area from Baneh and Marivan—from the north and south—and a large part of Iraqi territory, as well as their villages, towns, barracks, and bases, will be captured. They say our casualties are also very low. In the open session of Parliament, we finished the bill on workers' councils, but the Guardian Council will probably raise many objections.

At noon, Mr. [Mohieddin] Fazel Harandi came and had some things to say about the situation of the [Islamic Republic] Party and the efforts of the [Society of] Seminary Teachers [of Qom] and the Combatant Clergy of Tehran to take control of the next Parliament. I contacted the front, the president, Ahmad Aqa, and the War Propaganda Headquarters. It was decided that, starting at two in the afternoon, [news concerning Operation] Valfajr 4 would be announced. The Iraqis had reported our attack, claiming that the attack had been defeated. We had planned to announce it tomorrow; that is, after complete certainty that the operation had been successful. In the afternoon, Mr. Foroughi came and had some things to say about the disputes and pending bills in Parliament that had remained stalled because of the Guardian Council's opposition, such as urban land and foreign trade. Mr. [Sadegh] Tabatabaei came and brought a proposal from an Italian company to sell 155 [artillery] shells. I referred it to the Ministry of Defense.

Doctors representing private hospitals came and complained about pressure from the Ministry of Health to impose tariffs. Recently, their ration of food supplies had been cut off, and they were obtaining them from the free market at very high prices. I spoke with Dr. [Hadi] Manafi [Minister of Health] so that a commission, with their participation, would determine fair tariffs. Intelligence officials of the Revolutionary Guards came and reported and consulted about the arrest of one of the Mojahedin's operatives and the discovery of their new plot to create a military crisis with the cooperation of foreigners and domestic agents and to launch an uprising amid the crisis and... and the decisions that had been made. I worked in Parliament until eight and then came home. Mr. Mohsen Rezaei called and gave the latest news of the victories; he is very satisfied. To make up for my lack of sleep last night, I went to bed earlier.