Akbar Hashemi’s Memoirs – January 30, 2003

Visit to the heavy water plant under construction, Khondab region, southwest of Arak. 70% of the construction is domestic.

Interview with Ayatollah Montazeri; after the lifting of his house arrest, in response to criticisms regarding interviews with foreign media, he stated that because domestic media do not broadcast his views, he utilizes them.

Full Diary Text:

At 8:00 AM, we flew by helicopter from [Mehrabad] Airport to the Khondab region in southwest Arak to visit the heavy water plant under construction. Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, accompanied us.
In the briefing session, Mr. Aghazadeh gave a welcome address, and Engineer Hasani, Dr. Sarhangi, and Engineer Sheibani reported on the heavy water plant and the 40-megawatt heavy water reactor under construction. It began in 1993 during the Construction Government by my decree, and they hope the heavy water plant will reach operation next year; with a capacity of 16 tons per year, expandable to 72 tons. Recently, since the news was leaked, foreigners are refusing to provide some sensitive equipment; including the centrifugal compressor built by Japan.

We visited various sections; 70% of the construction is domestic. After prayers and lunch, Mr. Aghazadeh mentioned that Mr. Khatami [the President] has recently developed doubts regarding the heavy water reactor and asked me to resolve the issue. [Mohamed] ElBaradei [Director General of the IAEA] is scheduled to visit in two weeks.

We reached [Mehrabad] Airport at 4:30 PM. Along the route from around Arak, the ground was covered in snow everywhere. I spent the time until late at night reading reports and news.

Ayatollah Montazeri went to the Shrine [of Fatimah Masumeh] today after the lifting of his house arrest and held a press conference. In response to criticisms of his interviews with foreign media, he said that because domestic media do not broadcast his words, he makes use of them. Foreign radio stations are conducting significant propaganda regarding the gathering of people around his house and inciting him to continue his criticism and opposition.

Significant conflict has begun among 2nd of Khordad [reformist] groups and individuals [in the council elections]; including the disqualification of some of them in the council elections by the Executive Board, as well as the complaint by Mr. [Alireza] Mahjoub, [head of] Worker’s House, against Hamshahri newspaper, and the clash between Mr. [Ebrahim] Asgharzadeh and the [Mosharekat] Party members, and the complaint by some City Council members against the Ministry of Interior, and the dissolution of the Tehran City Council by the Ministry of Interior, and the Parliament's complaint against the Mayor of Tehran following a parliamentary investigation into the municipality which led to his conviction—and the Mayor’s disregard for it—and Ayatollah Montazeri's criticism of Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami [the President, due to passivity and failure to fulfill promises].

The book "Listening to Ghosts" (Shenoud-e Ashbah) was recently published by Mr. [Ruhollah] Hosseinian [head of the Center for Islamic Revolution Document Center], accusing Messrs. [Seyyed Mohammad] Mousavi Khoeiniha and Behzad Nabavi of cooperation and contact with foreign intelligence agencies, and has been criticized by Mr. Khatami [the President]. This book is written by a person named [Reza] Golpour, published by the Center for Islamic Revolution Documents, and has defamed them by citing miscellaneous reports primarily obtained from the West.
The United States has ordered its military to have 150,000 troops in the region ready for war with Iraq by February 10th.