Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – March 28, 2003

Meeting between Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and George W. Bush in the United States, and their joint press conference, as well as Blair’s meeting with Kofi Annan in New York, have attracted attention in global political circles. Some signs of disagreement between them have begun to appear, and Blair is trying to prevent the United States from bypassing the United Nations. In response to numerous journalists’ questions about stagnation on the battlefront, the ineffectiveness of ground forces, and the failure of predictions, they did not have satisfactory answers.

Iraqi military attacks on U.S. forces around Nasiriyah and northern Basra, as well as the use of missiles, have made them uneasy, and they are trying to downplay their casualties. Yesterday, U.S. officials reported 24 killed and 19 wounded during the war, which is not believed by many. At the same time, revelations in Pakistani newspapers about the existence of around 500 American bodies in Pakistan’s morgues from the Afghanistan war—because they are afraid to return them to the United States—have caused a new scandal, although this report may also be inaccurate.

The clear criticism by Jack Straw, the British Foreign Minister, of the dual standards of the United States and the West regarding weapons of mass destruction and violations of international law by Israel and Iraq is another sign of scandal. This has angered Israel, leading to the summoning of the British ambassador. Straw considered this one of the reasons for global public opinion, especially in the Muslim world, opposing U.S. policy.

U.S. officials officially announced that during the 1991 war against Iraq, they used 320 tons of depleted uranium, and they have also raised the possibility of using non-lethal gases if battlefield conditions become more difficult. This immediately drew exploitation by Iraq and opposition from international organizations.

Shiite religious scholars in Iraq, upon seeing the invading forces near Najaf and Karbala, once again declared cooperation with the invaders forbidden and issued orders to resist them. Ahmad Kuftaro, the Mufti of Syria, issued a fatwa obligating martyrdom operations against the invading forces.

Mohammad Saeed al-Sahhaf officially stated that total casualties in the Basra region over six days were 160 killed and 600 wounded, which he considered low. American newspapers reported that U.S. forces inside Iraq are facing shortages of food, ammunition, and fuel, which is plausible given that supplies must be transported from hundreds of kilometers away. The Al-Rutba hospital, 400 kilometers west of Baghdad, was hit by a missile.

My cousin, Dr. Mohammad Hashemi, and his wife visited. I gave them two half coins as a gift. I also visited the wife of the Imam, Mrs. Khadijeh Saqafi; she is in good health but concerned about the war. Across Iran, anti-war demonstrations were held after Friday prayers. We are also experiencing good rainfall.