Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – April 3, 2003

The United States, in order to improve its political position in the world, has undertaken political maneuvers. Colin Powell, after his trip to Turkey, said that they had agreed to allow U.S. equipment to enter Iraq through Turkish territory. Jack Straw went to Germany, and after talks, Joschka Fischer said that although Germany opposed the war, it would cooperate in the future reconstruction of Iraq. François Raffarin also said that France had opposed the start of the war, but now that the war had begun, it would cooperate. It is clear that France has abandoned its anti-war political stance. Vladimir Putin said that although he opposed the war, he did not support an American defeat and considered it harmful to global security and the world economy.

The United States announced that a helicopter near Najaf had been shot down by Iraqi fire and that all seven military personnel on board had been killed. A hospital in Germany reported that so far 220 wounded American soldiers had been admitted. This shows that the invaders’ claims regarding casualties are inaccurate, as these are severely injured cases; many others are being treated in the region itself and likely transferred to other hospitals as well.

Fierce clashes continue in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, Basra, Nasiriyah, Tanuma, Abu al-Khasib, and others. The Americans have claimed they have reached 10 kilometers from Baghdad airport. Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf denied these claims and, to prove their falsehood, went to the airport with journalists. Journalists reported that the situation in the area was normal.

Reports state that about 200 armored vehicles and personnel carriers have been transferred from Turkey to northern Iraq to open a new front, which has provoked anger among the Turkish public. The British consulate has been attacked and part of it has been destroyed.

Colin Powell left Turkey for Brussels and participated in a meeting of EU foreign ministers, where the main discussion was about the future of Iraq. The focus of debate has shifted from the war itself to the future of Iraq. France and its allies say that the United Nations should be the main decision-maker regarding Iraq’s future, but Powell said the UN would have a role, while the main decisions would remain with the coalition countries. The European Council, which includes 45 countries, condemned the war against Iraq. The invaders admitted the downing of an F-14 aircraft and two Apache helicopters.