Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – April 16, 2003

As a result of protests against American threats toward Syria, even from Britain and Spain, America softened its tone and said that after the Iraq war it had no plans for military action against any country; however, Ms. Condoleezza Rice, the hardline adviser to George W. Bush, said that military action also remained among Bush’s options. Israel is also pressuring America to force Syria to expel Palestinian militants from Syria and disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Nasiriyah conference issued a statement calling for a free and federal Iraq and the removal of the Ba'ath Party. America, angered by the absence of the Supreme Council and the Dawa Party, said that they had harmed their future role in Iraq. Existing contradictions within Iraq have found room to emerge under conditions of a power vacuum. In Mosul, where the Kurdistan Democratic Party appointed a governor, they faced opposition from Arabs, although the governor himself is an Arab named [Mishaan] al-Jubouri who has good relations with the Kurds, and yesterday’s killings occurred as a result of this dispute. Naturally, such conflicts are intensifying. In Kirkuk as well, around 60 people have been killed in retaliatory actions over the past few days, most of them ruling Ba'athists, and many Arabs who had been brought there under the Arabization program of Kirkuk have been harmed.

Donald Rumsfeld officially announced that the pipeline carrying Iraqi oil to Syria had been cut. The son of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced that he would not return to his center of residence and work until full security was established. UNICEF has sent 120,000 liters of water from Iran for the people of Iraq, but it has been halted at the Shalamcheh border because the drivers do not have passports. Britain has intensified diplomatic activity to influence Iraq’s future, and its foreign minister has gone to the southern Persian Gulf countries while his deputy has come to Iran, saying that the plan is for local councils to temporarily control the country and then gradually move toward general elections.

America has claimed that traces of chemical weapons have been found in certain locations, but international bodies say America’s claim has no credibility unless it is confirmed by official international centers operating in Iraq.

Mr. Seyyed Abdulaziz Hakim entered Kut, Iraq today and was welcomed by thousands of people. This year’s Arbaeen mourning ceremonies and pilgrimage in Iraq will be held very magnificently, and important ceremonies are already being held in Najaf and Karbala. Today in Mosul as well, American troops killed and wounded a number of people. America announced that it had arrested Abu Abbas [Mohammad Zaidan], the Palestinian militant who had been in Iraq for the past 18 years. American troops have sent significant forces to the Iraq-Syria border, while they have not stationed forces near the Iranian border.

We held a meeting with the deputies of the Strategic Research Center [of the Expediency Discernment Council]. Most discussions were about Iraq and its future and the situation of the Mojahedin-e Khalq [MEK].

In the evening, we went to the Tehran International Exhibition for the افتتاح of the specialized oil and gas exhibition. They said that 550 Iranian companies and 350 foreign companies were participating. I passed by the booths and, due to limited time, refrained from asking many questions. Among those present, Mr. Bijan Namdar Zangeneh gave a report. I spoke about the importance of oil and gas and their centrality in the world and Iranian economy, and about the oppression of colonialists toward oil-producing countries, of which the Iraq war is a clear example. I also gave a short interview to reporters.

At the Leader’s office, a meeting was held to review possible threats from America, attended by Messrs. Mohammad Khatami, [Seyyed Mahmoud] Hashemi Shahroudi, [Ali] Larijani, [Ali Akbar] Velayati, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, [Kamal] Kharazi, [Ali] Younesi, Hassan Rouhani, [Mohsen] Rezaee, and [Ali] Shamkhani. Most of the meeting concerned special defensive weapons and issues related to international inspections.