Part of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's diary on Thursday, March 18, 2003

Foreign media have started severe criticism of Mr. Khatami's statements in yesterday's interview.  

Mr. Khatami said: I am ashamed of the people of Iran and will take back the president's authority bill from the parliament, because it might reach the next parliament and make things worse.  

He denied the resignation rumor, which the counter-revolution is spreading, and said that preparing a 50-page letter to reveal my untold issues is a rumor.  

I ask my brother, Mr. Shahroudi, not to prosecute the reform leaders.  

Recently, Mr. Mohammad Reza Khatami, Armin, Mirdamadi, and others have been summoned to court; foreign media, especially Salamatian and Nourizadeh, who until now praised Mr. Khatami on BBC Radio and Radio Farda, have ridiculed him and claimed that he has wasted the huge capital of public votes.  

It should be noted that in the 2003 diaries, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is full of direct consultations with Seyed Mohammad Khatami or his close associates, senior officials, or visitors to Hashemi regarding this matter.  

Politics is strangely ruthless.