Memories of Akbar Hashemi - May 20, 2002

Mr. Masih Mohajeri's criticism of the disordered state of the border markets with Turkmenistan and also the entry of a group of corrupt Turkmen women into Turkmen SahraThe Ministry of Intelligence declared the rumors of negotiations with America to be false, stating that they have been raised for partisan purposes, and the Judiciary deemed the rumor-spreaders deserving of prosecution.

Complete text of the daily report:

Mr. Ahmad and Mohsen Hashemian came. They talked about the problems of the cooperative for pistachio producers and exporters in Rafsanjan. They have asked the government for a foreign exchange loan to convert it into rials for the purchase of pistachios from farmers, which is very abundant this year. They mentioned that the cooperative is losing 500 tomans for each kilo of pistachios to support the farmers.

Mr. [Reza Hossein] Mirza Tahrani, the former ambassador in Vietnam, has come. He is dissatisfied with the Foreign Ministry for retiring him with the rank of an expert. He has sought assistance for his work and his child's exemption.

Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [the editor-in-chief of the Jomhouri Islami newspaper] came. He criticized the chaotic situation of the border markets with Turkmenistan and also the influx of a number of corrupt Turkmen women into Turkmen Sahra; considering the unfavorable cultural and economic conditions of the country, he said that most people expect you to intervene. He mentioned that the situation regarding paper is bad and newspapers are facing problems.

Mr. Joudari has arrived. He brought a research report on the resolutions of the [Expediency Council] regarding the challenges. In the afternoon, I had an interview with the commanders of the [Research and Self-Sufficiency Organization of the Basij] to explain the background of the Basij's ideological foundations and its role and future.

This morning, two helicopters simultaneously crashed in Isfahan, killing four pilots. A ceremony has been held in Palestine Square [Tehran] on the occasion of the fortieth night of the martyrs of the Jenin camp, with the participation of various segments of the people. The Ministry of Intelligence has declared the rumors of negotiations with America to be false, stating that they have been raised for factional purposes, and the judiciary has deemed those spreading rumors deserving of prosecution.

In eastern Afghanistan, an American soldier was killed. An interview with Mullah Omar, [leader of the Taliban] and news about the life of [Osama] bin Laden, [leader of al-Qaeda], have been published. Yesterday in England and France, tens of thousands demonstrated in support of the Palestinian people. In Spain, on the occasion of the conference of European and Latin American leaders, a demonstration of 200,000 people was held in opposition to globalization.

Ariel Sharon, [the Prime Minister of Israel], agreed to the participation of Syria in the Middle East peace conference – which will likely be held in the summer – on the condition of disbanding [the movement] Hezbollah [Lebanon] and expelling the army from Lebanon. The son of Ahmad Jibril, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was killed in a bomb explosion in his car in Beirut.