Memories of Akbar Hashemi - 23 Mehr 1380

The Account of Hashemi Regarding Sheikh Abbasali Alizadeh’s Sharp Response to the President’s Constitutional Warning and Qassem Shaleh Saadi's Reaction

Full Text of the Daily Notes:

The Taliban once again announced that if the U.S. provides evidence of Osama bin Laden's involvement in the events in America, they are willing to hand him over to a third, neutral government. George Bush, the President of the United States, immediately rejected this offer, stating that the Taliban must unconditionally surrender bin Laden and all of Al-Qaeda, and shut down the terrorists' training camps.

The second week of the war began with continued bombings, and reports from journalists showed that civilian casualties, particularly among villagers, were increasing. The deaths of four UN staff members also added to America's embarrassment.

The Northern Alliance has stated that they are not currently seeking to occupy Kabul. This may be due to U.S. opposition under Pakistan's pressure, or it may reflect the Alliance's own reluctance, which they view as a concession to the U.S. with certain conditions. Pakistan has announced that it considers Zahir Shah the most suitable candidate for the future government of Afghanistan, which is a strange shift and reflects the weakness of both the U.S. and Pakistan's position.

Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian Authority, has arrived in the UK at the invitation of the British government. Western policy appears to be pretending to offer concessions to the Palestinians to gain Arab support on the Afghanistan issue, which has angered Israel and created new tensions. Meanwhile, the assassination of a Hamas leader by Israel and their acknowledgment of the issue has complicated the Palestinian situation further.

Ms. Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, insists that to assist the people of Afghanistan, bombings must temporarily cease. UNICEF has also made such a proposal to aid children at risk, stating that seven million Afghans are in danger. This proposal has posed a global dilemma for the U.S. Large demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of people in Istanbul, Turkey, and the deaths of 200 individuals in Nigeria during clashes between Muslims and Christians have added to America’s problems.

In Pakistan, a call for a general strike has been made in protest against the presence of Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, the President of Indonesia, has expressed her opposition to the attack on Afghanistan, which is another blow to the U.S. Indonesian public pressure has compelled her to change her stance. In New York, three more cases of anthrax have been discovered, increasing American fears.

The Taliban criticized the results of the Islamic Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Qatar for not condemning America’s aggression against Afghanistan. This criticism has also been raised in Iran. Yesterday, Mr. Masih Mohajeri, the managing editor of the newspaper Jomhouri Eslami, mentioned it as well.

The New York Times has issued a harsh critique of Saudi Arabia for not allowing the use of its bases by the U.S. for operations in Afghanistan and for not freezing the accounts of terrorists. Previously, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal had criticized the U.S. for its attack on Afghanistan, and they had refused to host Prime Minister Tony Blair in Saudi Arabia. Al-Waleed's $10 million aid to New York victims was rejected, and the New York Times has called for the U.S. to avoid leniency towards the Saudi government.

Hashemi's Account of Ayatollah Khamenei's Sharp and Bitter Remarks at the Eid al-Mab'ath Ceremony

A nighttime meeting between Hashemi and Mohammad Khatami, discussing political and international consultations.

Full Text of the Daily Notes:

The Taliban criticized the results of the Islamic Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Qatar for not condemning America's aggression against Afghanistan. This criticism has also been raised in Iran. Yesterday, Mr. Masih Mohajeri also mentioned it.

The New York Times harshly criticized Saudi Arabia for not allowing the U.S. to use its bases for Afghanistan and for not freezing the accounts of terrorists. Previously, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal had criticized the U.S. for its attack on Afghanistan, and Tony Blair had not been welcomed in Saudi Arabia. Al-Waleed's $10 million donation to New York victims was also rejected, and the New York Times called for the U.S. to not be lenient towards the Saudi government.

Last night, Mr. Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi’s response to Khatami's objections regarding the pursuit of parliament members was published, while Alizadeh’s sharp letter of protest to Khatami has yet to be released. BBC Radio, in an interview with Qassem Shaleh Saadi, defended Khatami against Hashemi Shahroudi.

U.S. attacks have continued today with increased intensity, and there is talk of using chemical agents. In Japan, the annual peace march covering 250 kilometers took place today, focusing on ending aggression against Afghanistan. The news of the assassination of two Palestinian figures by Israel and the general strike in Pakistan is significant.

For the Eid al-Mab'ath ceremony, we went to the Leader’s office. The Leader and Mr. Khatami were supposed to talk about peace and tranquility, but the Leader spoke sharply and bitterly. In the evening, I visited Mr. Khatami at his home. We discussed current issues in the world, the region, and Iran. We could not come up with a solution regarding the war, except for emphasizing the central role of the UN.

There is also a potential danger for Iran, but there are also many positive signs. Regarding the Leader's long trip to Isfahan, we deemed it a reckless action given the current circumstances. It was decided that a warning should be issued. Some Western officials are expected to visit Iran; we suspect it is to seek Iran's cooperation