The diaries of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

The Ministry of Health has stated that Zahra Kazemi died from a brain hemorrhage caused by a blow. / In Iraq, public pressure on the occupying forces has intensified, and Paul Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, has said that the occupying forces will leave Iraq once a government representing the people is established.

A former manager from the Defense Industries Organization’s missile division arrived. He presented a report on programs and collaborations regarding the development of long-range missiles... Mr. [Ali] Vakili, advisor to the Minister of Petroleum [and head of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry], arrived and reported on the completion of research for the project to produce gasoline, diesel, and other products from gas; he stated that...

The scandal of the lie about buying uranium from Niger has spread to Italy. The U.S. said the source of the news was Britain, and Britain says Italy provided the information. The debate over joining the Additional Protocol 2+93 is still hot, and the Kayhan editorial, which wrote that Iran should withdraw from the NPT, has fueled it...

**Mr. Mohammad Naeimipour and Saeed Razavi-Faqih, two managers of the Yas-e-No newspaper, and several members of the Office for Strengthening Unity have been arrested. / Dr. Zarif said that the Americans are now seeking negotiations, but they are not negotiating about Iraq; it seems they prefer to deal with the Iraqis themselves.**

George Bush entered that country amidst the waves of protests by the people of Nigeria and said that his content in his annual speech to Congress, regarding the purchase of uranium by Iraq from Niger, was a CIA report and he is not to blame for this contradiction.  Instead of the Americans who have failed.

The official in charge of Iraq's Oil-for-Food program has stated that despite having the budget, sending food in Iraq has become difficult due to security and management issues . In the second sermon, I spoke about the difficult quagmire in Iraq for America and the failure of the American conspiracy in Iran .

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela left the city to avoid meeting with George Bush and sharply criticized U.S. crimes in Iraq. / ElBaradei, who was in Iran yesterday, expressed satisfaction with his visit, but some observers said...

In Iraq, attacks on Americans and the killing of Iraqis by them are increasing day by day.  British Prime Minister Tony Blair and George Bush are under pressure from rivals and public opinion.  There is also a lot of desertion of American soldiers from Iraq.

Unfortunately, today Lala and Laden died due to bleeding;  I was moved and shed some tears

The surgical operation to separate Laleh and Ladan is progressing, but due to unforeseen complications, it will take more than 45 hours. Mr. Khatami has sent them a message and has accepted the hospital expenses on behalf of Iran; reportedly $37,000.

In Basra, a doctor who had previously treated Saddam has been abducted, and a group of doctors have gone on strike and held demonstrations to protest the lack of security.

Al Jazeera television has broadcast a tape it claims was recorded by Saddam Hussein in Iraq 20 days ago. In it, Saddam justifies his defeat and calls on the people to continue their resistance.

Official polls at the University of Maryland indicate that 52% of Americans are dissatisfied with U.S. policy in Iraq and fear American casualties .

Part of Akbar Hashemi's diary entry for June 5, 1989.

The French Court of Appeal, under pressure, released Maryam Rajavi and her ten companions on bail of $90,000, which is considered a setback in France's approach .

Mr. Reza Amrollahi, the Deputy Minister of Energy, emphasized his opposition to accepting the Additional Protocol 2+93 and to returning the spent fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant to Russia.

Mr. Zanganeh, the oil minister, gave a report on important projects to be completed by the end of 2004, as well as Japan's violation regarding the Azadegan oil field, and proposed that we enter into direct negotiations with the United States to take advantage of reconstruction opportunities.

Mr. Sadr al-Din Qabanchi stated that Ayatollah Seyyed Ali al-Sistani has good relations with the Supreme Council and has recently issued a fatwa that the United States has no right to take any action regarding the Iraqi constitution.

Mr. Bahrampour reported on the development of fiber optics and the cheapening of telecommunication switches.

General Soleimani said, America is getting desperate in Iraq.  Some people have got involved with it and everywhere they call an officer who is not accepted by the people

In Britain, a sharp dispute between the government and the BBC emerged over the media's disclosure of Tony Blair's manipulation of information on weapons of mass destruction, and they asked the BBC to

Bush continues his propaganda attacks against Iran, and in the U.S.-EU summit meeting in the United States, they jointly demanded that Iran comply with the IAEA and sign the Additional Protocol .

In the vicinity of Basra, Iraqi people killed six British soldiers and wounded seven others. The cause was protests against their assault on families.

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, also supported the Iranian rioters in parliament yesterday, prompting Iran to summon the British ambassador to express its protest .

In Iraq, another oil pipeline was blown up, and widespread demonstrations were held in Basra against the American presence, during which one American was killed and another wounded.

In Iraq, an oil pipeline leading to the Al-Doura refinery was blown up, and in a separate operation, one American was killed and another wounded.

In the session of the Assembly [Determining Expediency of the Nizam], before the order, the issues of the International Nuclear Agency

Paul Bremer, the U.S. appointee, has admitted that he has been unsuccessful in forming a government and managing Iraq, while also acknowledging the difficulties in Iraq.

It has been announced that Saddam's personal secretary, who was the fourth person on the list of 55, has been arrested. It is expected that through him they will find

I had a meeting with the deputies of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Discernment Council. We discussed the research program and current issues. The ongoing unrest, the session of the Board of Governors, and the situation in Iraq were discussed, and it was mentioned that some officials of the Ministry of Science and the radical Second of Khordad (reformist) faction are pleased with these events.

Mr. Behzad Nabovi, the vice-chairman of the parliament, said that the Guardian Council, which had shown some coordination on two bills in the first meeting of the commission, but withdrew in the second meeting.

I read the reports. Last night, there were student movements in Isfahan, Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Bandar Abbas, Kerman, and other cities.

We went to Mehrabad Airport in the morning to travel to Isfahan; we took an Iran-140 plane, which is manufactured through a cooperation between Iran and Ukraine. The purpose was to declare that the plane is safe, to encourage the manufacturers, and to attract cooperation from users.

At the Infrastructure Commission of the Expediency Discernment Council, three more articles of the general policies of land-use planning (Amayesh) were approved. A discussion was held regarding the high prices (inflation).

Last night, there were demonstrations at the University of Tehran dormitory and in the surrounding areas. Today, the police have been stationed inside the dormitory at the request of the Ministry of Science. Insults have been made against the country's officials, especially the Leader and the President. The US has officially announced that it supports them.

Mr. Seyed Mohammad Sadegh al-Hosseini, from the Dialogue Among Civilizations center, came. He had returned from a trip to Arab countries and said that most of them expect you to travel to their country. He requested an interview with Al Jazeera.

Mr. Saleh bin Humaid, the head of the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia, and his companions came. We discussed Palestine, Iraq, al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, the invasions by America, and cooperation among Islamic countries.

Dr. Rouhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, came. He said that regarding the nuclear issue, a meeting had been held at the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council based on the Leader's suggestion. The majority of those present believe that we must sign the Additional Protocol 2+93, on the condition that...

[Mr. Ali Tahqiqi], the new ambassador of Iran to Sierra Leone, came. He mostly criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its lack of attention to America and praised the views and actions of the Construction Government (dowlat-e sazandegi) in developing relations with Africa.

Afternoon. Mr. Ebrahim Amini, [Second Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of Experts], was my guest. He expressed concern about the current situation of the country, the disagreements, the high prices, and unemployment, and asked me...

"Yasser Arafat, the head of the Palestinian Authority, has declared that nothing was achieved for Palestine at the Sharm el-Sheikh and Aqaba summits, and that Israel, with utter impudence, continued its extensive aggressions even during the presence of George W. Bush, the US President, in the region and during the holding of the meeting."

Today at the ceremony for the martyrs of June 5, 1963 (15 Khordad 1342), there were speeches and chants against the representatives, 127 of whom had written a letter of protest to the leader. In Varamin, at the same ceremony where [Mr. Mousavi Lari], the Minister of Interior, gave a speech, there were chants against him and insults were made.

In both the American and British parliaments, pressure has begun on the governments to explain the causes and factors of the war in Iraq, especially the claim of the existence of weapons of mass destruction. 

[Mr. Riscardo Seza], the Italian ambassador came to say goodbye. He said that because of Italy's rotating presidency of the European Union, he has been made the director general of the Middle East to help the crisis areas, and regarding the road map plan, all countries are united and Israel and the Palestinians have accepted it. 

In the domestic and foreign media, Mr. Khatami's letter to Mr. Karroubi regarding the twin bills [= "amendment of the parliament election law" and "explanation of the limits and powers of the president"] has received attention and criticism.

I went to the University of Tehran to deliver a speech at a memorial ceremony for 182 clerics who had been martyred in Iraq by the Ba'athist regime. Mr. Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi also attended as one of the bereaved family members.

Mr. Farooq Ghadumi, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's foreign department, came. He gave a report on the situation in Palestine and said that Yasser Arafat is restricted in his office and is not allowed to leave.

In Jerusalem, a meeting between [Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen, [Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority] and [Ariel] Sharon, [Prime Minister of Israel] was held and announced on the eve of the visit of [George] Bush, [US President] to the Middle East, the Israeli military agreed.

Mr. [Issa] Bin Alavi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman, came to meet. He said that in Iraq, like other countries in the region, relative democracy can be realized and not more, and he believes...

Mr. [Hossein] Karimi, the head of one of the diagnosis branches of the Supreme Court of the country, came.  He criticized the situation of the judiciary and the illegal actions of the head of the department, distorting the independence of judges and the large number of crimes in the laws.

A report has been received regarding the arrest of Massoud Rajavi [= leader of the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran] and a group of Mojahedin leaders, which has not been confirmed. American sources have said that Saddam's sons and four former Iraqi leaders have gone to Pakistan via Iran.

Mr. [Khalil] Aghaei, representative of Meshkin Shahramad and while explaining his work history in the construction government in Jihad, requested me to step into the field to resolve the conflicting issues and create consensus. 

127 members of parliament, mostly affiliated with the Second of Khordad movement and the Islamic Iran Participation Front, have written a letter to the Supreme Leader criticizing his policies.

In the meeting of the [Expediency Discernment Council], we solved the problem of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom, which was a point of dispute between the Parliament and the Guardian Council.

I was at home. I finished reviewing the memoirs and the 1979 performance report compiled by Mr. [Abbas] Bashiri.
 

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck last night in Boumerdès, Algeria, east of Algiers, caused heavy casualties and extensive damage. As of 2:00 a.m., 800 bodies had been recovered and 5,000 people injured.
 

We had a meeting with the deputies of the Center for Strategic Research [of the Expediency Discernment Council]. Most of the discussions were about the situation in Iraq, the threats from the United States, and the claims regarding the presence of individuals from al-Qaeda in Iran.

I went to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for the awards ceremony announcing the results of the essay competition on the "Year of Husayni Honor and Dignity." I presented the awards. Messrs. [Ali] Larijani, [the Head of the IRIB], and [Ali-Akbar] Ashari, [the Advisor to the IRIB], gave reports.

I went to the Leader’s office for the Prophet’s birthday celebration. The ceremony was held as every year, and there was no important issue in the remarks of the Leader and the President.

The members [of the board of directors] of the cooperative chamber came.  Mr. [Abul Qassem] Sarhadizadeh, [Chairman of the Board of Directors], [Mohammed Reza] Ramezani, [Secretary General of the Central Cooperation Chamber], [Hadi] Ghonimifard

The Infrastructure Commission [Assembly for the Expediency of the Nizam] had a meeting and there was a discussion about the general arrangement of the land.  The history, definition, ideals and goals were told

[Colin Powell], the US Secretary of State, has been going to different countries for a week to monitor political developments. 

The [United Nations] Security Council has started discussing the new resolution of the United States and England on Iraq since last night.

Yesterday in France and Austria, a widespread and unprecedented strike took place in protest against economic reforms  

A few hours before the arrival of [US Secretary of State] Colin Powell in Saudi Arabia, there were four bomb attacks on American residences in Riyadh at midnight.

Iranian insurance managers came.  Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Abbaszadegan, the head of insurance, reported and said that the judiciary and part of the insurance forces oppose the privatization of insurance. 

I went from home to Hosseinieh Tharullah in the center of Sepah.  In the meeting of officials of the representative of the Supreme Leader in Basij, after listening to the report of Mr. [Haider] Moslehi

In the session of the Assembly [Determining the expediency of the system], the opinion of the Assembly regarding the contract with the Assembly of Asian and African countries to establish an international arbitration center in Iran 

It was announced yesterday that an explosion in one of the American warships in the Persian Gulf has injured 11 of the ship's crew.  No explanation about the cause of the explosion

To participate in the funeral ceremony of the three brothers of Ayatollah [Syed Mahmoud Hashemi] Shahroudi who were martyred in the prisons of Saddam [Hussein]

[Mr. Takekazu Kawamura], the new ambassador of Japan arrived.  We discussed the development of cooperation and the issue of Palestine and the Additional [Protocol] 93+2 of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Mr. [Esmaeil] Davoodi Shamsi, [Head of the Parliamentary Administrative Organization] came. He gave a report on the program for establishing a center to revise laws and to resolve the problems of the Rafsanjan water project.

Mr. [Mahmoud] Vaezi, [Deputy of Strategic Research Center] came.  He had hints and suggestions about America, Iraq and Palestine

Mr. [Mohammed Hossein] Rezaei, the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage [Organization], came. He reported on the situation of Hajj and Umrah and that due to the closure of Karbala Pilgrimage, the pressure on Umrah has increased. 

Following the announcement of America's agreement with the Mujahideen and its use in suppressing the Iraqi people, widespread criticism of America has begun.

I was at home studying.  At noon, the children were together.  Mohsen and Mehdi said about the implementation method of construction of Mosla and not using the national technical and executive system

American leaders these days are facing many questions for which they have no answers

In the morning, I went from home to [Imam Khomeini] mosque in Tehran;  To visit and check the readiness of Mosla to move the Friday prayer ceremony from Tehran University to there.

Mr. Amir Mir, the former representative of Zahedan and the current Director General [Planning] of the General Inspectorate came.  He had notes about Sistan and Baluchistan

Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh, [Head of the Atomic Energy Organization] and Dr. [Jamshid] Sabbaghzadeh, [Head of the Center for Laser Science and Technology] came. They said, laser enrichment on a pilot scale.

[Mr. Mohammad Jafari], the head of the Faculty of Natural Resources [Tehran University], came with a group of professors.

In the meeting of the assembly [identification of expediency of the system], the work of the general policies of the communication department was finished

I was at home;  By resting and studying.  It was announced that Tariq Aziz, [Iraq's deputy prime minister] has surrendered to the American forces.

The [UN] Security Council could not reach a decision on Iraq in its meeting yesterday

Today, the eyes of the world's media and political circles are on Karbala.  A huge crowd from all over Iraq has come there for the Arbaeen ceremony 

Yesterday, about 200,000 people protested in Baghdad, and three Shia clerics were arrested by the Americans, who returned to Baghdad after visiting Karbala. 

Messrs. [Abdolhossein] Sabet, head of the [Retirement] Organization, and [Mohammadhossein] Torbati, deputy of the organization, came

[Mr. Wale Christian Holte], the new ambassador of Norway, came and talked about strengthening cooperation.  I also expressed my satisfaction with the start of cooperation between the two countries in the field of oil and gas

Mr. [Mohsen] Nabawi, our new ambassador in Austria, came for consultation and had suggestions about the leader's representative in Austria and removing the veil from the leader's neck. 

I was at home.  He spent most of his time studying.  I read the US National Strategy for the 21st Century;  Ambitious and domineering and arrogant 

I used to work at home and in the office.  Saeed [Lahouti, Fati's wife] and Ali brought dinner.  Mohsen and Mehdi also came with Fereshte and Fawad

As a result of the protesting reaction to America's threats against Syria and even from England and Spain, America changed its tone and said

The White House has officially threatened Syria, and the Arab League, Germany, France, and Russia have asked America to stop the threat.  Today is the dawn of American planes

The discussion about the status of the Najaf authorities is hot.  Yesterday, the reports said that the houses of Ayat [Syed Ali] Sistani, Mohammad Saeed Hakim, Ishaq Fayyaz Afghani

Representatives of religious minorities in the parliament and their heads, [Mr. Morris Motamed, representative of Kilimian, Levon Davidian, representative of Tehran Armenians  

The first session of the Assembly was held in the new year.  At the request of the members, the whole time was spent discussing the issues of Iraq

Insecurity and looting are expanding in Iraq.  Radio [Voice] of America, which wants to play down the insecurity, says that many embassies and foreign missions

The US Defense Minister has blamed the Syrian government for sending weapons to Iraq in recent days and also sheltering some of the heads of the Iraqi government. 

To many people's surprise, the resistance of the Iraqis suddenly stopped last night and the American forces were deployed in the sensitive areas of Baghdad