Date: March 10, 2002 - Akbar Hashemi's Account of the Assembly of the Assembly of Experts and the Possible Resignation of Ebrahim Amini from the Vice Presidency

Hashemi's narrative includes discussions about the Assembly of Experts and the rejection of invitations from Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

The marriage contract of Hassan Hassan Zadeh, a member of the security protection unit of the Expediency Council, was held.

Consultative meetings with Behzad Nabavi regarding tensions in the region, especially concerning the United States, were also noted.

The meeting with Amir Tehrani reflected a request from Seyyed Majid Khoyi for a meeting with Hashemi, who was later murdered in Iraq, and Hashemi's noteworthy reaction that Khoyi should submit a written request for the meeting.

The directors of the Imam Relief Committee visited Hashemi to present reports by Seyyed Reza Niri.

The Assembly of Experts meeting also discussed the possible resignation of Ebrahim Amini from the vice presidency and the rejection of invitations from Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

There were ongoing discussions regarding the visit of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami to Austria.

Full Text of the Diary:

I was at the office today. I held the marriage contract for Mr. Hassan Hassan Zadeh, one of the staff members of the Expediency Council's security unit. Mr. Behzad Nabavi, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, visited me. He criticized the recent session of the Supreme Defense Council and the officials present before the Leader, stating that the proposed solutions were inadequate. He asked me to assist in securing the Parliament's views in the budget bill, which might come to the Expediency Council due to objections from the Guardian Council. He urged me not to refrain from expressing areas where I share views with the reformists, indicating that he is aware many of our opinions align and that the current policies reflect the past construction government's direction.

I mentioned that some reformists cannot be trusted, partly due to their power-seeking behavior, which sometimes sacrifices national interests, and partly due to their coordination with counter-revolutionaries to attract more votes. Some have even coordinated with foreign radio stations, indicating that for them, maintaining power is paramount, and they do not hesitate to resort to any means to eliminate potential rivals; however, a portion of this faction is sincere, just as there are also unreliable extremists in the right-wing.

Mr. Amir Tehrani from the Ministry of Intelligence came to see me. He mentioned that Seyyed Majid Khoyi, the son of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Abolghasem Khoyi, arrived from London, having met with several clerics and personalities, and he wishes to meet with me, apparently to strengthen the Najaf Seminary. He might also be looking to learn about Iran's policies regarding Iraq. I said that I would consider his request if it arrives in written form. He expressed negative opinions about the upcoming second Khordad Congress.

In the afternoon, the directors of the Imam Relief Committee visited. Seyyed Reza Niri, the head of the committee, reported and criticized the obstacles posed by the government and Parliament, including the decision to allocate 52 percent of its budget to provincial levels, which was rejected by the Guardian Council. They also spoke about my services and offered their appreciation.

In the evening, the presiding board of the Assembly of Experts, including Ali Meshkini, Ebrahim Amini, Seyyed Hassan Taheri Khorram Abadi, and Ghorbanali Dorrie Najafabadi, met in my office. We determined the agenda for the upcoming session starting tomorrow. Amini intends to resign from the vice presidency due to his responsibilities in the secretariat of the Assembly. We reviewed the final statement and rejected a proposal from Hashemi Shahroudi and Hassan Khomeini for hosting the Assembly. The potential danger from the United States was also discussed and will be addressed in the upcoming meeting.

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, who traveled to Austria, is facing protests from counter-revolutionaries against him.

In Israel, restrictions on Yasser Arafat, the head of the Palestinian Authority, have been lifted, and a significant number of refugees have been kidnapped and detained in camps. Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, acknowledged that the plan to use nuclear weapons is on America's agenda, though he stated it does not imply imminent deployment. Dick Cheney, the U.S. Vice President and head of the shadow government, has begun his trip to the UK and twelve other regional countries, apparently to garner support for America's warlike policies.