Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs – September 16, 2001 - Meeting with the deputy heads of the Center for Strategic Research and consultations regarding issues surrounding September 11

• Meeting with the deputy heads of the Center for Strategic Research and consultations on matters concerning September 11. Hassan Rouhani provided a report on the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council and the security measures.
• Meeting with Sheikh Abbasali Alizadeh, head of the Judiciary of Tehran Province, regarding the case of Engineer Hadi Mohajeri, the former head of the office of the First Vice President (Engineer Mohajeri was later acquitted of all charges).
• Meeting with Ali Khorram, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to the European headquarters of the United Nations.

Full Daily Note:

I had a session with the deputies of the Center for Research [Expediency Discernment Council]. The entire time was spent on recent issues in America [the September 11 attacks]. Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], explained the discussions and decisions of the Supreme National Security Council and its Secretariat. The media has been instructed not to express happiness, and interviews with Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami, [President], and Mr. Rouhani were also recommended.

It is unclear whether America's revenge is solely targeting Afghanistan or if they plan to harm other Islamic countries, including Iran, under the pretext of supporting terrorism. From the statements of [George W.] Bush, [President of the United States], who said that this war would be long and wide-ranging, and his request for patience from the American people, along with the approval of $40 billion (half for recovery efforts and $10 billion each for intelligence enhancement and the fight against terrorism), as well as the declaration of a state of emergency and the call-up of 50,000 reserve forces, and efforts to garner support from other countries, it appears that the plan is broad.

Pakistan has announced that it has accepted most of America's demands. The U.S. has explicitly told Pakistan to either stand with the Taliban and bear the cost of cooperating with them or to side with the U.S.; in the latter case, they would need to cooperate fully to defeat the Taliban and bin Laden. It seems they have chosen the latter, and today they have recalled their diplomats from Afghanistan and given the Taliban three days to hand over bin Laden.

Dr. Rouhani said that the U.S. has asked Pakistan, Russia, and the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan to identify key targets in Afghanistan. Russia has introduced many locations, and the Northern Alliance is also ready to cooperate. He also said that Ahmad Shah Massoud had died at the moment of the assassination, though his death has not been announced due to the current circumstances, but Europe, America, and Russia were aware of it.

At our borders with Afghanistan, we have strengthened forces to prevent the influx of refugees, and with the cooperation of the United Nations, we are establishing several camps for potential refugees. The theory that the [September 11] attacks were carried out by internal opponents in the U.S., with Mossad's encouragement, is gaining more traction by the day, but the U.S. is reluctant to consider it, as they wish to use the opportunity to act against terrorism and address past issues.

Azerbaijan has announced that due to the situation following the U.S. attacks, [Heydar] Aliyev's [President of Azerbaijan] visit to Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed. Mr. [Hossein] Mehrpour, [Legal Advisor to the President], said that in the Durban Conference, Islamic countries made a disgraceful retreat under the pressure of the U.S. and Europe, and the resolution ended in Israel’s favor.

I inquired with Mr. [Abbasali] Alizadeh, [Head of Tehran Province Judiciary], about the case of the head of the First Vice President’s office. He said the [accusations include] using government facilities for personal workshops and importing 10 tons of titanium sponge under the label of scrap iron, polluting the environment to illegally produce palladium.

In the afternoon, Mr. [Ali] Khorram, our ambassador to the United Nations office in Switzerland, came. He mentioned that a group is working to pursue the claims related to the post-Mersad executions mentioned in Ayatollah Montazeri’s memoirs through international courts and requested that the Judiciary prepare a defensive plan. I told him to try to uncover America's goals and policies in its retaliatory actions from reliable sources. At night, I went to Akhtar Hospital for dental work.