Memories of Akbar Hashemi - February 15, 2002 - Quotation from Hassan Rouhani Regarding Ayatollah Khamenei's Heartfelt Opposition to the Return of Afghan Nationals to Their Country

Hashemi's Account of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Reaction to Announcing Readiness to Return to Afghanistan to Resolve Potential Issues Between Iran and the United States and Other Controversies Surrounding the National Security Council's Decisions Regarding This Matter

Quotation from Hassan Rouhani Regarding Ayatollah Khamenei's Heartfelt Opposition to the Return of Afghan Nationals to Their Country

Media Controversies Surrounding the Summoning of Activists from Arts, Literature, Media, and Press to the General Inspectorate and Public Places Police

Seyyed Hossein Marashi's Account of Interferences by the General Inspectorate and Its Regional Offices and the Management Weaknesses of Tahmasb Mazaheri and Mohammad Setarifar

Full Text of the Daily Journal:

[Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa], the Emir of Bahrain, announced his country's system as a constitutional monarchy and declared himself king, issuing an order for elections to be held in the coming months. The parliament had been dissolved in 1975; given the Shia majority in Bahrain, renewing the parliament is a positive step.
The U.S. government has announced its environmental policy, emphasizing the preservation and strengthening of the greenhouse gas reduction agreement, which is linked to economic issues. A few months prior, the U.S. had exited the Kyoto Protocol, adding a new chapter to its record of unilateralism and disregard for global issues.

Last night, a U.S. forces base in Kandahar was attacked, resulting in several injuries. The Americans illuminated the area for pursuing the militia with flares. The falling flares caused a massive fire in the region, instilling fear among the local population.

Mr. [Gulbuddin] Hekmatyar, [leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan], has stated that if the Iranian government believes that his departure from Iran will resolve its issues with the U.S., he is willing to voluntarily leave Iran, but he will go to Afghanistan, not elsewhere. Previously, the U.S. and [Hamid] Karzai, [the head of the Afghan interim government], had asked Iran to prevent Hekmatyar's return to Afghanistan. Following the recent strict measures from the Ministry of Interior and left-wing hardliners, along with negative remarks in Parliament against him, he has made such statements, which pose problems for Iran and Mr. Karzai.

It seems that the reactive measures of the Second Khordad Front against the U.S. are gradually becoming problematic and tarnishing Iran's revolutionary credibility. The issue of the detention of 150 individuals from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fleeing Afghanistan and Pakistan through Iran and the announcement of readiness to hand them over to their government are also in line with the policies of the National Security Council.
Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], stated last night that the leadership does not have heartfelt approval for this action and considers it contrary to the provisions of the National Security Council, which has stated that if these individuals are threatened, they should not be handed over.

The Palestine Salahuddin Brigade has retaliated against the killing of seven Palestinians by Israel by blowing up an Israeli tank last night, resulting in the deaths of several Israeli soldiers. Some Palestinian figures are clashing with [Yasser] Arafat, [the head of the Palestinian Authority] over his compromises.

Domestic leftist media and Western and foreign media have raised significant noise regarding the summons of several writers from art newspapers to the [General] Inspectorate and Public Places Police, accusing them of promoting moral corruption.

The U.S. State Department, influenced by the vast and unified presence of the Iranian people in the February 11 rally and the coordination of political factions, has retreated and is directing most threats toward Iraq and North Korea while expressing a willingness to negotiate with Iran; something they have sought for the past 22 years without success, now pursued through a carrot-and-stick policy.

Despite the unity of factions during the early days of President George Bush's threats, divisive confrontations among factions are gradually intensifying. This time, the issue of accusations against the right faction, which seeks to amplify external threats, aims to create political obstruction, while accusations against the left faction have resulted in anti-revolutionary and American arrogance.

I spent the entire day at home. Most of the time was spent preparing the [book on the record of the] memoirs from 1983 [Calm and Challenge], for publication and studying the political thought of Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. In the evening, Mr. [Hossein] Marashi, a representative from Kerman, came and spoke about the interferences of the [General] Inspectorate in the provinces and the weaknesses of [Mr. Tahmasb Mazaheri], the Minister of Economy, and [Mr. Mohammad Setarifar], the head of the Planning and Budget Organization, as well as significant issues regarding the recent Parliament decision to address the government's budget deficit, which does not practically meet the government's needs, forcing them to seek permission from the leadership.

The trial of [Slobodan] Milosevic, [the former President of Serbia], began in The Hague on charges of war crimes. In his remarks, Milosevic launched severe attacks against the U.S. and the West, calling them the main criminals and the court illegal.

A court in the Netherlands has deemed Belgium's right to prosecute officials from other countries illegal. Belgium had passed a law in 1993 allowing it to prosecute foreigners in Belgium for crimes committed in their own countries, and now [Ariel] Sharon, [the Prime Minister of Israel], is on trial for crimes committed in [the Sabra and Shatila] camps, and this Hague decision may be intended to save Sharon.

Nasser Akhavi Zadeh came to say goodbye. He is departing for a trip to Mecca. He settled his annual account and did not owe anything for khums.