Memories of Akbar Hashemi - January 25, 2002 - Continued Discussion on the Draft Text of General Policies of the System Regarding Article 44 of the Constitution

Conclusion of the Meeting of Shia and Sunni Scholars from Afghanistan in Mashhad

Request from Gholamreza Aghazadeh and Concerns About Shahram Jazayeri Arab's Testimonies Against Him in Court, Along with Hashemi's Efforts via Phone Contact with Ayatollah Khamenei Regarding This Issue

Continued Discussion on the Draft Text of General Policies of the System Regarding Article 44 of the Constitution

Meeting with Mohammad Reza Nemat Zadeh and Mohammad Hassan Payvandi to Present Reports on Petrochemical Development Projects

Full Text of the Daily Notes:

U.S. President George Bush has expressed criticism following a high-level meeting regarding the Palestinian issue and a letter received from Yasser Arafat addressing Palestinian matters, particularly the accusation of a ship carrying arms for Palestine. Bush criticized Arafat's actions, describing them as disappointing while supporting Israel. Concurrently, Israel launched airstrikes on Palestinian police buildings in the West Bank, while Arafat remains under house arrest in Ramallah.

The final statement from the meeting of Shia and Sunni scholars from Afghanistan held in Mashhad, organized by the leadership's representative on Afghan affairs, is noteworthy. They endorsed the interim government of Hamid Karzai and emphasized the necessity of establishing an Islamic government following the Loya Jirga. Following the announcement of increased military spending, Bush has also mentioned significant growth in the budget for immigration control to combat terrorism, stating that 40% of immigrants in the U.S. remain undocumented, and that they need to manage the 3.5 million individuals in this situation.

The discussion around the prolonged presence of U.S. military forces in Central Asia has intensified. American officials are sending mixed signals, and Russia has clearly opposed this presence. It is natural for them to resist the presence of rival military forces in a region they have controlled politically and militarily for the past 150 years. Meanwhile, French military forces, which have been in Mazar-i-Sharif for the past two months, have started to withdraw from Afghanistan, which is unexpected. The topic of forming a national army in Afghanistan is gaining traction, with challenges concerning the participation of jihadist forces. Some Pashtuns have mentioned the necessity of Pashtun sovereignty, claiming they represent the majority of the population.

Mr. Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization, visited. He expressed his deep concern about Shahram Jazayeri's claim in court that he loaned him 200 million tomans to purchase a house and requested permission to speak at the Expediency Discernment Council to refute these allegations. When I explained the content of the testimonies and claims, he became dissuaded but returned later and insisted that the claims were outright false, seeking my assistance in alleviating the injustice against him. He called that evening to consult on issuing a denial and requested my help through the leadership. I contacted the leadership and assisted him, noting that he is also preparing for pilgrimage next week.

During the meeting of the Expediency Discernment Council, the draft of general policies regarding Article 44 was approved to reduce state involvement and increase participation from non-governmental sectors in economic affairs. We also began discussing the general policies for the housing sector.

In the afternoon, Engineer Mohammad Reza Nemat Zadeh, CEO of the National Petrochemical Company, along with Mr. Mohammad Hassan Payvandi, arrived to report on comprehensive petrochemical projects, mentioning that the new projects would cost around six billion dollars and requested to visit Imam Port and Assaluyeh.

In the evening, Ali Akhvazadeh, the representative from Rafsanjan, brought a written statement from Mr. Hossein Marashi, a representative from Kerman, addressed to the Speaker of the Majlis, stating that he would resign if his name was mentioned in the statements during Shahram Jazayeri's trial. I remarked that it is unclear whether his name would even be mentioned and that such a statement is not advisable. Later, it became evident that Mahdi had joked with him, suggesting that he was to be prosecuted; a type of humor that Hossein often engages in with others.

Ali mentioned that the faction of reformists in the Majlis is seeking solutions to the current situation and seems fearful; the protests by teachers appear to have been orchestrated in response to the detention of Mr. Hossein Laghmanian, the representative from Hamadan, and have now spiraled out of control. President Khatami has dedicated several hours of the cabinet meeting to this issue, and the formation of a commission may raise the expectations of the teachers and lead to similar demands from other professions. Today, teachers attempted to gather in front of the presidential office but were prevented and dispersed by police. Protests and gatherings have also occurred in many cities. Some families of the National-Religious figures gathered in front of the United Nations office to protest the court's actions, but they were also dispersed by the police.

The unrest in Argentina has become more widespread, violent, and destructive, with demands for the resignation of the new interim government. The Argentine government has declared a state of emergency, devalued the national currency, prevented capital flight, severed the national currency's connection to the dollar, and halted debt repayments, leading to significant challenges.