Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 29, 2003

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;  Including that due to the importance of the role of Shia there, it should prevent the migration of Shia and prevent the presence of Afghans who change the population to the detriment of Shia, and prevent the sale of Shia land by wealthy Sunnis, and think about the Baloch counter-revolution, and it is better to use the word Makran instead of Balochistan, and Shia should be strengthened in the east of Jazmurian.  He offered help to establish the Sistani community living in the center, which is about 100,000 people.  
Mr. Qazi Amir Pirinyakan, [consultant of the judiciary] came.  He asked for help to give two groups to veteran judges, which are about 800.  He is a chemical veteran. Mr. [Ali Bakhsh] Jahanbakhsh, [CEO of Mining Industry Research and Development Company], former governor of Sistan and Baluchistan, came.  They formed a mining consulting company and wrote a book about Iran's mines and introduced about 60 minerals and their products, which are thousands of items.  He wants to cooperate with the Assembly [Determining Expediency of the Nizam].
In the evening, Mr. [Mahmoud] Mohammadi-Iraqi, the head of the [Islamic Culture and] Communication Organization, and his deputies came.  They complain about the government's neglect of them and not giving them credit, and they have a plan to hold the Fajr decade ceremony well this year, which has been a quarter of a century since the victory of the revolution.  
Last night in the city of Fallujah in the southwest of Baghdad, American soldiers shot at people and killed 15 people and injured 50 people, and at the funeral today, people shouted harsh slogans against America and demanded revenge.  American soldiers were from the school they occupied.  Six Iraqis and one American were killed in clashes in Mosul last night, and the peace of the city was disrupted.
America is slowly realizing that managing Iraq is difficult and is talking about handing over the country to the people.  [US President George] Bush has said that a people's government will be formed soon, and [Donald] Rumsfeld, [Defense Minister] said, they will gradually reduce the military.  Yesterday, in the meeting of [Jay] Garner, [executive head of the interim coalition government of Iraq], with religious, political, nomadic and party groups, it was agreed that within a month, the way to transfer power to the Iraqis would be determined.  So far, they have arrested 14 people from the list of 55 people.  Mohammad Saeed Sahaf, the Minister of Information, has also introduced himself, but the attackers have said that he is not on the list. Little by little, news is spreading about Tariq Aziz, [Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq], which is a sign of his betrayal of the Iraqi government.  Conflicts have become daily in Afghanistan.