Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 9, 1999

I stayed at home. I spent the entire day studying. I read a report on the situation of the Sabians in Khuzestan and Iraq, along with a number of texts on ethics. I spent most of my time reading Charlie Beckwith’s book about the operation by U.S. forces to rescue the hostages and their defeat in the desert near Tabas. In light of the information I had obtained from reports at the time of the operation, I found the book interesting, because Beckwith himself had designed, pioneered, and established the special Delta Force. The operation’s commander and his forces were defeated, either because of erroneous predictions or by God’s will.

The issue of Zan newspaper has now even been brought into Friday prayers, and it is strange that the right-wing faction, by exploiting this minor issue, is showing that it has very little to offer and needs an excuse. However, their harsh reaction will only cause them greater harm. Their insistence on this issue shows how upset they are about the impact of Faezeh’s cooperation with their opponents, and they think that some people may assume that I approve of her views and may attach greater importance to them. I knew that they had been planning to take action against opposition newspapers, and that their preparations were not yet complete when they started prematurely, perhaps because Zan newspaper had given them a good excuse, and perhaps also to intimidate others. When such severe action is taken against this newspaper, others will take note and act cautiously, particularly with some trials approaching. Faezeh’s interview two days ago and her strong attack on the Revolutionary Court, as well as her portrayal of the action as a political move to pave the way for the parliamentary elections, which is naturally effective to some extent, also prompted them to launch a counterattack. At noon, the children were all gathered here, except for Faezeh, who was meeting with her lawyer about her defense. Our children believe that the closure of Zan newspaper will ultimately be beneficial, because Faezeh will not stop criticizing and confronting injustices, and the dispute will continue.

Mr. [Boris] Yeltsin, President of Russia, said today that Russia would not leave a ground attack on Yugoslavia unanswered. Today, exchanges of fire also began along the Albanian-Serbian border, marking a development in the war. One of Russia’s senior officials spoke of Russian strategic missiles being aimed at NATO member countries. It was announced that China-U.S. negotiations over China’s accession to GATT had reached an impasse.