Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 20,2003

The UN officially announced the death of Sergio Vieira de Mello, its representative in Iraq, along with 23 others and 107 injured in the explosion at its office in Iraq. Many countries have condemned it, including Iran. The World Bank also announced that eight of its staff are missing and searches continue under the rubble. In Afghanistan, American centers in Jalalabad were attacked, and nine police officers were killed in southern Kabul.

Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Hakim and Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani have condemned the bombing of the UN office in Baghdad. It has been announced that five Iranians have been arrested in Baghdad on charges of interfering in Iraqi affairs.

Israel has attacked one of the Palestinian prisons and wounded 200 prisoners. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for yesterday's explosion in Jerusalem, as revenge for the assassination of their two commanders, Khamis Abu Salam and Muhammad Sedr, in Nablus and Hebron. Israeli extremists have proposed demolishing Yasser Arafat's headquarters on top of him. Today, a group of Jews were forcibly taken into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. A few days ago, Palestinians had prevented such an action. In Jerusalem, a massive demonstration against Israel was held during the funeral procession of Ismail Abu Shanab, a senior Hamas official.

About 100 Iraqi Shiite academics came; they are guests of the Quds Force of the IRGC. Five individuals – Abdul Hussein al-Mubarak, Saeed Jassim al-Asadi, Abdul Ghani al-Daoudi, Abbas Hassan Taqi, and Ms. Jahan al-Salmi – spoke, and a poet recited a poem about Iran, being impressed by Iran's greatness.

Mr. Sadr al-Din Shariati, a member of the Central Supervisory Board of the Guardian Council, came and gave a report on his trip to Syria. Mr. Yadollah Tahernejad, head of the Handicrafts Organization, came and said that in a meeting with clerics from Mazandaran, there was emphasis on the necessity of your return to the presidency, and he criticized the delay in the implementation of the Tehran-North freeway.

In the evening, Mr. Firouz Dolatabadi, our ambassador to Turkey, came. He explained the economic and political situation there and gas sales. Mr. Morteza Sarmadi, our ambassador to London, came and criticized Iran's ineffective foreign policy with some proposals.

In London, Hadi Soleimanpour, the former ambassador of Iran to Argentina, was arrested by Scotland Yard on the orders of an Argentine judge who had requested his arrest, on charges of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina. He is currently a student in London. Iran considers this action political and under Israeli pressure.

In Brazil, a rocket being launched into space exploded, killing about 20 people. This is Brazil's third failure in its space program.