Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 12, 2003

In the Infrastructure Commission [Assembly for Expediency of the Nizam], we approved the human resources department of land development. 

In the evening Mr. [Syed Mahmoud] Alizadeh Tabatabayi, [lawyer] came.  Considering the external threats and internal disturbances due to factional differences, he asked me to take action to create an agreement and said that no one but you can handle this task.  I said, if the construction is done, the assembly elections should be held at this point.  Ashikh Hassan Saneyi, [member of the Nizam's Beneficial Assessment Council and head of the 15 Khordad Foundation] said that yesterday's Friday sermons were among the rare historical sermons and made the counter-revolution very angry. 

[President of the United States], George Bush, entered that country amidst the waves of protests by the people of Nigeria and said that his content in his annual speech to the Congress, regarding Iraq's purchase of uranium from Niger, was a CIA report and he is not to blame for this contradiction.  Then, George Tenet, the head of the CIA, accepted the responsibility for that contradiction and the inclusion of 16 words about it in George Bush's speech, and Bush declared in return that he trusts the commission.  As if to reduce the pressure of Congress and public opinion, this scenario is implemented.  Polls in America have shown that people's trust in George Bush's honesty and performance in the Iraq war has decreased. 

In Afghanistan, starting tomorrow, NATO soldiers will assume responsibility for security;  Instead of the Americans who have failed.  Today, there was a clash between Afghan and Pakistani soldiers on the border. 

In Iraq, Americans were attacked and killed in Samarra, Baghdad, Fallujah, Ramadi, etc. last night and today.  [Paul] Bremer, [Executive Chairman of the Interim Coalition Government of Iraq] has accepted that the Iraqi Governing Council, composed of 25 people, will start its work tomorrow.  13 Shiites, five Kurds, five Sunnis, one Turkmen and one Christian are members;  Under the pressure of public opinion and due to the inability of the Iraqi administration, they have surrendered to this extent. 

 The statements of Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami, [the President] during his visit to Karaj yesterday, have attracted the attention of foreign media.  He has said that if people don't want me, I will leave.  It is not a new and important word, but they have given importance to it.  The crowd at his speech was small and this is also discussed in the circles.  Recently, in his travels, there is no news of the large crowds that were present in his lectures, and open letters protesting Mr. Khatami's performance are published.  Like the letter of [Abdul Karim] Soroush, [university professor] and [Masoud] Behnoud, [writer and journalist] and [office] Tahkeem Vahdat and even his brother Mohammad Reza [Khatami, Secretary General of the Iran-Islamic Partnership Front] and ... who double the pressure;  Foreigners also encourage.