Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 21, 1988

I went to the front accompanied by my family. From seven to eight in the morning, I read the reports in my office and learned about the front. They said that our forces are gradually advancing towards Mehran and the enemy is retreating step by step and intends to evacuate the city, but will stay in the border heights.

[Mr. Lee Gun-mo] the Prime Minister of North Korea came to visit. Conversations, compliments were friendly and cooperative. I escorted him out of the parliament.

Around nine o'clock, we left for Bakhtran [= Kermanshah]. Rouhani, Sanjaghi and Bagheri were also with the guards. Lunch and prayers were served by the river between Qazvin and Hamedan. I slept a little in the car on the way. We reached Bakhtran at five o'clock in the afternoon. We settled in the place of Ramadan camp. The weather is good.

Mr. Zul Qadr [Commander of Ramadan Camp] came and said that the Barzanis are looking for excuses to shirk their obligations to fight inside Iraq, and the Taliban are not very serious, and there is a possibility that they will come to terms with Iraq and a ceasefire. There is also unconfirmed information in this field. It was suggested that we fail to give the prescribed pension based on the previous agreement and give a higher price to Iraqi Kurdish Islamic groups.

At night, Mr. Mohsen Rezaei came. He gave a report on the situation in Mehran, Halabja and other parts of the front and said that in the Garde Rash area, the enemy's pressure has increased and in the last two days, about ten enemy attacks have been repelled, but the strength is gradually decreasing. We reached a partial agreement about mobilizing facilities to strengthen the front. We had a long discussion with Dr. Rouhani about the quality of ending the war or the quality of fighting with the mobilization of resources. The piped water in the camp is cut off and we have a problem of water shortage.