Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 16, 1999

The media in the West have warmly welcomed Yeltsin’s escape from impeachment, and their concerns about a renewed Communist offensive have eased somewhat. The charges against Yeltsin included: (1) dismantling the Soviet regime; (2) shelling the parliament; (3) weakening the Russian military; and (4) initiating the war in Chechnya.

We left home and went to the Hakimeh Telecommunications Center in eastern Tehran for the inauguration of 831 telecommunications projects across the country. Dr. [Mohammad Reza] Aref, [Minister of Post, Telegraph and Telephone], welcomed us. A total of 77 billion tomans had been spent on these projects. He said that the telecommunications sector was not lagging behind the targets of the Second Development Plan. Although reconstruction and development had slowed in most areas, progress in telecommunications was satisfactory. He described my past support for this sector as an important factor in strengthening its performance. Since the sector did not depend on the government budget, it faced fewer difficulties than others, except for problems related to foreign currency.

I also delivered a lengthy speech explaining the importance of secure communications, particularly telecommunications, in accelerating work, saving money and time, improving the quality of life, creating jobs, and promoting the development of other sectors. An electronic postcard had been issued for me.

I went to my office. Mr. Ahmadzadeh, head of Evin Prison, accompanied by Mr. Mousavi, came to see me. They explained the situation of Mr. [Gholamhossein] Karbaschi and described the assistance they had provided him, including accommodations at his residence, visitation arrangements, and other facilities. These measures had angered judicial officials, who had begun taking action against them. They were hoping that I would support them.

Dr. [Mohammad Reza] Hashemi-Golpayegani came and discussed the situation at the universities. He said that the Ministry of Science and its officials were supporting the opposition and the Office for Strengthening Unity. At noon, Mohsen came, and we arranged the itinerary for our trip to Natanz.

In the afternoon, commanders of the Basij regional districts came. Brigadier General [Seyyed Mohammad] Hejazi, [commander of the Basij Resistance Force], presented his report. I spoke about the Basij’s role in the past and the Imam’s vision of it as a popular, grassroots force. I emphasized that the Basij should symbolize the popular character of the system, should not limit itself to defense matters, and should not seek to achieve its objectives through violent methods.

Mr. [Abbas Ali] Vakili from the Headquarters for Affairs of Former Prisoners of War came and presented a report on its activities. He complained that President [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami had provided insufficient support.

In the evening, I was a guest of the Supreme Leader. We spent some time looking at his library, which was more orderly than mine. His children had helped organize it. We talked a little about our daily schedules.

He said that Mr. [Ebrahim] Amini, [Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts], had told him the same things he had told me about Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, and that he acknowledged Shahroudi’s membership in the Iraqi Dawa Party.

He said he had sent a message to Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi, [Secretary of the Association of Combatant Clerics], asking why he was campaigning against Shahroudi. He also noted that Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami accepted Shahroudi.

The Supreme Leader had advised Khatami not to pursue obtaining loans from the World Bank, arguing that the bank would impose conditions that could undermine the country’s independence. I remarked that the World Bank had previously granted several loans without imposing such conditions.

I told him about the complaints raised by Mr. Taha Hashemi, [representative of Qom and director of the Entekhab newspaper].

Ayatollah Khamenei was displeased with Mr. [Ataollah] Mohajerani, [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance], particularly over his recent initiative to expand access to satellite broadcasts. He was also unhappy with pressure from the left-wing faction to abolish nezarat-e estesvabi (the Guardian Council’s vetting and supervisory authority over elections).

We discussed Mr. [Mohsen] Qomi’s report, [the Supreme Leader’s representative at the universities], concerning the poor state of affairs at universities. It was agreed that the Supreme Leader would hear the report himself.

Among the major international developments was the U.S. Department of Defense’s statement that NATO ground forces would need to intervene in Yugoslavia to achieve the objectives of the war. Another important development was the emergence of clearer indications that China had used industrial espionage to obtain advanced U.S. weapons technology, creating difficulties for the U.S. government in its relations with China.