Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 21, 2003

We had a meeting with the deputies of the Center for Strategic Research [of the Expediency Discernment Council]. Most of the discussions were about the situation in Iraq, the threats from the United States, and the claims regarding the presence of individuals from al-Qaeda in Iran. I spoke with Dr. [Hassan] Rowhani, [the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], about how to handle these claims. He has been put in charge of following up on the issue and said that he had responded to [Jack Straw], the British Foreign Secretary, demanding that negotiations regarding the Monafeqin [Mujahedin-e Khalq/MEK] and al-Qaeda move forward in parallel.

In the afternoon, the [officials of the] headquarters for holding the ceremonies of the 3rd of Khordad, the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr, came. Mr. Alireza Afshar, [the head of the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Values], gave a report on the programs, and I also spoke, suggesting the preparation of a poetic history of the Sacred Defense, a sample of which has been prepared in our office.

Documented intelligence has arrived from Iraq indicating that during the final days of the war, three commanders of the Republican Guard divisions and four high-ranking security officials sold themselves out to the United States and committed treason. Due to opposition from Russia, France, and China, the United States has agreed to amend the text of its proposed resolution to the [UN] Security Council for the third time, stating that this is the final amendment.

In the United States, the security alert level was upgraded from yellow to orange due to intercepting signals of planned al-Qaeda operations in the U.S., and the American and British embassies in Saudi Arabia were also temporarily closed. Today in Afghanistan, U.S. troops opened fire on government forces and civilians in Kabul. Four government agents and a group of civilians were killed, and several others were wounded, after which the Americans issued an apology.

The dispute between the Student Basij and the Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat) continues. President [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami, speaking to reporters today, criticized the Guardian Council's handling of the government's two bills [= "The Amendment of the Parliamentary Election Law" and "The Definition of the Scope and Authorities of the President"]. The Leader mentioned last night that prior to his trip to Lebanon, Mr. Khatami had told him he was deeply unsettled and upset, and Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi, [the Speaker of Parliament], had also asked him to help resolve the issue. They received the response that they should find a way to reach an understanding while maintaining approbatory supervision (Nezarat-e Estesvabi), the necessity of qualifying candidates, and the independence of the judiciary.

I read the Ministry of Economy's report on Iraq's debts. It has about 400 billion dollars in foreign debt, including reparations for the Kuwait war and the Iran war. In Saudi Arabia, [King] Fahd has announced the schedule for a summit aimed at democratizing the country.