Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 23, 2003

I was at home. I finished reviewing the memoirs and the 1979 performance report compiled by Mr. [Abbas] Bashiri.

In the afternoon, Dr. [Abdollah] Jasbi came for matters related to the Islamic Azad University and the establishment of a new party. He had many points, including his dispute with Mr. [Mehdi] Hadavi over the Hesarak land (Northwest Tehran Science and Research Unit) and the university building in England that is being purchased.

[Paul] Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, took steps to dissolve several ministries and organizations, including the Ministries of Defense and Interior. In Fallujah, clashes between attackers and civilians have resulted in casualties. The death toll from the Algerian earthquake has reached 1,507 thousand injured, and many people are still trapped under the rubble. Following the adoption of a resolution in the United Nations Security Council, oil prices are declining.

The Chinese government says SARS has been contained in China and schools, after a one-month closure, have reopened, but it is spreading in Taiwan. In the United States and the United Kingdom, security measures have been intensified due to fear of terrorist attacks; for example, around the British Parliament, concrete blocks have been placed to prevent buses from approaching the building. In Turkey, following an explosion in Ankara, another explosion in Istanbul injured eight people. In Aceh, Indonesia, after the failure of negotiations between the government and rebels, martial law was declared and the Indonesian army launched large-scale attacks against opposition forces.

Israel claims it has detained a boat belonging to Hezbollah in the Mediterranean that was carrying explosive devices for Palestinian fighters, while Hezbollah has denied it.

Two deputy governors of the Central Bank criticized the government’s monetary policies, saying that 900 billion tomans spent for emergency job creation was a waste of resources, and newspapers on both sides ran headlines about the loss.

A report from Iraqi TV in Babylon says U.S. forces have arrested several clerics in Najaf, though their names were not mentioned. [Ariel] Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, announced acceptance of the road map plan, while Palestinians say he has gained concessions.