Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 30, 2003

In Jerusalem, a meeting between [Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen, [Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority] and [Ariel] Sharon, [Prime Minister of Israel] was held and announced on the eve of the visit of [George] Bush, [President of the United States of America] to the Middle East. They agreed that the Israeli military should withdraw a little from Gaza and the West Bank and release a number of prisoners and allow some Arab workers to enter Israel in order to create the conditions for Abu Mazen's action.  To help control the Palestinian Mujahideen.  In the last few days, Sharon, contrary to his previous statements, talks about the necessity of establishing a Palestinian government and in response to the opposition, he says that Israel cannot have 3.5 million Palestinians under the control of its government.
Following the visit of [Tony] Blair, [British Prime Minister], George Bush is coming to Europe and the Middle East today and he has meetings with the Group of Eight in Europe.  In the Middle East, they have a joint meeting with Sharon and Abu Mazen in Jordan in order to speed up the implementation of the peace plan.  US Secretary of Defense [Donald] Rumsfeld, embarrassed by the lack of weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq and ridiculed for his comments about the possibility of their destruction by Saddam before the war, has expressed hope these days that something will be found in the future.  The most important excuse for war was weapons of mass destruction.
In Moscow, the meeting of the members of the Shanghai Organization, which is made up of China, Russia and Central Asian countries, discussed important and fundamental global discussions and opposed the idea of ​​unipolarization of the world, and they hope that this group can be a suitable competitor against America.  The Russian media have also paid special attention to America's threats against Iran and even said that America is using the territory of Georgia and Azerbaijan against Iran, which was quickly denied by the two countries of Azerbaijan and Georgia.
For the second time, the meeting that was scheduled to be held last night at the White House to discuss the US policy towards Iran was delayed with an unknown future.  There is a serious difference between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the extremist group - composed of Jewish and Christian Zionists and warmongers.
The raising of the issue of the three islands [Abu Mosi, Big Tunb and Little Tunb] by [Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah], Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Coordination Council at the meeting of foreign ministers of Islamic countries [in Tehran] and the objections of Mr. [Kamal] Kharazi, [Minister of Foreign Affairs] as a departure from the official agenda of the meeting, had a wide impact in the foreign and domestic media and as an example of the obstacles to the coordination of the Islamic world.  is of interest.
In the Friday sermons, I talked about Iraq, Palestine, 15 Khordad, the death of the Imam and the power of the revolution.   A large number of guests of the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of Islamic countries participated in the Friday prayer, and after the prayer, we gathered together and greeted each other. Mr. Kharazi said that almost all the delegations agree with the peace plan of the road map, and they confirmed it in the final statement, and Iran's opposition did not go anywhere.  In order to give a discount, I said, it is better if it is removed.  In the sermons, I objected to the British Prime Minister [Tony Blair's] statements regarding Iran's alleged involvement in Iraq.
American soldiers were attacked in Iraq and many were killed and wounded.  I used to study at home till night.  Fati came and gave a report on the issues of the conference of foreign ministers of Islamic countries.