Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 31, 2003

Mr. Farooq Qadoumi, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's foreign department, came. He gave a report on the situation in Palestine and said that Yasser Arafat is restricted in his office and is not allowed to leave.  They have agreed with the roadmap and know that it will not be implemented;  Because of the conditions that Israel has.  In the Intifada, the losses of the Israelis are more than the Palestinians.  750,000 Israelis have left Israel and their economy has stagnated, although the number of human casualties is one third of the Palestinian martyrs.  He expressed confidence in Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen.   We had already heard that he is an Iranian Baha'i, but in a meeting with Ramadan Abdullah, [Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Organization], he said that it was such a rumor, but it was denied after investigation.  As he is from Safed, where there are Baha'is, such a doubt arose.
In the infrastructure commission [Assembly for the Expediency of the Nizam], general policies were discussed and three points were approved. Mr. [Bijan Namdar] Zanganeh, [Oil Minister] said that European and Japanese companies, under the pressure of the United States, have started to make excuses for slowing down or closing down or delaying work.  He suggested to solve Iran's problems with America.
In the evening Mr. [Mohammed Javad] Zarif, [Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations], came. He said that before the leadership's order regarding the termination of negotiations with the United States reached him, the Americans announced the suspension because of Al-Qaeda issues.  Because they had previously said that they had been informed that al-Qaeda was planning to act against the United States, and they had demanded that Iran arrest them and obtain and provide information, but no action was taken.  He answered, the people you are talking about have not been found in Iran. He said, for this issue and the nuclear issue, the meeting that was held, the opinion of the majority is that if the Americans are willing to exchange Al-Qaeda with the leaders of the hypocrites, then we should accept it and also accept the additional [protocol] 93+2 and negotiate with the United States in this regard.  This opinion has been reported to the leadership. 
Yasir informed the office that in Qom, the guardianship of Astana [Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH)] did not give permission to bury [Mr. Mohammad Sadegh Karbaschi of Tehran], the father of Mr. [Gholam Mohsin] Karbaschi in the shrine, because Ayatollah Montazeri prayed over his body, which is not a right thing.  I offered my condolences to Mr. Karbaschi and [Abdul Majid] Maadikhah. 
It was reported from Mr. [Syed Mohammad Baqer] Hakim in Iraq that he ordered the disbandment of the Badr Corps.  He told me earlier in the farewell meeting that he wanted to employ the Badr forces in a civilian organization for social work.
It is said that the Russians, who had a ceremony in St. Petersburg today, stopped the rain with ten planes;  It's unbelievable!   And we had a solar eclipse.