Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 9, 2003

It was announced yesterday that an explosion in one of the American warships in the Persian Gulf has injured 11 of the ship's crew.  No explanation about the cause of the explosion.  George Bush, in a speech for the umpteenth time, expressed his concern about the information related to Iran's nuclearization policy and asked other countries to cooperate with the United States to prevent Iran from doing so.  America's propaganda pressures in this regard have intensified in recent weeks, while Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh, [head of the Atomic Energy Organization] is currently negotiating at the International Atomic Energy Agency, and he clearly says that Iran's nuclear activities are open and peaceful.
The letter of 150 members of the parliament, which was read in the parliament this week and called for the reform of the foreign policy, is a kind of protest against the leadership's policy regarding America and Egypt, and the protest against the weak work of the government is also noticed by political circles.  The Guardian Council has rejected the President's powers bill with 10 objections and it has a wide impact.
The meeting of the attackers with the leaders of the opposition in Baghdad is also important for the establishment of the interim government, which was held yesterday and shows that the United States has given up on the idea of ​​direct administration of Iraq, which it had previously announced.
I went to Tehran University to offer Friday prayers.  I delivered a sermon about haste and a sermon on the occasions of the week.  
In the afternoon, relatives were our guests.  Mr. Hossein Marashi, who had traveled to Afghanistan, gave a description of its problems and delays.  Mr. Ali Larijani, [Chairman of Sada and Vasima Organization], in response to the parliamentary inquiry, says that it is a political act and he also asked the judiciary to deal with the issue.
Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Hakim, [Speaker of the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution], before the Friday sermons, spoke as a farewell and thank you and had good comments.  I also honored them and wished them success.  After 24 years of activity in Iran, he is going to Iraq.
News has come that America has started disarming the Mojahedin People's Organization in Iraq.  In Saudi Arabia, an armed group of 19 people has been discovered and arrested.  It is said that they are related to al-Qaeda.  In Kabul, two strong explosions shook the city.  27 people were killed in an accident between a train and a bus carrying German tourists in Hungary.