Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 15, 2003

Mr Morteza Kheirabadi, the representative of Sabzavar, came. We discussed my forthcoming trip to Sabzavar. Mr Reza Amrollahi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation, came. He offered suggestions on how to handle the Board of Governors' resolution. 
Messrs Ammar and Mohsen, the sons of Sayyid Abdulaziz Hakim, [the President of the Islamic Supreme Council of the Iraqi Revolution] came. Regarding the martyrdom of Mr [Sayyid Muhammad Baqir] al-Hakim, he said that the car carrying explosives had been parked behind the wall on the qibla side of the courtyard of the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), directly behind the Friday prayer niche, and could have been intended to detonate during the Friday prayer service, but when Mr al-Hakim, After the prayer, as he was heading home, the explosion occurred when he approached the car, leaving nothing of Mr Hakim and the two others in the vehicle but a handful of flesh and bone. However, the bodies in the two other cars, which were travelling ahead of and behind him, were still identifiable.  
They spoke of severe insecurity in the city of Najaf and that no one is responsible for security, or that reports of a possible assassination had been received and no one was able to prevent the cars from being parked in his path or to stop coffins being brought into the crowd; even though they could have, the coffins might have contained explosives. Even now that a lead on the perpetrators of the assassination attempt has been uncovered, there is no one to carry out the interrogations, and the Americans do not care, and no one has yet confessed. The Badr Brigade also lacks internal discipline and a cohesive structure.
The Americans have not yet handed over responsibility for security in Najaf to the local population, as the military are opposed. Although [Paul] Bremer, [Head of the Executive of the Iraqi Provisional Coalition Government], is in favour. They are pleased with the progress of the Governing Council, and in particular with the strengthening of the Shia position.  
Ammar said that after Mr Hakim's departure, he was left at the pulpit to answer the people's questions. As a result of the explosion, part of the courtyard wall was damaged, several people were injured, and the glass inside the shrine was shattered. They called for Iran's help to bring Badr Brigade into line. They said that Shia figures do not have much hope for their survival, given the hostility of the Ba'athists, al-Qaeda, the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organisation [= MEK], and the occupiers.
In the evening, we flew to Mashhad. We were met by Mr [Abbas Vaezi] Tabsib, [the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi shrine], and Mr [Seyed Hassan Rasouli], the governor of [Khorasan], and we went to the shrine. After dinner and a visit, we rested.