Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 24, 2003

In response to the statements by [George] Bush, [the U.S. President] at the United Nations General Assembly, [Jacques] Chirac, the President of France, voiced his opposition and said that the war in Iraq, by bypassing the United Nations, had caused the greatest crisis in the organization's history, and that there was no alternative but to hand over Iraq's affairs to the United Nations and transfer sovereignty to the people within a reasonable time. Even the brief meeting between Bush and Chirac after the speech failed to resolve their differences, and they announced that both countries would stand by their positions. Bush appealed to others for help.

[Gerhard] Schröder, the Chancellor of Germany, opposing America's warlike policy, said that Germany would under no circumstances send military forces to Iraq and would only help with training the police and ...

Chirac also asked Iran to clarify its nuclear issues by signing the Additional Protocol, and acknowledged that the peaceful use of nuclear technology was Iran's right. At the same time, Mr. [Ali Akbar] Salehi, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced that Iran would reduce its cooperation with the Agency to the level required by the NPT.

In Baghdad, there were demonstrations against America and in favor of Saddam [Hussein], and a bus exploded, causing many casualties and injuries.

Mr. [Hamid] Karzai, [Head of the Afghan Interim Administration], at this meeting criticized Pakistan for secretly helping the Taliban and asked the United States to put pressure on Pakistan; [Pervez] Musharraf, [the President of Pakistan], denied it.

Mr. Commander [Qasem] Soleimani, [Commander of the IRGC Quds Force], came to my house for negotiations and consultation on Iraqi affairs and said that with the martyrdom of Ayatollah [Sayyid Mohammad Baqir] Hakim, the Shiites could not have an effective leader and should think about a leadership council. He also said that in selecting the council to draft Iraq's constitution, two Shiites had cast their votes for two Sunnis, and that the effort was to ensure that the constitution would establish an Islamic Republic system, similar to Afghanistan, and that if the regime was to become federal, it should be broadly federal, and that the president and prime minister should not coexist, like in the early years of Iran after the Revolution's victory, when the problems with that arrangement became apparent.

We went to the Leader's office for the Eid al-Fitr ceremony. During his trip to Mazandaran, his back pain had flared up again, and he was having difficulties. No important issue was raised in the speeches.

At noon I returned home. I officiated the marriage contract of the child of one of the martyrs who had died in the Airbus downing by America. At noon and at night, the children were gathered together.