Akbar Hashemi’s Memoirs – February 5, 2003

Ayatollah Montazeri is hospitalized due to heart trouble. Last night, I spoke with the Leader about sending well-wishes to Mr. Montazeri; he opposed the idea. The Chief of the Tehran Justice Department stated yesterday in Qom that the lifting of his house arrest is conditional upon refraining from improper political actions. Ayatollah Montazeri, however, says he has not accepted any conditions.

Full Diary Text:

It is currently 10:00 PM, and the UN Security Council session is underway with [Colin Powell], the U.S. Secretary of State, delivering a speech. He has also provided a tape to the attendees as evidence for his claims; [George] Bush had previously stated that evidence regarding the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq would be disclosed, but they later said some documents cannot be revealed. Most members are participating at the ministerial level. The session is chaired by [Joschka Fischer], the German Foreign Minister, who is opposed to the war. The U.S. expects to obtain authorization for a military strike from this meeting, while opponents of the war are striving to grant Iraq another extension.

The night before last, Ayatollah Montazeri was transferred to Kamkar Hospital [in Qom] due to heart trouble and remains hospitalized. Last night, I spoke with the Leader about sending well-wishes to Mr. Montazeri; he opposed the idea. He is upset by his actions, statements, and interviews with counter-revolutionary foreigners, as well as the gratitude expressed by his son, Ahmad, toward the Voice of America (VOA). Mr. [Abbas-Ali] Alizadeh, the Chief of the Tehran Justice Department, stated yesterday in Qom that the lifting of his house arrest is conditional upon refraining from improper political actions. The Ministry of Intelligence has also instructed opposition political groups to avoid contact with him. Ayatollah Montazeri maintains that he has accepted no conditions.

The open letter by Engineer [Ezzatollah] Sahabi [a National-Religious activist] addressed to the heads of the three branches of government, complaining about the behavior of interrogators and the court, along with the reactions of Messrs. [Mehdi] Karroubi [Speaker of Parliament] and [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami [the President], as well as Mr. Karroubi's letter to Mr. [Seyyed Mahmoud] Hashemi Shahroudi [Head of the Judiciary] and the latter's response, are still of great interest to political circles. Following him, 156 other members of the National-Religious movement have also published an open letter. The Revolutionary Court has responded, threatening to implement sentences and expedite the issuance of final verdicts.

Mr. [Reza] Veiseh, the CEO of the Industrial Development [and Renovation] Organization (IDRO), came to visit. He provided a report on performance, future plans, and privatization, stating that the organization's assets are valued at approximately one trillion Tomans, with an annual turnover of about five trillion Tomans. He explained the major projects currently underway.

Mr. Abbas [Vahabi] Amlashi, head of the Education Veterans' Cooperative, came to visit. He said that out of 150,000 education veterans across the country, about 25,000 have become members, but they have not yet been able to achieve anything significant. He sought assistance in obtaining facilities and subsidies and complained about the lack of cooperation from the Ministry [of Education] and the Revolutionary Guard. He is a relative of the late [Mohammad-Mehdi] Rabbani Amlashi [former Attorney General].

Mr. [Mehdi] Safari, the special envoy to Central Asian and Caucasian countries, came to visit. He provided a report on negotiations regarding the division of the Caspian Sea and Iran's share, and offered proposals for expanding cooperation. He mentioned that with the arrival of Mr. [Ahmad] Azizi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the role of Mr. [Mohsen] Aminzadeh [Deputy for Asia and Oceania] has weakened.

In the evening, a group from the Fisheries Industry and Export Union came and spoke of the numerous problems facing the shrimp industry. Given the stabilization of the dollar's price and the rising production costs due to inflation—resulting in losses for producers—they requested subsidies for exports and production [of aquatic life].

The Turkish government has asked parliament to authorize cooperation with the U.S. in the event war breaks out against Iraq. The majority of the people and representatives are opposed, but U.S. pressure on Turkey is intense.