Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – March 29, 2003

Before noon was spent meeting with managers and officials of the country. The discussions were mostly about the military problems of the Americans and the breaking of the prestige of the United States and Britain.

Mr. Gholamreza Aghazadeh and Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi reported on a session of the IAEA Board of Governors, saying it had turned out in Iran’s favor and against the United States, and they spoke about success in laser enrichment.

Serious discussion in Western media centered on the temporary halt of ground operations in Iraq. A British military official also confirmed this, citing logistical supply problems for forces deep inside Iraqi territory, which is seen as an embarrassment for the United States. Today, clashes around Najaf, Karbala, Basra, and Nasiriyah were less intense, but bombing and missile attacks continued.

With the third missile landing in Turkish territory, passage of missiles through Turkish airspace was temporarily banned, and U.S. experts who went to investigate the site were attacked by local residents and their vehicles were damaged. It was also announced that several missiles had landed in Saudi territory, and the United States reportedly stopped missile launches through Saudi airspace as well—apparently fired from the Red Sea. Another failure.

An Iraqi officer, using a taxi, reached U.S. forces near Najaf and carried out a suicide operation, killing at least five American soldiers. In today’s bombing of Baghdad, more than 100 people were killed. In the bombing of Basra, a major food warehouse was destroyed, worsening civilian conditions.

Iraq fired a “Silkworm” missile at the Souq al-Sharq market near the Kuwaiti Emir’s palace, causing extensive damage. Internal disagreements among U.S. military leadership, including the resignation of Richard Perle, have reached the media. Donald Rumsfeld warned Iran to prevent the entry of the Badr Corps into Iraq, and accused Syria of providing military assistance to Iraq and facilitating the entry of volunteers.

In Lebanon, a man occupied a British bank in protest against the war and demanded permission to go fight in Iraq. In Afghanistan, Ricardo Munguia, head of a Red Cross group, was killed, and pressure on foreign military forces increased. Anti-war protests continued around the world.