Akbar Hashemi's memories - October 30, 2002

I talked about the importance of trying to organize the lunar calendar and prevent differences in the beginning of the lunar months.

Mr. Tehrani from the Ministry of Information said that a person named Ganji, who is a businessman, said that he was doing business for them with the money of the Hashemi family.  Such abuses, unfortunately, are many.

We went to Niavaran cultural center for the opening of the [sighting] of the crescent [moon].  It was organized by the Cultural Vice-Chancellor of the Research Center [Strategic Expediency Assessment Forum];  It started late.  Mr. [Mustafa] Mirslim, [Cultural Deputy of Strategic Research Center] and [Dr. Mohammad Taghi] Adalati, [Scientific Secretary of the Conference] reported the discussed topics and articles.  I spoke briefly about the importance of trying to organize the lunar calendar and prevent differences in the beginning of the lunar months, through cooperation with the jurisdictions and authorities, and the solution of the agreement by solving the sighting problem.  

I went to my office.  Mr. [Mohammed] Shafiei, [Amir] Tehrani and [Mohammed] Mohammadi came from the Ministry of Information.  The possibilities regarding the outcome of the two government bills and the issue of leaving the government and the second status of Khordadis and Mr. Khatami told [President] and gave a suggestion to prevent the crisis. Mr. Tehrani said that a person named Ganji who is a businessman said that he is doing business for them with the money of the Hashemi families.  Unfortunately, such abuses are many.  

In the evening, religious and political clerics of the Ministry of Defense came.  Mr. [Yadullah] Habibi, the head of political ideology, reported and I also talked about the role of faith in the strength and power of the armed forces and their good experience in war and construction and the important services of the ministry in defense industries and explaining the current conditions, considering the war policy of the United States.  

Today, the fourth meeting of the [UN] Security Council regarding the US plan regarding the [disarmament of weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq ended with no results.  [George] Bush's insult to the Security Council, with the expression "a bunch of naives", has offended them.  The follow-up of some countries continues to find out the type of gas that Russia used in the [hostage incident in] the [Moscow] theater.  [Hamid] Karzai, [head of the interim government of Afghanistan], after meeting the three prisoners released from Guantanamo, said that he will send a delegation there to investigate.  

The government of Israel is facing a crisis with the withdrawal of the Labor party from the coalition;  The reason for leaving is the Labor party's opposition to the budget for the construction of new settlements in the occupied territories, which [Prime Minister] [Ariel] Sharon emphasizes.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense were important members of the cabinet.

[Ghirt Bahir], the son-in-law of [Gulbdin] Hekmatyar in Pakistan and [Fawzi Ayub], one of the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as [Ahmed Zakayev], the deputy of Aslan Maskhadev, the leader of the Chechens, have been arrested in Denmark.  Under international pressure, Russia has announced that the gas used [in the attack on the Chechen hostages] was a severe sedative.  
We had a little rain tonight and today.