Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Anti-American Sentiment Is on the Rise in Iran

Aired February 10, 2002 - 18:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush's tough talk about Iran being a part of an axis of evil is apparently strengthening the hand of hardliners in Iran. And CNN's Kasra Naji explains the anti-U.S. sentiment is building in that country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Event the moderates are taking a hard line against the U.S. President Khatami, a moderate on state television telling Iranians to come in force to anti-U.S. demonstration on Monday.

President Bush's labeling Iran as one of three states forming what he called an axis of evil has outraged both moderates and hardliners.

Moderates who have been calling for the reestablishment of normal relations with the U.S. are quickly closing ranks with the hardliners.

This moderate member of parliament says, "We have our serious differences on many issues. But when it comes to threats to our territorial integrity, we speak with one voice."

Iran's hard line leaders have been vitriolic in their warnings against any U.S. action in Iran. Former President Rafsanjani told the congregation at the Friday prayers in Tehran there will be no red carpet for U.S. soldiers here. The only red they will see when they come will be the blood of the aggressors, he says.

Iranian leaders are alarmed at the increasing number of U.S. bases in central Asia. U.S. presence here and reconstruction of this air base Shindan (ph), Western Afghanistan, a couple hundred kilometers away from the Iranian border is particularly worrying.

One commander of the revolutionary guards warned that if attacked Iran will not limit its defensive war within its borders. Iran will counterattack by destroying Persian Gulf regions, oil fields, the sources of much of U.S. energy needs, he says.

And an editor of the hard line newspaper says many young people are preparing for suicide missions against the U.S. But such threats against the U.S. are a world apart from the thoughts of many young Iranians, more concerned with pushing back what they see as the claustrophobic boundaries of freedom here. This student says in her university, many students are encouraged by the removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

This man says he worries that an attack on the Iranian government will inevitably hurt the people and not just the government.

(on-camera): There's a good deal of debate here about American intentions and how to respond to them. What is certain is that the Iranian leaders have taken the threats from the United States very seriously. For them, a big turnout on Monday will show that Iranians are united behind them in fighting any attack on Iran.

Kasra Naji, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com