Iranian youngsters celebrate 29 years since US Embassy takeover

Iranian youngsters celebrate 29 years since US Embassy takeover
'Death to America' rings out at former 'den of spies'
By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

TEHRAN: Thousands of young Iranians chanting "Death to America!" rallied outside the former US Embassy in Tehran Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the seizure of the building by Islamic revolutionaries. The demonstrators, mainly schoolchildren and students, also brandished banners bearing the same slogan as well as "Death to Israel," and burned US and Israeli flags and effigies of Uncle Sam.

"We will not get on with America even for a moment," read one placard carried by demonstrators standing in the rain outside what is dubbed the "Den of Spies" in central Tehran.

"Iranian people regard America as the Great Satan and the main instigator of wars and insecurity in the world," said a declaration read out at the rally, which appeared to be less crowded than in previous years.

Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for nearly three decades since students took American diplomats hostage for 444 days following the 1979 Islamic Revolution which toppled the US-backed shah. The deposed Iranian leader, who had been returned to power in 1953 after a CIA-orchestrated coup that toppled a democratically elected government, had been granted refuge in the US. The students demanded the shah be extradited to face charges of human-rights abuses during his rule.

The embassy compound, now run by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, is used as an educational center with occasional exhibitions on the "crimes" of the United States.

Monday's protests came ahead of the US presidential election pitting Republican John McCain against Democrat front-runner Barack Obama, whom many Iranians think might aid a thaw between the arch-foes.

"Obama is good, because he is concerned about his people and is not into war," said Amir, a 16-year-old high-school student.

But Mahmoud, 19, a member of the hard-line Islamist Basij militia, sees no difference between the candidates. "One person does not change US policy. Whoever is elected will not be able to do anything against Iran," he said.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said last week that animosity toward Washington was deep-seated in history and praised the Islamist students who took over "the center of espionage."

"Besides, they [the US] have not apologized yet and rather keep on with their arrogant attitude," Khamenei said.

Tensions have mounted over Iran's nuclear program, which many Western countries claim is a cover for an atomic weapons program - an allegation vehemently denied by Tehran. A US Intelligence Estimate published in December 2007 which collated the assessments of all major US intelligence services concluded Iran likely abandoned any pursuit of nuclear arms in 2003.

In their declaration, the demonstrators condemned "shameless efforts by the United States and a few countries to prevent Iran's scientific growth" and US "political pressure" on Iran over its nuclear program.

Tehran has been slapped with three sets of UN sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. As a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the legal right to develop a civilian atomic program, including enriching uranium. - AFP, with The Daily Star

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