IRANIAN VIEWS ON U.S. AND LIFE IN TEHRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006815

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2011
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL TU IR
SUBJECT: IRANIAN VIEWS ON U.S. AND LIFE IN TEHRAN


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLCONS STUART JONES FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).


2. (C) SUMMARY. AN IRANIAN VISA APPLICANT CLAIMED THAT
RELIGIOUS VIGILANTES KIDNAPPED HIM AND BEAT HIM FOR SEVERAL
DAYS AFTER THEY CAUGHT HIM AT ONE OF TEHRAN'S CANDLELIGHT
VIGILS FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. ANOTHER YOUNG
IRANIAN IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANT STATED THAT MANY YOUNG
IRANIANS ARE TIRED OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI AND DO NOT
BELIEVE THAT KHATAMI CAN BRING ABOUT POLITICAL REFORM. AFTER
A TRIP TO TEHRAN, A U.S. BORN AMCIT TOLD CONOFF THAT TEHRAN
APPEARED ECONOMICALLY BUSTLING. SHE NOTED THAT TEHRAN LOOKED
CLEAN AND THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL NEW BUILDINGS UNDER
CONSTRUCTION; FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WERE PLENTIFUL IN THE
LOCAL STORES. END SUMMARY.

--------------
IRANIAN SYMPATHY OVER ATTACKS
--------------


3. (C) NUMEROUS IRANIAN VISA APPLICANTS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR
DEEP SYMPATHIES TO CONOFF IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AFTER THE
TERRORIST ATTACKS AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND PENTAGON.
BEFORE BEGINNING THEIR INTERVIEWS, NEARLY ALL IRANIAN VISA
APPLICANTS TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS THEIR SORROW OVER THE
ATTACKS.


4. (C) ONE APPLICANT CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT A
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL HELD IN TEHRAN DAYS AFTER THE TERRORIST
ATTACKS. A YOUNG MALE FROM ESFAHAN, HE LIFTED HIS SHIRT TO
SHOW SCARS FROM A WHIPPING HE RECEIVED AND SCARS ON HIS
WRISTS AND ANKLES FROM BEING TIED TO A WALL. THE APPLICANT
CLAIMED THAT HE WAS IN A CENTRAL AREA OF TEHRAN WITH
APPROXIMATELY 600 MEN AND WOMEN OBSERVING THE QUIET
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. HE INDICATED THAT THREE BASIJIS GRABBED
HIM, BLINDFOLDED HIM AND HELD HIM HOSTAGE FOR SIX DAYS. THE
BASIJIS BEAT WITH A TELEPHONE CORD FOR TWO DAYS AND ALLEGEDLY
ACCUSED HIM OF FOMENTING REVOLUTION. THE APPLICANT STATED
THAT ORDINARY IRANIANS WERE APPALLED AT THE TERRORIST
INCIDENT IN THE U.S. AND WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR
SOLIDARITY AGAINST VIOLENCE. THE APPLICANT COULD NOT
INDICATE HOW MANY OTHERS HAD BEEN CAUGHT BY ROAMING GANGS OF
BASIJI VIGILANTES.

--------------
IRANIAN PRESIDENT LOSING LUSTER
--------------


5. (C) CONOFF QUERIED ANOTHER YOUNG IRANIAN IMMIGRANT VISA
APPLICANT REGARDING POPULAR VIEWS OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT
MOHAMMED KHATAMI. THE APPLICANT STATED IN PERFECT ENGLISH
THAT MANY YOUNG IRANIANS ARE TIRED OF THE LACK OF POLITICAL
REFORMS. MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT KHATAMI CAN
TRULY CHANGE THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION. THE APPLICANT
STATED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL DISILLUSIONED AND BETRAYED BY
THE LACK OF PROGRESS BY KHATAMI. ASKED ABOUT RELIGIOUS
LEADER KHAMANEI, THE APPLICANT SAID NOTHING. ON POPULAR
VIEWS REGARDING THE U.S. BOMBINGS IN AFGHANISTAN, THE
APPLICANT STATED THAT IRANIANS DO NOT CONDONE VIOLENCE. HE
ADDED THAT MANY IRANIANS HAD NO STRONG FEELINGS TOWARD THE
AFGHANS. INSTEAD, PEOPLE ARE MORE INTERESTED IN DAILY
SURVIVAL IN A WEAK ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.


6. (C) MANY YOUNG VISA APPLICANTS INDICATED TO CONOFF THAT
LIFE IN IRAN IS COMFORTABLE. MOST LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR
PARENTS AND ARE PUTTING OFF GETTING MARRIED. MANY IRANIAN
STUDENTS ARE NOT QUICK TO CRITICIZE THEIR COUNTRY OR ECONOMY
AND RESPOND THAT LIFE IS FINE. UNDERLYING THIS SENTIMENT,
HOWEVER, IS A LARGE NUMBER OF EDUCATED STUDENTS THAT ARE
APPLYING TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. MANY
UNIVERSITY-EDUCATED STUDENTS SAID THEY ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN
WORK IN IRAN AFTER GRADUATING AND VIEW CONTINUED STUDIES IN
THE U.S. AS AN ESCAPE, EVEN IF THEY RETURN TO IRAN AFTER
FINISHING.

--------------
OUTSIDER'S VIEW OF TEHRAN LIFE
--------------


7. (C) A U.S. BORN AMERICAN CITIZEN REPORTED THAT TEHRAN
APPEARED ECONOMICALLY BUSTLING AND WAS OTHERWISE RELATIVELY
CALM. IN TEHRAN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS FINALIZING ADOPTION
PROCEEDINGS FOR A STEPCHILD WITH HER IRANIAN BORN U.S.
CITIZEN HUSBAND, SHE STATED THAT DURING HER TRIP, WHICH TOOK
HER TO MANY GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL OFFICES IN CENTRAL TEHRAN,
SHE RECEIVED GOOD TREATMENT AND THAT PEOPLE WERE GENERALLY
"NICE." SHE NOTED THAT TEHRAN APPEARED RELATIVELY CLEAN AND
THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL NEW BUILDINGS BEING CONSTRUCTED.
MANY OTHER IRANIAN VISA APPLICANTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT TEHRAN
HAS SEVERAL LARGE BUILDINGS BEING BUILT. THE AMCIT STATED
THAT DURING HER TRIP THE LOCAL WATER WAS TURNED OFF IN
DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY DURING THE WEEK. THE HIGH-RISE
BUILDING WHERE SHE WAS STAYING, HOWEVER, HAD ITS OWN WATER
SUPPLY AND DID NOT SUFFER FROM THE CUTOFFS. SHE INDICATED
THAT THE LOCAL IRANIANS SHE MET APPEARED HAPPY AND THAT THERE
WAS PLENTY OF FOOD, FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN THE LOCAL STORES.
HER HUSBAND NOTED THAT LOCAL POLICE ONLY HARASSED TAXI
DRIVERS, STOPPING THEM AND EXTORTING SMALL BRIBES. THEY BOTH
ADDED THAT ONLY ONCE DID THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TRAVELING
AROUND THE CITY. AT ONE POINT IN THE TRIP, THEY LEFT A LOCAL
NEIGHBORHOOD AREA AFTER POLICE TOLD THEM THAT SOME UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS WERE DEMONSTRATING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.


PEARSON