From an editorial in the
New York Times, February 12, 2002:
Millions of Iranians marched with unusual vigor and anti-American
defiance yesterday to mark the 23rd anniversary of their Islamic
revolution. Staged rallies on official anniversaries are not an
accurate measure of the mood of a country, but in this case the
turnout partly reflects a genuine popular backlash against President
Bush's description of Iran as a member of the "axis of evil." His
comment has clearly strengthened the hand of the hard-liners and
forced reformers to prove their patriotism by denouncing the United
States.
†