| Iran's cleric-run government has declared war on satellite television and begun jamming American-based channels, blaming them for inciting the wave of student-led protests that have brought bloody clashes to Tehran's streets. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed America for stirring up protests by "mercenaries" as U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Iran was secretly attempting to build nuclear weapons. Many of those who took to the streets first learned of the protests from satellite channels, run by American-based exile groups. They include National Iranian Television, which is run by Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah. The satellite broadcasts, which mix popular and political programs, are one of the few diversions openly available to Iranian youth, a welcome relief from the religious fare offered on state-run channels. |