We had gone about ten steps when Blue Shurt came running back out. "No," he cried. "It has been decided that you can only take still pictures - no moving pictures." That was when we gave up. We had already taken still pictures, on our earlier visit. As we made our way of of the compound, crossing the sidewalk onto Taleghani Avenue to hail a cab, the three young Revolutionary Guards came running after us. We wondered for a minute if the procedures wer going to change yet again. The guards all spoke to Ramin in Farsi, smiling and gesturing toward us, and then he relayed their comments: "They want me to tell you that they are embarrassed, that they think this is silly. They want to apologize on behalf of their country."

Ramin grinned as the soldiers huddled around him, grabbing at him in a friendly way. "They want me to tell you that they love America." The soldiers flashed big smiles at us and nodded approvingly. And right there in front of the DEATH TO THE USA sign, in front of the faded banners denouncing "The Great Satan," one of the Revolutionary Guards raised his thumb high into the air and said in halting English, "Okay, George W. Bush!"