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Why the US and Iran love to hate each other

The ritual burning of the US flag is not going to stop. Nor will the chants – especially on Iranian revolutionary anniversaries – of “Death to America.” Unlike every other presidential candidate who hinted at a thaw in relations, to appeal to the majority of Iranians who say they want better US ties, hard-line president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran “has no significant need” for the US. But beneath the anti-US façade is a nation that has much in common with its stated nemesis – from an ambitious self-image and public reliance on the divine, to a habit of often defining itself in terms of its enemies. Full Story