Mass rival rallies before Iranian vote

The showdown atmosphere reflects the increasingly bitter tone between Ahmadinejad and his main rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi, in the campaign blitz before Friday's vote. Both have traded recriminations and engaged in mudslinging as intense as any bare-knuckle American campaign and - in the process - have turned the election into a display of Iran's deep political divides.

Ahmadinejad's supporters applaud his firebrand style that includes questions over the Holocaust and his uncompromising defense of Iran's nuclear program. Mousavi's backers - including many young voters - believe Iran's international standing is being undermined and a more flexible approach is needed with critical issues at stake such as possible talks with Washington.

In the battle for campaign images, Mousavi's forces mobilized a stunning scene Monday: a rally that stretched nearly the entire 12-mile (19-kilometer) length of Vali Asr - a famous avenue that bisects Tehran from the conservative strongholds in the older flatland neighborhoods to the south from the liberal-minded bastions on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range in the north.

But Ahmadinejad's bloc staged its own show of unity, using Iran's flag as their banner and patriotism as their cry. At one point, Ahmadinejad's supporters and Mousavi loyalists faced off with each side shouting slogans and waving their respective flags.

Tens of thousands of Ahmadinejad backers gathered at Tehran's largest prayer hall - joining in a mass denunciation of Mousavi, United States and Israel. The government spokesman, Gholam Hossein Elha, claimed Ahmadinejad tried to make his way through the crowd for a speech but it was too vast.