For the last month, from a secret location, the young Shiite cleric has fanned the flames of Iraqi nationalism and anti-American sentiment, a sure path to popularity in his frightened, frustrated land.

Other highly symbolic deals - including the sale of famous American commercial and cultural symbols such as Columbia Records, Columbia Pictures, and the Rockefeller Center building to Japanese firms - further fanned anti-Japanese sentiment.

"The American press has to know that this kind of distorted reporting is hurting the dignity of Korean people who have been preparing for the Olympics for seven years and is fanning anti-American sentiment."

A new government led by a rival of Mr. Menem has fanned sentiment against Mr. Cavallo even as the economy continued to disintegrate.

On this occasion, however, Polish radio and newspapers picked up the story and fanned anti-Lithuanian sentiment.

The radical Islamists are doing a great job all on their own,fanning anti-Muslim sentiment.

With the exile of the Lao Issara government in Thailand after the resumption of French control in 1946, the Sangha played a significant role in fanning nationalist sentiment in Laos.

The sinking of the trawler, the Ehime Maru, shocked Japan, setting off weeks of emotional news coverage here, fanning anti-American sentiment and for a time creating a serious irritant in relations between the close allies.

China responded to Mr. Abe's visit by discouraging the kind of anti-Japanese content on television and the Internet that had fanned nationalist sentiment.

On June 19, the dissenters and their families fled to neighboring counties where their complaints fanned anti-Mormon sentiment.