Re-Post: Nearing Midnight for January 30th (Part 1)

The Mad Man Running Iran

In recent months, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly been in the news over his efforts to advance his nation's nuclear program. He has also been in the headlines for making some rather outrageous comments around Israel. He called for the destruction of the Jewish state, denied the Holocaust ever took place, and said that Israel should be relocated to Europe.
I'm sure Washington and Israel are very concerned about what type of man is now running Iran.
Ahmadinejad came to power through a grass roots effort. He reportedly spent no money on his presidential campaign; He won by getting the backing of powerful conservatives who used their network of mosques to mobilize support for him. His presidential campaign focused on poverty, social justice and the distribution of wealth inside Iran.
When Ahmadinejad was mayor of Tehran, he made reform his top priority. He seemed to be a man immune to corruption. For several years, he has lived in a very small house. Even as President, he remains dedicated to a life of modesty.
Iran's President is no Mother Teresa. He has another dimension to his personality that is dedicated to fulfilling a messianic mission. In November, a video surfaced showing Mr. Ahmadinejad telling a cleric that he had felt the hand of God entrancing world leaders as he delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly last September. He claimed to have been bathed in a divine light as he spoke at the UN.
When an aircraft crashed in Teheran last month, killing 108 people, Mr. Ahmadinejad promised an investigation. But he also thanked the dead, saying: "What is important is that they have shown the way to martyrdom which we must follow."
Iran's president blamed Britain and the United States for two bombings that killed at least nine people in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. "Traces of the occupiers of Iraq are evident in the Ahvaz events. They should take responsibility in this regard," said Ahmadinejad on State TV.
Ahmadinejad has surrounded himself with men who closely share his views. This past week, the Iranian defense minister made a shocking comment about Israel using Ariel Sharon's unfortunate health situation. "Zionists should know that if they do anything evil against Iran, the response of Iran's armed forces will be so firm that it will send them into eternal coma, like Sharon," Gen. Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said.
The most disturbing aspect of Mr. Ahmadinejad's views is his devotion to a divine savior, known as the Mahdi, who will appear in the last days. He and his cabinet have signed a "contract," pledging to work for the return of the Mahdi.
Ahmadinejad believes that Israel and America are somehow preventing the appearance of the Mahdi. Their sneaking suspicion is that he actually relishes a clash with the West in the conviction that it would rekindle the spirit of the Islamic revolution and speed up the arrival of the Hidden Imam.
I believe that Ahmadinejad is something of mad man - not the kind that sees a pink elephant, but rather the kind that is so fixated on accomplishing a task that he disregards rational thinking.
Once Israel or the US feels that Iran is near the point of gaining nuclear weapons, I expect to see a precision attack on that nation's nuclear facilities. If that strike takes place, a number of events could be set into motion. Some of the end-time related possibilities: Hezbollah could attack Israel; Syria may join the fray; or Russia may move into the confrontation. In any case, it's wise to be watchful.

--Todd