I meant to post about this yesterday, but with all the Lieberman-Lamont stuff, I never got around to it. Via Drudge… is Iran planning something big for the second day of my 3L year?
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Tuesday, Princeton’s Bernard Lewis writes: “There is a radical difference between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other governments with nuclear weapons. This difference is expressed in what can only be described as the apocalyptic worldview of Iran’s present rulers.”
“In Islam as in Judaism and Christianity, there are certain beliefs concerning the cosmic struggle at the end of time — Gog and Magog, anti-Christ, Armageddon, and for Shiite Muslims, the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam, ending in the final victory of the forces of good over evil, however these may be defined.”
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “and his followers clearly believe that this time is now, and that the terminal struggle has already begun and is indeed well advanced. It may even have a date, indicated by several references by the Iranian president to giving his final answer to the US about nuclear development by Aug. 22,” which this year corresponds “to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to ‘the farthest mosque,’ usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back (c.f., Koran XVII.1).
“This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadinejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind.”
Noted.
On the other hand, Casey argues that “Iran is deterrable. The only way we will wind up in open war with them is if we start it.”
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Categories: Iraq, Iran & the Middle East
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August 9th, 2006 at 9:51:47 am
Bush is on vacation. It would make sense for the Apocalypse to happen while Bush is in Crawford. I wonder what kind of inane photo-op he will do three days into the End of the World in lieu of calling his vacation short.
August 9th, 2006 at 10:16:06 am
Angrier -
Don’t you ever get lockjaw from saying, “It’s Bush’s fault.” all the time?
August 9th, 2006 at 10:20:09 am
Bush is on vacation.
The President never gets a vacation in the same sense as you or I do. Work follows him, as does all the communications devices necessary to run the show.
August 9th, 2006 at 12:31:07 pm
Lojo-
As long as he continues to be at fault, no.
August 9th, 2006 at 1:43:31 pm
Angrier -
So Bush caused Iran to believe in Islam, gave them nuclear capabilities, hate the west, despise Jews, believe in the Hidden Imam, and plan actively for the end of the world and Amageddon.
Wow.
August 9th, 2006 at 2:25:02 pm
A&A - there, there … just crawl back under your Ragnarok !
August 9th, 2006 at 5:45:48 pm
this post and then i’ll stop trolling: this is a nice dark idea, but there are two problems with it: iran does not have deployable nuclear weapons and they know they will be nuked by us if they nuke israel. they may be crazy but i think they are deterrable.
August 9th, 2006 at 7:40:36 pm
Here’s the problem–talk like a nutjob, walk like a nutjob, act like a nutjob, people start to, you know, assume you’re a nutjob.
So, Iran doesn’t have deployable nukes? What information are you basing this on? Because if there’s one thing that’s pretty consistent with “Renegade Country X” becoming a nuclear power, it’s that they don’t generally, you know, announce it much before there’s a test. Moreover, just what does it take to deploy a nuke? Because last time I checked people have had miniaturization figured out since, oh, about 1960 or so–so why, other than arrogance, do we assume that the Iranians can’t crack a book and apply some scientific mojo?
Casey, and others like him, seem to think that Iran would’ve already done something stupid like give Hezbollah Sarin or other chemicals. Folks, all WMD ain’t created equal, and chemicals are the most likely to go fizz of NBC (and I don’t mean the Peacock). Few degrees change of temperature, sudden shift in wind direction, and that nice chemical cloud you were soaking down some Israeli town with drifts back and chokes up Lebanon or, even worse, the Palestinians. Shia choking up Sunnis–yeah, that doesn’t play well in the regional press, and suddenly you go from “Jihad Hero” to “Barney Falefa” in about 2.5 seconds.
So, if you want to bring upon an apocalypse, you pack something that’s going to go “Flash…(wait for it, almost there) BOOOOOOOMMMM” on command, and in such a way that the Israelis are going to go all ape sh*t in their response.
Calmer heads might talk the IDF about going all Sampson Option in response to Sarin. I mean, you notice Ohmert doesn’t exactly, you know, make one think of Moshe Dayan or Golda Meir when it comes to cojones. However, I would be willing to bet the house that Haifa or Tel Aviv joins Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the list of “Cities That Have Experienced A Daily High Around 10,000 degrees Centigrade”, it’d be on like Donkey Kong.
Bottom Line: Iran’s Mullahs walk, talk, and act like Branch Davidians on speed. You want _the_ Apocalypse, you don’t light the fuse with some Raid on Steroids, you open up the gates of Hell at about 10,000 feet over Tel Aviv and see what happens after that.
I’m not saying we should hit Iran first…but I am thinking the best way to head off trouble is to make sure someone understands A. they will fail (so put an Aegis ship off the coast of Israel in international waters), and B. when they fail, they will _not_ get another chance.
Sorry so long winded.
August 10th, 2006 at 3:53:58 pm
Understanding the Fatal Flaws in Judeo-Christian-Islamic Prophecy
Hello all,
By the way, pay special attention to the fact that my birthday is tomorrow, August 11th, which is 11 days before August 22nd! And yet, I remain hidden as a thief…
As certain world leaders strive to instigate a fabricated “battle of Armageddon,” it is vital to understand and spread the truth about these ancient texts to help bring about an end to such abominable evil.
You can never expect philosophies based on lies and great error to lead to peace and harmony. How many more millennia of terrible proof is necessary before humanity finally gets a clue that most have been utterly deceived by the very concept of religion.
Read the article below:
Here is Wisdom
Peace…
August 11th, 2006 at 1:39:21 am
People said it will be apocalypse in 1962,1966,1989. It was way worse in the 60s the cold war, it was almost Russia having a war with US, but nothing happend. A prophet said it will be apocalypse in March 18, 1864 but nothing happend so there will be no apocalypse in august 22. The only true apocalypse I believe is the Y2K apocalypse. So thats it.
August 11th, 2006 at 5:09:53 am
One thing I’ve learned from the Iranians from working with them after the fall of the Shah in a civilian capacity, is that unlike North Korea, they always drop hints before they do something big.
August 11th, 2006 at 11:31:15 am
[…] st America’s proxy, Israel. One Hand Clapping UK bomb plot - North Korea connection? Apocalypse on August 22? Â Tags: BlogDesk, Cheney, Hamas, Hesbal […]
August 11th, 2006 at 6:13:16 pm
"The city was finally surrendered on Friday October 1187 a.d. which was also the
anniversary of al-Mi’raj the 27th of Rajab."
Saladin takes Jerusalem
August 11th, 2006 at 10:17:40 pm
August 22nd
Well, it seems I’m not the only one that finds that date significant. On that day, Iran, who for the last 6 weeks has repeatedly said to the UN and to the world they will not abide by the UN resolution, have insisted they will give their formal answer…
August 13th, 2006 at 7:45:03 pm
You people are ridiculous. Why try to assert ur points when in the end it’s not going to matter. WHY TRY, U CANT WIN.
August 20th, 2006 at 2:27:21 pm
The world ended the day the first human set foot on it.
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:19:55 pm
Zuffi, why dont you start us off and kill yourself
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:22:30 pm
It’s Aug 22nd and nothing happened… Maybe the attempted airliner bombing was THE event?