I really hope you're right. However it seems obvious that he'd like to give the appearance that current events are the fulfillment of some of the Islamic eschatological expectations - and to the extent that he can seem believable in making things appear desperate, the more likely he or his successor is to be followed by all the sheep if/when they manage to pull off The Big One (whatever that is, whether it's an attack on our troops before they leave Iraq, or overthrowing the House of Saud, or another another 9-11 or worse in the US or Europe). That's probably the ultimate point of that "Awaited Enlightend One" scribbling someone saw on a blackboard on one video a while back.
If he manages to persuade a significant number of sympathizers that he or one of his successors is their liberator who was prophesied ... well then our troubles have just begun.
Arrgh. What I get for not checking my editing carefully around the line wraps ... and for it being about 2:30 AM here.