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However the clock is ticking for their plans - if they want to claim the mantle of the Mahdi and the new Caliphate, they need to do so soon. Going by the astrological signs that have been claimed for the emergence of the Mahdi, the years 2003-2006 are critical. The astrological signs won't have this good a match for hundreds of years - if they don't make much of a mark soon, it will be that much harder to convince the less fanatical Muslims that they're really the movement of the Mahdi. It is quite clear that they'd very much like to cast themselves in that role.

I wouldn't go that far. They have has little success since Spain. London attacks galvanized public against radical islam and hurt their cause more than helped. Same with Bali, infact the trend world wide is that the popularity of terror is going down. Just on that level alone, given the general success of the WOT, they have to pull off something spectacular to gain the PR advantage again.

Same with Bali, infact the trend world wide is that the popularity of terror is going down. Just on that level alone, given the general success of the WOT, they have to pull off something spectacular to gain the PR advantage again.

I'm not sure where we disagree - my point was that for maximum PR advantage in certain segments of the Muslim community, they need to do something soon, and preferably spectacular. Too much more delay and they're past their window of opportunity as far as the astrological signs go (and in those circles astrology counts for a lot from a propaganda perspective).