Aug 22.
1. On 8/10 (today) Iran's supreme leader Khamaeni has told his country to prepare for war with Israel and the US.
2. On multiple occasions in the last two months Ahmadinejad has said that he will respond to the UN's request to end its nuclear program on Aug 22 (Aug 22 is the anniversary of mohammed's night flight where he supposedly went from saudi arabia to jerusalem to heaven and back again).
3. Ahmadinejad promised last year to "wipe Israel off the map."
4. Bernard Lewis, Princeton Prof of Middle Eastern History (and considered the foremost expert on the subject in the US if not the world) is worried
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768
See also
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NWNmMWM5MjhhMzVjZTM0ZmI1ZmJlYzAxNzU3NDEyMWI=
5. Ahmadinejad and Khameni believe that it is necessary to bring about the Islamic version of armageddon to bring the return of the "hidden imam"
6. A and K believe that the time is ripe for the return of said hidden imam.
7. They have to act sooner rather than later because the longer they wait, the harder it will be for them.
And the clown never got any frequent flyer miles for his efforts...
I hope CNN gets the return on tape. That will be really cool!