Posted on 02/05/2012 2:13:51 PM PST by Nachum
Several years ago, prior to my retirement from the CIA, I was meeting with a senior Iranian asset in the Middle East. I had finished debriefing him on the intelligence he had to provide, and we had launched into a more expansive conversation about the overall direction of American policy toward Iran. I was trying to explain the rationale behind our sanctions regime and the thought process that had led us to conclude that we could persuade the Islamic Republic of Iran to modify its behavior.
The asset interrupted me. "You really don't have any idea who you are dealing with, do you?" he asked. I told him I was not sure I understood what he meant.
The source elaborated. We were under the illusion we were dealing with rational actors. We were not. We were under the illusion we were playing a game, which would stretch out over many years. Our adversaries in Iran shared no such belief. They expected this conflict to reach its climax in the very near future.
They also knew, to a moral certainty, that they would win.
Iran is an overwhelmingly Islamic nation, and almost all Iranians belong to the Twelver sect of the Shia branch of Islam. This sect awaits the return of the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed anointed by Allah himself. According to the Twelvers, the Mahdi has been in hiding in caves since the 9th century.
The Mahdi has been hidden for 1,200 years now, but he will return just before the Day of Judgment. According to the Hadith, his return will be preceded by three years of chaos, violence and cataclysmic events. He will rule over the world for a period of seven years, eliminate all tyranny and oppression,
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.tbo.com ...
Actually, it is only the Sunnis who have no central authority to whom they look (since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, until then the Ottoman Sultan had been the Caliph for centuries). The Iranian Shi’ites who are loyal to the government would stand down at the order of Ayatollah Khamenei. Those who aren’t probably regard Ayatollah Al Sistani of Iraq as their point of reference, and although he very cleverly words all of his pronouncements to avoid the appearance of siding with infidels against Muslims, he has been objectively pro-American since our invasion of Iraq. The ones who follow him wouldn’t really be a problem.
Actually Q’om is not that important a city to anyone. It may function as the clerical capital of Iran, but all of the major holy sites of Shia Islam are located in Iraq, Saudi Arabia or Syria (the most important being Najaf and Karbala in Iraq). The mosque in Q’om is maybe 15th or 16th in importance to Twelver Sh’ites.
bttt
Well, that’s how it looks from over here among us hard-core Gingrich supporters — maybe it’s just his style grating on me more than usual when he attacks/criticizes Gingrich. You can check my facts about Shia Islam if you want, but don’t join Beck in tarring all Twelvers as lunatics bent on creating chaos to bring the Imam Madhi out of hiding. Some Twelvers are actually our allies, and most of them think the Ta’ajilis are nuts.
Waste someone else’s time.
Hasan has not been charged.
AQ Taliban leader to go back home.
Jarrett, the Iranian, is the shadow POTUS.
45 muslim resumes requested in 2009
terrorist changed to Americans.
nothing about islam, terrorism, sharia in military training docs being implemented
the rise of the MB
Hamas and Hezbollah on the Mexican border
prayer rugs in the Arizona desert
Malihi is Iranian
Then, there’s Neda.
Covering the cross, “we’re not a Christian nation”, “we are the largest muslim nation on earth.”
Twelvers are bat sh!t crazy. They believe in their own beliefs in a way that is not Western. At all.
Don’t forget 21 December 2012 and the EOW!
Nukes, Earthquakes, Global Diasters, Madhi return, Debt Crisis, Riots, Protesters, Famine, the US Elections and the worst part if Obama gets re-elected were all doomed.
Looks like 2012 will be a year I would like to skip.
Mahdi=Anti-Christ. One can not make a deal with Satan. He’s in it for keeps. Its a Holy War folks—don’t forget it because our enemies don’t.
I thought that the sacred well containing the 12 Mahdi was located in Qom? I’ve seen video of pilgrims sticking their notes through the grate down the hole to appeal to the 12 Mahdi directly.
If Qom turned into a giant crater, along with Mecca and Medina, you don’t think this would affect the Islamic religion worldwide?
Would they start praying, “Our god USED to be greatest” and carry on with “The Three Pillars of Islam?
Nope. I can’t see it.
So if Israel takes out the place where their idol abides, all Israel has to fear is sheer anger/vengeance rather than an enemy’s devotion to a murderous religion?
What are they waiting for?
I do remember gas lines and Carter wearing a sweater telling Americans to make do with less energy. Even as a five-year-old, I could tell he was a flippin’ idiot.
Malihi is Iranian? What’s his history; do you know?
Well the past three years have been filled with chaos, violence and cataclysmic events... How will the West know their Mahdi has returned? This whole subject is 'twilight zone' stuff to me, but I can't help but wonder if Obama is expecting Mahdi as well?
I pray Israel doesn’t tell us before she strikes.
I think the Iranians may have tried to make some association between Q’om and the 12th Imam, but the traditional place of his “occultation” and the place from which most Twelvers expect him to appear as the Imam Madhi is the Great Mosque of Samarra (in Iraq).
You mean like the Iraq that Obama pretty much just handed over to Iran to take over whenever they so desire?
I remember when I was a teenager studying the Bible. I always thought it was strange how believers were going to be beheaded during the end times. Beheading seemed so primitive. I didn’t know anyone still did it. Now we know different, eh?
The Anti-Christ won’t be what he seems, at least not at first. That’s pretty clear.
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