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The U.S. intelligence community has not been surprised by Iran's refusal to respond to a Western incentive package to suspend its uranium enrichment. Intelligence sources said Iran, following North Korea's model, intends to delay any response or negotiations for as long as possible.

The European Union and the United States demanded that Iran reply to the Western incentive package of nuclear technology, fuel and aircraft by June 29. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Teheran would submit an answer by Aug. 22.

The U.S. intelligence community has been trying to figure out why Ahmadinejad chose that date. Sources said the community was stumped until some Islam experts translated the Gregorian date to that of the Muslim calendar.

Then came the surprise that has the intelligence community worried.

Aug. 22 corresponds to Rajab 27 on the Muslim calendar. The date is called Lailat Al Israa, when Mohammed ascended to heaven from the Al Aqsa mosque to receive the five daily prayers. Later, Al Aqsa came to represent Jerusalem.

The Muslim commemoration is meant to be a night of struggle, accompanied by thunder and lightening, resembling the story of Moses ascending Mount Sinai to receive the Old Testament.

Ahmadinejad could be hinting to the West that he is preparing a major attack on Israel. Or, the Iranian president could be warning that unless the West caves in, he would escalate tension in the region. The lightening in Mohammed's story could represent Iranian missiles.

What is clear is that Ahmadinejad does not see himself as an Iranian leader, but a Muslim prophet, using imagery to portray himself as a messiah for both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

There is a word for this kind of date-linking rhetoric that eludes me at the moment. If you tell a group of people you're going to announce something on well-known day of religious importance (say if Bush made a big announcement on Easter Sunday), you are trying to appear as a prophetic authority. You are saying "Allah is with this decision" because we are doing it on this religious day.

Think about what just happened. A month before they're going to announce their decision on this offer, they force Israel's hand to do something devastating to basically neutral Lebanon. More than anything they want to split Israel and the West - and leave Israel isolated.

What will Aug 22 be? "SANCTION ISRAEL if you want us to stop our nuclear program. Jerusalem is our where our Holy Al Asqsa mosque is, and it is in danger. This is religious persecution. We our outraged. blah blah. PUNISH ISRAEL for their invasion, and we'll agree to some of your demands."

They want to FORCE A CHOICE between supporting Israel or having a succesful nuclear negotiation. This will be VERY TEMPTING FOR EUROPE. France is the weaklink in the support Israel chain, and Iran will hammer them with back channel rhetoric to lead Europe in turning their back on Israel for the sake of nuke deterrance.

France - "Do you want to support Israel (and its war) or do you want us to disarm our nukes?"

Maybe I'm way off on this, but Iran is so freakin devious it's scary. Their ability to blackmail through terrorist acts seems unparralleled since they started doing it in 1979.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra_and_Miraj