Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic policy

Ahmadi Nejad appeals to the expected coming of Imam Mahdi, a boy who became lost eleven centuries ago and expected to return and save Shia Muslims - now against Zionists.
In claiming affinity with Mahdi, Ahmadinejad unusually brings religion into Iranian politics, and steps onto crash course with mullahs who view religion as their own precinct.
Ahmadinejad seems to be desperate and increasingly out of touch with reality. His popularity as a secular politician is very high among Iranians long disenchanted with the ayatollahs, and will increase at their expense now as Ahmadinejad assumes a modicum of religious rhetoric.