Untitled Document

18 April 2004

Jesse and the Forty Thieves

The birds are singing this morning and my door is wide open, where the 7th Day Adventists might look in. Like the birds, the religious proselytizers are out.

I saw two earnest young Latter Day Saints bicycling down Pershing Street the other day, headed for an objective on their two-year Mission for the Church. I wonder if they ever get a get a day off?

There are a lot of religious figures taking the fine Spring air. Rev. Jesse Jackson has come out again after a long winter. I think he was just taking some time out of the lime-light, shaking down some big corporations and letting some of his minor scandals dry off. He took the podium to announce that he will be contacting religious leaders in Iraq to seek the release of Thomas Hammil, the American civilian truck driver abducted in Iraq.

That is one poor son-of-a-gun. He just took the job to pay off the mortgage on the farm back near Tupelo, Mississippi.

Jackson contacted Hammil's wife last week after she made a plea for assistance to secure his release.
In an astonishing connection, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi, from the Confederate wing of the Republican Party, made the connection between the family and the Reverend from Chicago.

It is these sorts of relationships that makes me think there really is a shadowy group that controls the country, thick as thieves, black and white.

Lott said the Reverend Jackson was going to write a letter to the Al-Jazeera television network and see if they would broadcast it. It might spur some contact with the kidnappers.

I don't know if Jesse intends to go over there to actually negotiate in person. He would make a pretty good hostage himself, after all.

He has put himself in harm's way before, though, and dealt with the thieves on their own ground. He was in the Balkans in 1999, helping to get three soldiers freed after they were taken hostage by the Serbs. Back in the first Gulf War he successfully negotiated with Saddam for the release of Americans held in Kuwait and Iraq.

The first time he got into the mediation game was in Lebanon, and the enemy at that moment was Syrian President Hafiz al-Assad, the father of the young man who is now President-for-Life in Damascus.

In April 1983, Assad was linked to the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut. To defuse the situation, Assad graciously arranged the release of the hostage of the moment, acting president of the American University of Beirut, David Dodge.

Assad insisted on a public announcement of appreciation by the U.S. Government for his "humanitarian" efforts.

The demand caused more resentment in Washington. In October of 1983, Reagan Administration hawks accused the Syrians of complicity in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. The SIXTH Fleet was tasked to plan and execute airstrkes against Syrian positions in the Bekaa Valley.

An A-6 Intruder from Attack Squadron Eighty-Five flown by Lieutenant Mark Lang was shot down. He was killed and the bombardier-navigator was captured. Lieutenant Robert O. Goodman's became a hostage. The situation was spun with mastery by the Syrians to forestall additional action against them.

Goodman is an African-American, and that is how Reverend Jackson came into the picture. Goodman was in jail for only about a month before Jesse grandstanded his way into history. The whole event was a media spectacular that was exploited by both Jesse and the Syrian Government.

It was one of the best bits of political theater I have ever seen. The Syrians used Goodman and Jesse, and Jesse played it for all it was worth. The themes of racism, pacifism and the looming presidential campaign all were played to the hilt. Fabulous theater!

Poor Lieutenant Goodman. The pawns always have it the hardest in these things. I am just glad he got out of it in one piece, and eventually got promoted when the time was right.

The Syrians played it so well that there was speculation their Soviet allies had advised them on how to do it.

I don't think President Assad needed any advice from the Russians. Damascus is an ancient city, and many a fine plot has been hatched there. But one thing you can say, we have not struck the Syrians since. There was some question about that a few months ago, after the triumphant advance into Baghdad. But I think the Syrians are resting a bit easier these days.

And Jesse's career may need a jump start. Dealing with the Forty Thieves has always worked for him before.

I just hope Thomas Hammil is still alive to benefit from the circus.