Bruce
An example of unintended consequences.
Mon Sep 23 20:58:30 2002
208.152.73.142

How I tried to save Arafat and destroyed John Schmitz instead
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 15:17:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: JB Campbell - jb_campbell@yahoo.com
To: apfn@apfn.org

Here's a timely story that happened twenty years ago:

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As Yassir Arafat is once again threatened with murder
by Bloody Fatso Sharon, I am reminded of the time I
tried to save his life.

In the summer of 1982 the Israelis were destroying
Beirut and closing in on Yassir Arafat and his PLO in
the western section of the blasted city. The Israelis
made clear their intention to kill them all.

Alan Cranston was a Democrat US senator from
California and it was reported that he was receiving
financial support from Israel in the upcoming
election.

Former US congressman John Schmitz announced that he
would seek the Republican nomination for the senate to
run against Cranston in November. I always admired
Schmitz, who'd been a marine fighter pilot, a member
of the board of the John Birch Society and a candidate
for president in 1972. He was funny and bright and
irreverent. When Nixon went to China Schmitz said he
thought he should stay there. After George Wallace
was nearly murdered by the Watergate boys Schmitz
good-naturedly took his place.

Schmitz was removed from the board of the John Birch
Society in 1980 because he'd had the effrontery to
meet with Yassir Arafat that year. He'd also
committed the unforgivable sin of linking Communism
with Judaism. The Birch Society, nominally
anti-Communist but actually Zionist, would not
tolerate such linkage and all members were subject to
being kicked out for committing such a blasphemy. I
know this because for the year 1979 I was a member of
the staff of JBS - a field coordinator for Los
Angeles. That's how I knew about Schmitz.

By 1982 I was a consultant to the Saudi military on
the matter of night vision equipment, based on my
anti-terrorist background in Africa. General Anwar
and Mr. Ghazi were my associates. I brought up the
subject of Cranston receiving money from the Israelis
and the fact that this very good man, Schmitz, would
like to run against him. The problem, I explained,
was money and since the Israelis were supporting this
Zionist senator, how about the Saudis supporting this
anti-Zionist former congressman? They said that they
would like to meet him.

I called Schmitz' office in Sacramento; he was then a
California state assemblyman from Orange County. I
explained the situation to his aid, Brad Evans, who
consulted with Schmitz and then invited us to visit.
We drove up from Carmel the next day.

The Saudis were impressed by Brad's lapel pin - a
Palestinian flag. John Schmitz joined us presently
and I laid it out: "John, these men think it's
possible that, since the Israelis are supporting
Cranston, the Saudis might support you..." John
nodded. "Even though you had the courage to meet with
Arafat a couple of years ago, General Anwar and Mr.
Ghazi say that it would take some significant gesture
to get the attention of the Saudis..." John pulled
out from his desk a black and white photograph of
himself with Yassir Arafat, both smiling happily. He
said that he was glad to have had the chance to meet
this brave freedom fighter.

"Yes, I agree," I said. "Now, I haven't discussed
this with these men, but here's my idea: As you know,
Arafat and his PLO men are about to be slaughtered in
West Beirut. I propose that you and Brad and I go
into West Beirut quickly and you, John Schmitz, hold
up your hand to the Jews and say that Yassir Arafat
and his men have your protection. I don't think the
Israelis are prepared to kill you." I turned to the
Saudis and asked if this would be the required gesture
to get financial support? They both nodded and said,
"Of course!"

John was taken aback and didn't know how to respond at
first. He proposed that we adjourn to a nearby
restaurant, which we did. It was apparent that the
idea appealed to him, if just for the hell of it.
He'd been hammered hard by Jewish organizations for
meeting with Arafat.

We kicked it around for fifteen minutes and then John
said, "Okay, I'll do it." I said that we must leave
within the next couple of days. The Saudis and I went
back to Carmel and they bought three round trip
tickets to Damascus and made arrangements to have us
driven into West Beirut. There was some risk in this
but they felt it could work. This was on a Thursday
and we were to leave Saturday morning from San
Francisco.

Then, all hell broke loose. The San Francisco
Chronicle shrilled in front page headlines on Friday
morning that Assemblyman John Schmitz was revealed to
have had a mistress and an illegitimate child! I
called his office and asked Brad Evans what the hell
was going on? He was mystified. John Schmitz was
ruined overnight and resigned from the Assembly the
next day in disgrace.

Of course, our plan had leaked from a bug in his
office or perhaps from a long-time friend of mine, a
Zionist, who beseeched me not to do this thing. The
point was that Schmitz' adultery was well-known to the
Zionists and was being held as a trump card for just
such an emergency. It was fairly breathtaking in its
speed and effect.

It was an example of unintended consequences.

Of course, Arafat was not murdered that time. I fear
he will not be so lucky this time.

I can be reached at jb_campbell@yahoo.com  or

Bruce