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HOLLYWOOD AND THE CIA — Film historian Ed Rampell details Hollywood’s entangled relationship with the CIA and the Pentagon; HOUSES OF THE DEAD: Nancy Kurshan exposes the cruel human rights offenses taking place inside America’s vast gulag of Control Unit Prisons; BROTHERHOOD OF SUMMER:  David Macaray charts the history of the most powerful union in the US: the Baseball Players Association; TAR SANDS COME TO AMERICA: Steve Horn explains how the Keystone Pipeline debates have diverted  attention from Big Oil’s other plans to transport Alberta’s oil into the US. PLUS: Jeffrey St. Clair on CONSTITUTIONAL ENTROPY; Mike Whitney on HOW THE BANKS TARGETED BLACKS; Chris Floyd on THE RISE OF BRITAIN’S TEA PARTY; Kristin Kolb on THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE; Kim Nicolini on the FILMS OF WILLIAM FRIEDKIN; and Lee Ballinger on POETS VS. THE ONE PERCENT.
Spring Time in Iraq

Springtime in Iraq

by HAMMOND GUTHRIE

One million marched to mourn ancient death in Karbala
rejoicing, chanting, dancing and slashing their bodies
frenzied blood ritual homage to Mohammed’s grandson
adding prayers that their "liberators" might disappear

The great Communicator in Chief of the "liberators"
was astounded–flabbergasted–and surprised
that Arab Democratic Republicanism is not on the rise
now that faith-based missals have cauterized the air

The great "liberator" has misplaced his copy of the Koran,
his astonished surprise casts an illiterate shadow
over the broken hearts and minds in Iraq and all of Islam
by consistently ignoring the teachings of Mohammed

It’s Spring time in Iraq–and flowers are hard to find

HAMMOND GUTHRIE is the author of AsEverWas: Memoirs of a Beat Survivor. He can be reached at: writenow@spiritone.com

(C) 2003 HAMMOND GUTHRIE