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REVIEWS @ IN BAGHDAD: A Reporter's War by Paul McGeough Allen & Unwin, Sydney, Australia, 2003 ISBN 1-74114-219-9 (292pp tpb) Availability: Allen & Unwin, website http://www.allenandunwin.com a war zone behind "enemy" lines—dealing with propaganda on Iraqi and US sides, vis- iting the hospitals and documenting the human dimension of the numerous civilian injuries and deaths, and reporting on the unfolding of the fall of Baghdad, including the effects of horrific secret weapons and rumours of Saddam's escape. From his hotels and on the ground, he describes the invasion of Baghdad and the aftermath, including the looting and guerrilla fighting. Throughout his diary entries he foreshadows the events that would happen as a result of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. In the epilogue, McGeough chides American forces for looking more like "a self-interested army of occupation" than liberators out to help the people and prevent the robbery and violence that would be inflicted upon them. His scathing criticism of dismal US planning for the aftermath still resounds, as does his despair at the tragedy of the dead and wounded. Regrettably the deaths and injuries continue as we go to press in early November—and many more journalists have been killed since the 14 who died in the first month, to whom McGeough dedicates his book. McGeough's perceptive account makes for an involving read that helps make some sense of this "history in the making". IN BAGHDAD: A Reporter's War a war zone behind "enemy" lines—dealing Robert Lomas make some provocative reve- by Paul McGeough with propaganda on Iraqi and US sides, vis- _ lations. Their coverage in The Book of Allen & Unwin, Sydney, Australia, 2003 iting the hospitals and documenting the Hiram goes back to the time of the so-called ISBN 1-74114-219-9 (292pp tpb) human dimension of the numerous civilian "Grooved Ware People" of the British Isles Availability: Allen & Unwin, website injuries and deaths, and reporting on the who, with their knowledge of the short and http://www.allenandunwin.com unfolding of the fall of Baghdad, including long cycles of Venus and associated beliefs, the effects of horrific secret weapons and can be traced back to c. 5,500 years ago. rumours of Saddam's escape. From his It seems that in the first half of the third PAUL MoGEOUGH hotels and on the ground, he describes the millennium BCE, these Neolithic ancestors 1 j invasion of Baghdad and the aftermath, disappeared from the British Isles and ee including the looting and guerrilla fighting. migrated as far as the Middle East, transfer- =| Throughout his diary entries he foreshadows __ ring their knowledge of astronomy and IN B A GH DAD the events that would happen as a result of masonry along with their rituals. The # mIPinter nt the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. authors have found evidence of this influx of In the epilogue, McGeough chides Venus-based theology among the Sumerian, a American forces for looking more like "a Canaanite (early Phoenician), Egyptian and self-interested army of occupation" than Hebrew traditions, and go so far as to sug- liberators out to help the people and prevent gest that these Grooved Ware People seeded the robbery and violence that would be these later civilisations. inflicted upon them. His scathing criticism The authors have discovered parallels of dismal US planning for the aftermath still between ancient Canaanite rituals and the resounds, as does his despair at the tragedy Third Degree of Freemasonry, and note the of the dead and wounded. Regrettably the symbolism of an Asherah rod which, placed re! deaths and injuries continue as we go to in the ground in Jerusalem, produces an ournalist Paul McGeough, the New press in early November—and many more equilateral triangle when the shadows of the York—based writer-at-large for the Sydney journalists have been killed since the 14 who _ golstices are plotted out. They charge King Morning Herald, was one of a handful of died in the first month, to whom McGeough Solomon with being a despot who sought to non-embedded reporters and the only dedicates his book. buy "the secrets of astral kingship" from Australian who stayed in Baghdad for the McGeough's perceptive account makes for Hiram, King of Tyre, and speculate on duration of the US-led invasion of Iraq. In an involving read that helps make some whether Jesus planned his actions to fulfill a Baghdad is his account of the experience, sense of this "history in the making". prophecy foretold by movements of the stars based on his diary entries over 30-odd days and planets, the Sun and Venus in particular. from the first US attack on 20 March 2003. THE BOOK OF HIRAM Piecing together the lost secrets of a lost It's a compelling read, containing reportage —_ by Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas science and making a side-trip to Rosslyn of the Iraqi response to the invasion as well Century, London, UK, 2003 Chapel, Scotland, Knight and Lomas ask as his own story of how he and fellow col- ISBN 0-7126-9438-2 (482pp hc) whether Freemasonry's ultimate secret could leagues coped with the fears and depriva- Availability: Random House, website be as simple as marking the cycles of Venus. tions as well as harassment by the Ministry http:/Awww.randomhouse.co.uk They also construct a "Masonic Testament", of Information and the Iraqi secret police. n their wrap-up of 14 years of investiga- a type of parallel behind-the-scenes biblical McGeough gives insights into the adrena- tion into the roots and rituals of story. There are still more surprises in what line-charged world of a reporter working in Freemasonry, Christopher Knight and surely can't be the last in this series. PAUL McGEQUGH 1 | IN BAGHDAD 66 + NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2003 — JANUARY 2004