Pro-war poetry website launched

Pro-war poetry website launched

Poems on the site mock peace protestors [pictured]

A website designed to give a voice to poets who favour a war with Iraq has been set up in the US.

Poets for the War has been launched by a Michigan businessman in direct opposition to the Poets Against the War organisation.

The anti-war campaigners are trying to deliver about 10,000 poems to the prime minister at Downing Street on Wednesday.

Poets for the War founder Charles Weatherford said its aim was to support President Bush and Mr Blair in their stance against Saddam Hussein.

The site was also designed to show backing for the troops who would have to fight any war, and to "oppose dictators and terrorism".

Nearly all of the listed poems - which totalled 69 on Wednesday morning - were contributed by US citizens.

Many are by amateur poets.

"You can't say this is all good poetry - but it is poetry," said Mr Weatherford.

Folks like Penn, Lange and Sarandon/this country they have abandoned/insulated by silver spoons and screens

Excerpt from State of the Union by Aaron Goldstein

"The definition of poetry can be very, very broad."

Published verse includes this contribution from Emily Zola entitled Support our Troops, Not Hollywood:

"As men march off to war/so bravely for our freedom/the students smoke their dope/and liberals whine like women."

Ms Zola added: "Whine all you want, you liberal/you can't drive without oil."

One of many poems attacking the French Government's opposition to war in Iraq at this stage of the crisis states: "There is a place called France/where the men wear no pants."

Fellow contributor Aaron Goldstein - known as "the Donald Rumsfeld of poetry" for his hawkish prose - describes himself as "a straight-shooter" in verse.

Taking a swipe at Hollywood peace campaigners, he wrote: "Folks like Penn, Lange and Sarandon/this country they have abandoned/insulated by silver spoons and screens."

Mr Goldstein, of Boston, said: "I actually got some hate mail not long ago which suggested people at the poetry readings should use my head as a toilet plunger."

British anti-war poet Adrian Mitchell said he is not impressed by the sentiments of the site.

His own view is summed up in a work entitled To the pre-emptive air forces.

He wrote: "Men, women, children, animals/slash them to pieces all alike/precision bombing, smart missiles/you are Jack the Ripper on a surgical strike."