NewsFlash: War in Iraq
Microform & Newspaper Collections, University of Washington Libraries



Alternative News Sources

AlterNet.org
AlterNet.org is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit U.S. organization supporting independent journalism. This special site collects links to alternative press stories, selected background writings on terrorism, anti-war and peace movements, and foreign policy issues.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - War in Iraq
This site provides news, analysis, and Internet resources about weapons of mass distruction, reconstruction, UN inspections, the Bush administration, and Congress.

"The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States."

Common Dreams News Center
Common Dreams is a national non-profit citizens' organization that promotes progressive views. This site includes breaking news, views, and links to media sources throughout the world.

Electronic Iraq
Founded by veteran anti-war campaigners from the organization "Voices in the Wilderness," a joint US/UK group working to end Iraqi sanctions. Supplemented by materials from Electronic Intifada.

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
FAIR offers analysis of print, broadcast, and electronic media coverage of the conflict in Iraq and the war on terrorism.

Since 1986, FAIR has advocated for diversity in the press, scrutinized "media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints," exposed "neglected news stories," and defended "working journalists when they are muzzled."

Beyond the Frame
The Media Education Foundation (MEF) provides access to alternative perspectives via streaming video and audio (using RealPlayer) and transcripts. "The website features interviews with a range of writers and activists currently including: Noam Chomsky, Robin Morgan, Michael Klare, Nawal el Saadawi, Robert Jensen, Henry Giroux, Cynthia Enloe, Howard Zinn, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Diane Levin, Seth Ackerman, Janine Jackson, Sut Jhally, Lorraine Ali and Rob Okun. This list is drawn from personal contacts, and we will greatly expand the diversity of the people represented to ensure that many different perspectives are addressed."

Democracy Now
Listen to interviews with military officials, such as the one who warned foreign journalists in Iraq not to "mess with my soldiers" and voices of resistance from scholars such as Noam Chomsky and Cornel West.

This listener-sponsored national radio and television news program is "committed to bring the voices of the marginalized to the airwaves on issues ranging from the global to the local." The site provides audio, video, and text transcripts of news programs concerning the conflict in Iraq.

Free Speech Radio
FSRN produces live Web broadcasts covering the war and other news at 7:01 am, 8:01 am,10:01 am, 12:01 pm, 2:01 pm, 4:01 pm, and 6:01 pm EST. The site also includes documentaries and archived news programs about issues in 2001 to the present.

FSRN is an independent daily 30 minute radio program in the U.S. that " supports peace and social justice. It emphasizes decentralized production, and the collective input of Pacifica stations, affiliates and other community media. The FSRN steering committee strives for diversity in ethnicity, gender, class and sexual orientation in the staff and reporting pool. FSRN is administered by Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship (PRAC), a newly incorporated not-for-profit&uot; organization.

Independent Media Center
Listen to live Web IMC radio coverage from around the world in five languages. Read news features collected by IMC editors throughout the world, subscribe to receive electronic news updates, browse the news features archive, and much more.

"The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity. "

Information Clearing House : News You Won't Find on CNN or FOX Mooooo's
"This website does not suggest that it contains the "truth". The truth is a combination of all information and all facts relating to a topic. It is therefore unachievable for anyone to say "I know the truth" In my opinion.

If you came to this site in search of "the truth" you will be disappointed. That is also true of CNN, FOX , ABC etc. If you came to gather information you may find it a useful resource."

Institute for War & Peace Reporting
"Amid a crisis of momentous import, and endless media debate, Iraqi voices have been conspicuous largely by their absence - especially in the Western media. IWPR’s Iraqi Crisis Report will provide a platform for these voices, and others, to debate, inform and analyse key issues of war, peace and beyond in Iraq. "

IWPR "strengthens local journalism in areas of conflict. By training reporters, facilitating dialogue and providing reliable information, it supports peace, democracy and development in societies undergoing crisis and change.".

Iraq Body Count
"This is a Human Security project to establish an independent and comprehensive public database of media-reported civilian deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions by the USA and its allies in 2003."

openDemocracy
"Non-profit enterprise attempting to bring together all political perspectives on global issues." The site includes debates, columns, and articles concerning war and aftermath.

OUTTHERENEWS
This site includes Islam analysis from George Joffe, a very highly respected scholar on Islamic issues, as well as audio and text links to primary sources (i.e. statements by Osama Bin Laden).

"We started in an attic in the East End of London and built a network of 41 correspondents in 32 countries. Our reports and multimedia documentaries featured on the Nets biggest portals - America Online and Yahoo! - and on the UK's biggest cable network, ntl. Revenue dried up in the recession of 2001. The company is now the vehicle for Paul's own journalism and film-making."

Pacifica
The Pacifica Radio Foundation, "Bringing listeners alternative, community, free speech, listener sponsored radio for over 50 years." The site provides text and audio access to current news headlines, including those broadcast on Democracy Now, Pacifica's Peacewatch, Flashpoints news radio, and Free Speech Radio News. See links to peace action and informational Websites, a calendar of national peace events, and more.

Redress Information & Analysis
"...aspires to redress the balance of world news and information by being a voice for the voiceless, by focusing on injustice and by providing an alternative interpretation of international and domestic issues. It is run by UK-based editors and academics of various nationalities."

Terrorism Knowledge Base
Created by the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, this database allows you to locate terrorist events worldwide. It includes crimes against humanity that cause death, injury, and destruction and events that were detected before anything bad happened, such as finding and defusing a bomb before it exploded.

Voice of America
VOA war correspondents located throughout the Middle East, including six embedded with the U.S. Army and Marines, broadcast their reports through VOA radio, television, and Internet news programs.

"The Voice of America has carried United States, regional, and world news to listeners around the globe for more than 60 years. Founded less than three months after the United States entered World War II, the Voice has been a beacon of hope for those deprived of news. "

United States Institute of Peace
Provides "topical categories to resources primarily in English providing information on Iraq concerning conflict and weapons inspections. For related web links, see Regional Resources: Middle East and Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism."

Wage Peace Campaign - Iraq Resources
Maintained by the American Friends Service Committee, this site includes background information, timelines, and news. "The American Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social justice, and peace programs throughout the world. Founded by Quakers in 1917 to provide conscientious objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian war victims, AFSC's work attracts the support and partnership of people of many races, religions, and cultures."

War News Radio
This podcast from Swarthmore College "fills the gaps in the media's coverage of the war in Iraq by providing balanced and indepth reporting, historical perspective, and personal stories."

World Socialist Web Site
Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International, this site provides news, analysis, and links that support a Trotskyist socialsim. Provides news and analysis in several languages concerning the war against Iraq.

Znet
This e-magazine includes discussions and interviews with Chomsky, Fisk, Galeano, Choudry, Zinn, and more concerning the conflict with Iraq.



Fulltext Electronic Databases

Alt-Press Watch - UW Restricted
This fulltext electronic resource provides access to newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.

Ethnic NewsWatch - UW Restricted
This fulltext electronic resource provides access to over 100 ethnic community newspapers published in the U.S..

Lexis-Nexis - UW Restricted
contains hundreds of national and international news sources, including some files in Spanish, French, German and Italian. Most files are searchable in their entirety, some going back to the early 1980's and most updated daily.

Lexis-Nexis : War in Iraq
Free/open news feed site concerning the situation in Iraq.

NewsBank Special Report: War with Iraq - UW Restricted
War with Iraq provides current information updated throughout the day as new events occur and issues are resolved. In addition, the Special Report Site provides help in understanding the events and issues leading up to the war.

World News Connection - UW Restricted
Fulltext, searchable news stories published or broadcast in non-US news media. ALl articles are in English originally or have been translated into English.



Gateways to Iraq & "War on Terrorism" Resources

Council on Foreign Relations

Government Views of Iraq

Iraq 2003: Sources of News

The Iraq Question

Iraq War Debate - 2002/2003

Librarians' Index to the Internet: War and Peace

Monterey Bay Educators Against War

Multnomah County Library Conflict & Terrorism

September 11: Crisis in Context

Speech and Transcript Center

Terrorism, Iraq and Afghanistan: Government and Non-Governmental Resources

The War on Terrorism: Saddam Hussein and Iraq



Global News Sources

United States News Sources Global News Sources News Directories
Christian Science Monitor Baghdad Bulletin (English) Afghanistan - most in English
CNN BBC India
C-SPAN Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Iran - some in English
Lexis-Nexis Guardian Unlimited Iraq - some in English
Newslink's Most-linked-to sites Iraq Daily Israeli - most in English
New York Times IslamOnline.net Jordan - some in English
NPR Al Jazeera Kuwait - some in English
Washington Post Al-Jazeera (English) Pakistan
Weekly Standard Al-Mendhar (English) Qatar - some in English
Muslim News Russia and Central Asia - UW Restricted
Radio Free Europe Saudi Arabia- some in English
United Nations News Centre Southeast Asia
Syria - some in English
Turkey - some in English
United Kingdom - most in English
more from ABYZ News Links
AJR News Sources
Online Newspapers



Government & Military News

CENTCOM
United States Central Command

CDI, The Center for Defense Information
"...find news and analysis about events in Iraq as they unfold. In keeping with CDI policy no information that could endanger lives or operations will be reported."

Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD
CIA's report concerning weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Government Views of Iraq
Maintained by the City College of New York Libraries, this site links to government documents and information related to Iraq. Resources include U.S. Congressional Hearings and Resolutions, Federal Agency reports, transcripts of press conferences and briefings, USAID Fact Sheets, and Presidential Communications. Some international resources are included such as texts of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, the Geneva Conventions and Protcols, international treaties, and more.

Military News
CENTCOM Web page that provides links to Air Force, Army, Navy, and general military news publications.

Defend America
U.S. Department of Defense News about the War on Terrorism

Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
Presents military fatalities and news concerning Iraqi and US casualties from various outlets.

Ministry of foreign affairs
Islamic Republic of Iran

US Government & Military Web Sites
CENTCOM page provides links to many government and military sites.

U.S. Reserve Activiations
Associated Press presents state-by-state statistics concerning the number of reservists that have been activated to serve.

Government Reports about the War on Terrorism and weapons of mass destruction



International Organizations

Center for Strategic and International Studies
"For four decades, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has been dedicated to providing world leaders with strategic insights on — and policy solutions to — current and emerging global issues.

CSIS is led by John J. Hamre, formerly deputy secretary of defense, who has been president and CEO since April 2000. It is guided by a board of trustees chaired by former senator Sam Nunn and consisting of prominent individuals from both the public and private sectors."

Conflict in Iraq; Concerns and Consequences
his site is supported by a combination of British and American independent research organizations working to provide objective security information and policy studies with the goal of ending armed conflict.

Global IDP Project on internally displaced people
Search the site's database or browse by geographic regions to find country specific resources concerning internal displacement. The Iraq profile includes background information, patterns of displacement, subsistence needs, issues of family unity, identity, and culture, property issues, humanitarian access and MUCH more.

Global Policy Forum
"This section looks at many aspects of the crisis, including the background of the war, the humanitarian crisis, the importance of Iraq's huge oil resources, and the disputes over a post-war government and reconstruction plan."

International Action Center
Founded by Ramsey Clark, this group works to resist "U.S. Militarism, War, and Corporate Greed."

International Inter-Governmental & Non-Governmental Organizations
This site is developed and maintained by the International Government Documents Librarian at the University of Washington Libraries.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

International Institute for Strategic Studies
Speech given by Mr. Dominique de Villepin, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (London, 27 March 2003) at the Conference on "Law, Force and Justice," The Alastair Buchan Lecture 2003. Transcript available in French and English.

International Organization for Migration
"As the leading international organization for migration, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: Assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management, Advance understanding of migration issues, Encourage social and economic development through migration, and Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants."

Protest.Net
"Protest.Net is a collective of activists who are working together to create our own media. By publishing a public record of our political activities on the web we are taking a stand against the established media. We are standing up and showing that serious activism is alive and well at the dawn of the 21st century. Everyday from Kansas to India activists are meeting, organizing, and protesting to demand a better world for all."

United Nations
Explore the United Nations web site or go directly to these sites and documents.



Legal Resources

Alliance Internationale pour la Justice / International Criminal Court : Irak
The Coalition for Justice in Iraq (CJI) is composed of 275 international NGO's from more than 120 countries calling for the establishment of an International Ad Hoc Tribunal. The site includes information about human rights, media, Kurdistan, ecology, the Ad Hoc Tribunal, and more.

American Society of International Law (ASIL)
Includes documents such as
  • The U.S. as Occupying Power Over Portions of Iraq and Relevant Responsibilities Under the Laws of War (April 2003)
  • Security Council Resolution 1483 on the Rebuilding of Iraq (May 2003)
  • Iraq: How to Reconcile Conflicting Obligations of Occupation and Reform (June 2003)
  • Diplomatic Immunities In Iraq (June 2003)
  • The Obligation of the Coalition Provisional Authority to Protect Iraq's Cultural Heritage (July 2003)
  • The Legal Status of Foreign Economic Interests in Occupied Iraq (July 2003)
  • Issues Relating to U.S. Restrictions on Participation in Iraq Reconstruction Contracts (Dec 2003)
  • Venues for Prosecuting Saddam Hussein: The Legal Framework (Dec 2003)
  • The Legal Status of Coalition Forces in Iraq after the June 30 Handover (Mar 2004)

"Anticipatory" Self-defense against terrorism is legal
Lee A. Casey & David B. Rivkin Jr. Washington, D.C.: Washington Legal Foundation, December 14, 2001 (Legal opinion letter, v.11, #19). 2-page PDF file.

Asymmetric Warfare
Gateway to information about asymmetric warfare compiled by Joan T. Phillips, Air University Library.

Conflict with Iraq

Crimes of War Project: The War in Iraq
"The Crimes of War Project is a collaboration of journalists, lawyers and scholars dedicated to raising public awareness of the laws of war and their application to situations of conflict. Our goal is to promote understanding of international humanitarian law among journalists, policymakers, and the general public, in the belief that a wider knowledge of the legal framework governing armed conflict will lead to greater pressure to prevent breaches of the law, and to punish those who commit them."

ElectronicIraq.net: International Law

FindLaw News - Special Coverage: Iraq Aftermath

Humanitarian Information Center for the Middle East

Human Rights Watch: Background on War with Iraq

International Crisis Group: Iraq/Iran/Gulf Project

International Humanitarian Law Issues in a Potential War in Iraq

International Humanitarian Law Research Initiative

International Law and the Iraq Crisis
Links and citations to articles and reports related to international law and the crisis in Iraq. Site maintained by the Boston University Law Library.

Iraq: Questions Regarding the Laws of War

Iraqi Jurist's Association and "Jurist" Magazine
IJA members are Iraqi jurists inside and ouside Iraq who through in continuous consultation and exchange of views seek a coherent and united position on legal issues affecting Iraq.

JURIST: The Legal Education Network

The Just Demands of Peace and Security : International law and the cause against Iraq
Paul Schott Stevens, Andru E Wall, & Ata Dinlenc. Washington, DC : Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, 2002. 20-page PDF file.

The Myth of Preemptive Self-Defense
Mary Ellen O'Connell, ASIL Presidential Task Force on Terrorism (August 2002). 24-page PDF file.

United Nations Security Resolution 1441

A U.S.-led War on Iraq: Legal Issues
Human & Constitutional Rights' "Hot Topics " site.

War Crimes and Gentleman's Agreements
"Within the last eight days, two Iraqi suicide car-bombers have succeeded in killing seven soldiers of the U.S.-led coalition. Days after the first of these attacks, U.S. soldiers had already killed a dozen Iraqi civilians who failed to stop at checkpoints.

The pattern is sadly familiar: an overwhelmingly stronger military power is constantly forced to choose between undesirable alternatives when confronted with terrorism and guerilla attacks.

War Crimes and Gentlemen's Agreements by Don Radlauer, explains why current international legislation may be inadequate to deal with assymetric conflicts like the war in Iraq."



Photojournalism

Camera Works
Site covers world news through audio, video, and still images. Links to related stories published in the Washington Post allow news consumers to see, hear, and read about the conflict in Iraq, as well as other current events.

"Camera Works showcases new forms of storytelling by merging the best of print journalism, photojournalism and documentary filmmaking with the interactive properties of the World Wide Web.... Content will be drawn from a wealth of sources, leading with the award-winning photographers, writers and editors of The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com. Camera Works editors will also feature other photographers and photo agencies. "



Prisoner Abuse & War Atrocities

Final Report of the Independent Panel to Review DoD Detention Operations
August 2004 report by the Independent Panel investigation of Abu Ghraib abuses.

Human Rights in Post-War Iraq
Presented by human rights first

Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Fulltext of the document provided by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Library

International Humanitarian Law (Law of War) Documents
FindLaw provides links to law of war documents including international humanitarian laws, Charter of the United Nations, U.S. Army Field Manual No. 27-10, and much more.

Investigation of Intelligence Activities at Abu Ghraib, also known as the Fay/Jones report
Executive summary of the military's report about activities at Abu Ghraib.

Iraq Body Count
"This is a Human Security project to establish an independent and comprehensive public database of media-reported civilian deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions by the USA and its allies in 2003."

Iraq: Civilians killed by UK armed forces and armed groups.
Redress Information & Analysis provides alternative interpretations of international issues.

The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Hearings, Senate Armed Services Committee
Provides fulltext transcripts from the hearings.

The Laws of War
The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School provides laws of war in pre 18th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, and the 21st century.

Law of Armed Conflict Documents
The University of Minnesota Human Rights Library provides links to laws, some of which are available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

Photos of US Torture of Iraqi Prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq
"Graphic photographs showing the torture and sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners in a US-run prison outside Baghdad emerged yesterday from a military inquiry which has left six soldiers facing a possible court martial and a general under investigation. The scandal has also brought to light the growing and largely unregulated role of private contractors in the interrogation of detainees. "

Physicians for Human Rights
Site includes analysis of medical consequences of interrogation techniques and more information concerning the War in Iraq, Women in Afghanistan, September 11, and more.

"Since the 1980s Physicians for Human Rights has been engaged in Iraqi health and human rights. At present, two PHR delegates are stationed in Kuwait City prepared to sent bulletins from the field on health and human rights abuses that result from the current war in Iraq. "

Report by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the US-led occupation forces
Redress Information & Analysis posts the full text of the Red Cross report and provides alternative interpretations of international issues.

Report of the High Commissioner: The Present Situation of Human Rights in Iraq
A United Nations report on the human rights situation in Iraq released on 4 June 2004 documents alleged violations while recommending steps to prevent future violations.

Report of the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights In Afghanistan, M. Cherif Bassiouni E/CN. 4/2005/122
Cherif Bassiouni's report about human rights abuses in Afghanistan. To access the report, click the link above. Enter the Symbol E/CN.4/2005/122 and select search. Select E/CN.4/2005/122, then select English.

Taguba Report
Report prepared by Major General Antonio M. Taguba of the United States Army on alleged abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad.

Working Group Report on Detainee Interrogations in the Global War on Terrorism: Assessment of Legal, Historical, Policy and Operational Considerations
Internal Pentagon report outlining framework for use of torture.



Public Opinion

Americans and the World Digest
This site provides comprehensive analyses of U.S. polling results on various international topics, including the events in Iraq. It is the analysis arm of PIPA (see below).

The Gallup Poll of Iraq
The Gallup Poll has been measuring Iraqi citizen opinion during the Spring of 2004, and presents what Gallup claims to be the first representative survey of Iraqi residents' views about the war, occupation and their future. Results of additional Iraqi surveys are also available.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press is developing the Pew Global Attitudes Project by collecting a series of worldwide public opinion surveys. The goal is to create a record of responses from over 75,000 people in 49 countries and the Palestinian Authority. Questions include, but are not limited to, current events in Iraq.

Poll Results
Collected by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, this site presents the results of various public opinion polls other than Pew Research. Included are such sources as ABC-Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, CBS-New York Times, etc.

PollingReport.com : Iraq
This site publishes public opinion data provided by major survey research organizations. See how survey samples of the American public respond to questions such as "Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation in Iraq?"

Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
PIPA carries out research on public opinion on foreign policy and international issues by conducting nationwide polls, focus groups and comprehensive reviews of polling conducted by other organizations. It is a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes in Washington DC, and the Center for International and Security Studies, School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland. Analyses of poll results are presented on the website Americans and the World (see above).



Think Tanks

Centrist Conservative Progressive
Brookings Institution American Enterprise Institute Center for Defense Information
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Foreign Policy Research Institute Economic Policy Institute
SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Heritage Foundation Institute for Policy Studies
United States Institute of Peace Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars



Web Logs ("Blogs")

A blog is a frequently updated, personal Web site featuring diary-type commentary and links to articles or other Web sites. Blogs range from the personal to the political, and can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects. Blogs are unique to the Web. - NPR

Guardian Unlimited Weblog special: Iraq

Web Logs
National Public Radio list of popular and Iraq-related "blogs".





Last modified: Wednesday March 05, 2008