The Gulf War moves to the Web
John Walker
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The Gulf War moves to the Web
Eric Wieffering / Star Tribune
http://webserv1.startribune.com/cgi-bin/stOnLine/article?thisSlug=WEB1
8&date=18-Dec-98
Saddam Hussein does not have a personal Web page. In fact, there are
fewer than 10 commercial Web sites in all of Iraq, which has been
under United Nations imposed sanctions for eight years, and which
places tight controls on its citizens' access to the Internet.
But the Web is still chock full of information about Iraq, including
journals and magazines published in other countries; chat rooms and
bulletin boards where the latest military action is decried or
defended; and links to newspapers and press agencies in other Arab
countries.
Contrast this almost unfettered access to other sources of
information with 1991, when U.S. military leaders, mindful of how
television images helped change public opinion on the war in Vietnam,
kept most reporters far from the actual fighting during Operation
Desert Storm.
The Web changes that.
It won't put you on the front lines, but it will expose you to images
and perspectives that might be at odds with what the U.S. government
says. Unfortunately, it's a privilege most Iraqi citizens don't
share.
The war on the Web
As usual, the Web is showing itself as the place to go in times of
breaking news. Traffic at startribune.com rose 50 percent between 4
and 5 p.m. Wednesday, when the bombing began. Channel 4000 said its
average daily traffic had doubled, and more than 600 visitors had
responded to a survey posted at 9 a.m.
Despite the increased traffic, pages at the standbys, CNN.com and
MSNBC.com, loaded quickly through most of the day Thursday. Both
sites feature video and audio feeds, as well as links to some useful
background sites.
Even better is the BBC's Middle East coverage at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/default.htm. It
includes live video and audio and extensive links to U.N. weapons
inspection reports, as well as to English language newspapers in the
region.
>From the trenches
The press in Iraq is government-controlled, and none of the
publications has Web sites. But some other good sources of
information from the Iraqi point of view include:
Al-Iraqi, http://www.aliraqi.com, an Internet only, Arabic magazine
based in Australia.
The Arabic-language newspaper in Qatar, one of the few Middle East
governments to support the U.S. military action:
http://www.raya.com.
The Middle East Times, and English language paper based in Egypt:
http://metimes.com.
The Petra News Agency in Jordan, which shares a long border with
Iraq: http://accessme.com/Petra/histen.htm
General information
One of the best sites for general information about Iraq and the
Middle East is the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the
University of Texas at Austin. The Iraqi page,
http://menic.utexas.edu/menic/countries/iraq.html, includes social,
political and economic history as well as links to other sources,
such as a U.S. analysis of Iraq's oil reserves.
Less academic in tone is http://www.middle-east-pages.com, which
includes links for every country in the Middle East.
Iraqi sites
Sponsored and maintained by Iraqi immigrants in Michigan, who are
mostly Christians and are known as Chaldeans, http://www.iraq.net is
an attempt to link Iraqis around the globe. It includes extensive
links to bulletin boards, chat rooms and personal and cultural Web
pages maintained by Iraqis living abroad. The discussion groups are
open to all.
Another, http://www.iraq4u.com/, includes links to music, photos,
chat rooms and most Arabic publications.
Two sites, the Iraq Intelligence Center
http://www.angelfire.com/md/iraqis3/index.html, and the Iraq Action
Coalition, :http://leb.net/IAC/ focus on the effect the economic
sanctions are having on Iraq.
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that make up Web pages.
- The Gulf War moves to the Web
Saddam Hussein does not have a personal Web page. In fact, there are
fewer than 10 commercial Web sites in all of Iraq, which has been
under United Nations imposed sanctions for eight years, and which
places tight controls on its citizens' access to the Internet.
- Is the Internet the new town hall?
Not yet, but it has increased political participation, experts say.
- Least Connected Nation Status
As the bombs fall, Iraqis are not heading for the Net to connect
with loved ones or pass on information to relatives abroad. Though
email is increasingly used as a grassroots communications link in
times of conflict, Iraq has no Internet systems or services
whatsoever. Not only are computers prohibited by United Nations
sanctions, but phone lines damaged in the 1991 Gulf War have never
been replaced.
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