Calgary Herald February 24, 2003
If war breaks out, the Web has unique perspective
By Yogi Schulz
Through the Web, we can monitor developments in the looming war in Iraq more directly than any previous war in history. While many of us hope war can still be averted, here's a summary of the Web sites that will help us look beyond the print stories and the short video clips on the evening news.
In each paragraph, I've included the name of the site.
Using that name in a Web search will guide you to the Web site.
Images
The image gallery at DigitalGlobe provides high-resolution satellite images. Recently, the site offered fascinating images of Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
The recently launched QuickBird satellite produces the highest- resolution, commercially available images ever taken of Earth. Buildings, roads, bridges and other detailed infrastructure can be clearly seen by the satellite's camera system. Details revealed by QuickBird were previously seen only by highly classified spy satellites.
The GlobalSecurity Web site provides updates on the military situation at various global-conflict regions. Recently, the site displayed satellite surveillance photos of North Korean nuclear facilities and provided a summary assessment of Iraq's military capability with a large collection of maps.
The United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) is the formal name of the UN weapons inspectors program in Iraq. The UNSCOM Web page contains a large number of photographs that illustrate the inspectors' activities.
Pictures of the U.S. armed forces in action and of their armaments are located at DefenseLink. For a look at the satellite imagery that the United States is using to make its case against Iraq, go to the White House or to the State Department. Recognize that these sites provide the American perspective on events.
Terraserver provides maps and daily imagery for what the site calls Hot Spots and Cool Sites. Many of these images are related to current headlines.
The rest are visually stunning images of the planet we all inhabit. The University of Texas has assembled a huge index to thematic maps of Iraq.
If the war drags out, these maps will help locate the conflict.
News
For the Canadian perspective on the daily news, go to canada.com, CBC or CTV. For a British perspective, go to economist.com. This news organization provides information on current events that is much broader than its name suggests. U.S. sites are, of course, too numerous to cover, but among the top sites are those provided by the Washington Post and the New York Times. Al-Jazeera, the Arabic-language network, has grown in popularity beyond the Arab world by broadcasting messages from Osama bin Laden and by providing insights into the thinking of the Arab world to the West.
Fluency in Arabic is a prerequisite to exploring the al-Jazeera site. However, Cursor.org provides links to a range of English-language commentary about al-Jazeera news content.
Expert Analysis
Sometimes, the news can't provide the background analysis we might like to explore. For expert analysis, various commercial and non-commercial organizations maintain Web sites.
Jane's Information Group is a highly regarded commercial organization that provides expert analysis of breaking news related to war and defence. Its quick summaries often provide sufficient information for someone who wants to stay well informed. Full articles and reports can be ordered for detailed analysis.
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) is a non-partisan institution dedicated to informing the public about science and policy issues affecting international security. Its site contains satellite images annotated with expert analysis related to nuclear activities, and a whole section devoted to Iraq. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a UK-based organization that has been quoted by various world leaders in their Iraq-related comments. IISS publishes an inventory of the world's armed forces and in-depth analysis of strategic issues.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is a non-partisan research centre and publisher. It is dedicated to increasing America's understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy. Its site includes an extensive analysis of terrorist organizations located in various countries.
For not-so-expert opinion, go to Open Democracy. Among its forums is one that looks at what to do about Iraq.
Copyright © 2003, CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp.
