GeneralNews and Information | Commentary & Analysis
 Background Information -  Afghanistan |  Iraq |  Middle East
 Homeland Preparation |  Health Information |  About Arab Americans |  Humanitarian Aid
Government / Military |  Islam |  Kids |  Rumors | Terrorism | September 11 | Disclaimer
 

General News and Information

For links to the latest news from local, national and international news sites, go to the BTPL News page.

NewsBank's Special Report: War with Iraq
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/Static/?p_product=Iraq&f_location=iraq&p_theme=current&p_actio n=list&p_nbid=C66K54IQMTA0ODI0OTA1NS4xODg4MjI6MToxNDoyMDkuMTA0LjEzOS4zMw
Current information updated throughout the day, as well as background information. Includes photos, maps and links to other sites.

Facts on File's World News Digest (subscription database),

Issues and Controversies (subscription database)
Features reports and evaluations of major controversial issues including: the Taliban, military preparednes, international terrorism, chemical and biological weapons, aviation safety and more.

Commentary & Analysis

Iraq War and Afghan Aftermath,
www.comw.org/warreport
News and analysis from the Project on Defense Alternatives.

Alternative Resources on the U.S. "War Against Terrorism"
http://www.pitt.edu/~ttwiss/irtf/Alternative.html
Alternative news and commentary, petitions, and information on anti-war activities throughout the United States. From the American Library Association's International Responsibilities Task Force Web site.

BBC - Conflict with Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2002/conflict_with_iraq/default.stm

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - Crisis in Iraq
http://www.ceip.org/files/Iraq/index.htm
 

Background Information -- Iraq

Biography of President Saddam Hussein
http://www.iraqi-mission.org/Saddam/saddamcv.htm

Iraq - A Country Study
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iqtoc.html
This study is an attempt to treat in a concise and objective manner the dominant social, political, economic, and military aspects of contemporary Iraqi society.

The World Factbook: Iraq
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Facts, maps, statistics, demographics, and a nutshell history of Iraq  from The Word Factbook, published annually by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Security Council Resolution 1441, November 8, 2002
http://www.al-bab.com/arab/docs/iraq/unscr1441.htm
This site presents the full text of the "Resolution on the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq, adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on 8 November 2002."

Global Policy Forum – Iraq Crisis
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/irqindx.htm
A collection of articles from the  Global Policy Forum, an organization designed to "monitor global policy making at the United Nations."

Iraq Update from U. S. Department of State
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/
U.S. Department of State resource on Iraq, with official texts, key reports, and fact sheets. Saddam Hussein's Iraq a special report (in English and Arabic) detailing specifics concerning Iraq under his rule.

E-books on Iraq, available from home or in the library now!
http://catalog.btpl.org/search~S4/d?iraq
 

Background Information -- Afghanistan

Afghanistan -- A Country Study, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/aftoc.html
From the Library of Congress.  This site includes an historical overview from Pre-Islamic through Soviet intervention periods; an overview of the Afghan natural and social environment; and an analysis of the Taliban regime and the opposition to it.

Background Information -- the Middle East

The Mideast Peace Process, http://www.2facts.com/icof/search/i0400420.asp
An Issues and Controversies article that details the mideast peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with up-to-date information on the latest developments. (Subscription database article).

Middle East Network Information Center, http://menic.utexas.edu/menic.html
A well-organized site providing a large, annotated directory of Middle East links listed by subject, such as education, government and politics, news and media, religion and more. Can also find resources by country or organization.

Question of Palestine
www.un.org/Depts/dpa/qpal/
An overview of the history and issues of the establishment of Palestine, with a collection of maps and a database of United Nations (UN) documents related to Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. From the Division for Palestinian Rights, established by the UN General Assembly.

The Middle East Institute, www.mideasti.org
This site is organized by former Foreign Service officers, offers differing view-points and includes a long scholarly introduction to Islam.

Middle East Research and Information Project, www.merip.org
Founded by former Peace Corps members, this site includes articles on Afghanistan's refugees, Pakistan's dilemma and more.
 

Homeland Preparation

Homeland Security Advisory System
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/hsas.html. 
Guide for the color-code system used to indicate threat conditions for possible terrorist attack in the United States.  Includes advice for individuals, families, neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. (From the American Red Cross.)

Ready.gov  - from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security
http://www.ready.gov/
Discusses biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiation threats, and suggests ways to prepare for unexpected terrorist attacks.

FEMA – Are You Ready?
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

Surviving the Next Disaster
http://www.lacetoleather.com/dis.html

Health Information

MEDLINEplus Health Information: Biodefense and Bioterrorism
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/biodefenseandbioterrorism.html
Information about biological weapons, including anthrax, botulism, mustard gas, plague, smallpox, and tularemia.

MEL's BioTerrorism Page, http://mel.org/health/health-bioterrorism.html
Department of Defense, CDC and other links to learn more about the threat of Bio-terrorism.
 

About Arab Americans

American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, www.adc.org
Crisis resources, statements of support, advice to parents and educators, and information and educational resources about Arabs and Arab Americans.
 

Government/Military

FirstGov's America Responds, www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Usgresponse.shtml
This official portal to government information includes sections on benefits and assistance, military personnel locator, disaster planning, travel advisories, scams and frauds, President's remarks and more.

DefenseLink, www.defenselink.mil
News, links and special reports from the Department of Defense, including links to all branches of military.
 

Kids

Talking With Kids About War and Violence (from PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/war/

Islam for Children,  http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/islam/islamintro.html
A basic look at Islam for ages 7 to 11.

Terrorism Response for Educators,  www.mel.org/education/edu-terrorism.html
Links to sites for learning and coping for children, from professional organizations and others.

Yahooligan -- Fighting Terrorism, http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Yahooligans/USAttack
A "big picture" look at recent news about American and terrorism.
 

Rumors, Hoaxes and Urban legends

Current Netlore: Terrorist Attacks http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blxterror.htm
This section of the Urban Legends and Folklore web site addresses current e-mail rumors, Internet hoaxes and urgand legends regarding the Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.

Rumors of War: Urban Legends Reference Pages, www.snopes2.com/rumors/rumors.htm, classifies rumors, legends and reports as true, false or undetermined. Some true reports are difficult to believe!
 

Terrorism

In Search of Al Qaeda, www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/search
PBC Frontline special examines the quest to bring the terrorist group to justice.

Greetings, America.  My Name is Osama bin Laden.
http://www.esquire.com/ESQ0299-FEB_LADEN
A February 1999 Esquire article that offers unique background information on Osama bin Laden.

Terrorism, Anti-Terrorism, Taliban and Afghanistan Links, www.windweaver.com/politics/terrorism.htm
An extensive list of links to resources about the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, terrorism, anti-terrorism, Afghanistan and more.

September 11th

America's War Against Terrorism, www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/usterror.html
A comprehensive site at U of M's Document Center offering a full spectrum of online information about terrorism and the September 11th attacks.

Detroit News: Researching our options, www.detnews.com/2001/nation/0109/12/weblinks.htm
Links to maps, graphics and additional information on international terrorism.

The September 11 Web Archive, http://september11.archive.org,
A collaboration by the Library of Congress, this site contains more than 500,000 Internet pages related to the terrorist attacks and the United States reprisals, ranging from daily news reports to personal memorials.

September 11th Digital Archive, http://911digitalarchive.org
The archive is a collaborative effort of the Sminthsonian Institution, the Museum of the City of New York, the New York Historical Society and other local and national institutions.

Special Report -- Terrorism and Operation Enduring Freedom (Newsbank Feature)
http://infoweb7.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/Static/?p_product=Breaking&f_location=breaking&p_theme=curr ent&p_action=list&p_nbid=V6CH59EOMTAwNDM1ODU4Mi4xMDcxNzc6MToxNDoyMDkuMTA0LjEzOS4zMw

Why the Towers Fell, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wtc
The PBS companion site to "Why the Towers Fell" follows a team of forensic engineers during their in-depth investigation of the precise causes of the Twin Towers' collapse.
 

Disclaimer:
Sites on this list were selected to represent a wide variety of viewpoints. Inclusion on this list does not constitute an endorsement, and the library cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information on each site.