This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
Archives

Electronic Highways

Published: January 16, 2003

Web offers information on U.S. policy and Iraq

One of the overlooked riches available to the university community is the CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) database at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/e-resources/ciao.html. The CIAO database offers scholarly material on international affairs from 1991 onward, including working papers from university research institutes, conference proceedings, journal articles, book chapters and policy briefs.

For example, to obtain scholarly analysis and background material on U.S relations with Iraq, select the link entitled "Special Section on U.S. Policy and Iraq" on the CIAO main screen. This leads to scholarly analyses written especially for CIAO by such political scientists as Robert Jervis (Columbia University), Robert O. Keohane (Duke University), Steven E. Miller (Harvard University) and Edward Rhoades (Rutgers University).

The "further reading" section includes material written under the auspices of the following organizations: American Academy of Arts and Sciences, British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Center for Defense Information, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Central Intelligence Agency, Congressional Research Service, Project on Defense Alternatives and U.S. Department of State

Additional links are provided in the "further reading" section to pertinent information at these Web sites: Amnesty International (http://web.amnesty.org), the Campaign Against Sanctions for Iraq (http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/casi/index.html), Global Policy Forum (http://www.globalpolicy.org) and Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org).

CIAO also makes available U.N. Security Council Resolutions related to Iraq, a link to the homepage of the Iraqi Mission to the U.N., information on the U.N. Oil for Food Programme and the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Among the maps provided by CIAO are "Iraq Ethno-religious Areas," "Iraq Declared Nuclear Facilities" and "Iraq Ballistic-Missile Related Facilities." CIAO also provides a course pack for those who want to teach "U.S. Policy and Iraq" using its materials. The link leading to course packs on the main screen is entitled "Teaching with CIAO."

Finally, don't forget that CIAO offers a full range of international affairs coverage beyond the country of Iraq. All regions and countries of the world are included. Material is available topically as well; for example, CIAO's January feature topic is "Landmines and their Effects." The database also presents case studies related to "The Development of the European Union," "Irish Troubles since 1916," "Weapons of Mass Destruction," "Security and Politics on the Korean Peninsula," "Water Security in the Middle East" and much more.

—Gemma DeVinney and Michelle LaVoie, University Libraries