Regional Resources

Iraq Web Links

Below are links by topical categories to resources primarily in English providing information on Iraq concerning conflict, weapons inspections, and post-war reconstruction. For related web links, see Regional Resources: Middle East, Constitution-Making and Terrorism/Counterterrorism.

• General Resources
• Biological, Chemical and Nuclear Weapons
• Government Agencies and International Organizations
• Maps and Guides
• Media and News Sources
• Political Resources
• Selected Documents and Speeches

These links complement the following Special Reports on Iraq:

1. Between Impediment and Advantage: Saddam's Iraq
2. Thinking Out Loud: Policies Toward Iraq
3. Would an Invasion of Iraq be a "Just" War"?
4. After Saddam Hussein: Winning a Peace If It Comes to War
5. Establishing the Rule of Law in Iraq
6. Islamist Politics in Iraq after Saddam Hussein
7. Global Terrorism After the Iraq War
8. Postconflict Iraq: a Race for Stability, Reconstruction, and Legitimacy
9. Building the Iraqi Special Tribunal: Lessons from Experiences in International Criminal Justice.
10. Donor Activities and Civil Society Potential in Iraq
11. Iraq's Constitutional Process: Shaping a Vision for the Country's Future
12. Who Are the Insurgents? Sunni Arab Rebels in Iraq
13. The Coalition Provisional Authority's Experience with Public Security in Iraq: Lessons Identified
14. The Coalition Provisional Authority's Experience with Economic Reconstruction in Iraq: Lessons Identified

General Resources

The sites below collect links to other Internet resources which describe the background, history and events in Iraq.

• Conflict With Iraq
  A selection of links for resources on war and reconstruction, key events, diplomacy and weapons inspections in Iraq from the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon.
• Development Gateway: Country Profile: Iraq
  A portal for resources on Iraq listing specific topics, development projects, reference information, and companies with experience in Iraq. Topics include relief and recovery and non-governmental organizations.
• INCORE guide to Internet sources on conflict and ethnicity in Iraq
  Annotated links to selected sources of email lists and newsgroups, news sources, articles and documents, NGOs, maps, etc. from the Initiative on Conflict Resolution & Ethnicity.
• International Responsibilities Task Force: Alternative Resources
  Compiled by the International Responsibilities Task Force of the American Library Association's Social Responsibilities Round Table, the web page includes links for news sources, organizations, and reports on the conflict in Iraq.
• Iraq Resource Center
  Substantive web site from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) includes articles, publications, op-eds, interviews, transcripts and videos, as well as a timeline for events in Iraq, CFR experts, background information and related links.
• International Relations and Security Network: ISN Dossiers: Focus on Iraq
  Web site of the International Relations and Security Network includes latest news on Iraq, with reports, maps, opinions and links to relevant web sites in various categories.
• Muslims, Islam and Iraq
  This web site, produced by Dr. Alan Godlas, Associate Professor of Religion (Islamic Studies and Arabic) at the University of Georgia, seeks to "inform the public in a scholarly manner both about Islam and Muslins in Iraq, as well as about the relationship of the war in Iraq to Islam and Muslims, including Shi'ites, Kurdish Sunnis, and Arab Sunnis." Includes maps, historical background information and viewpoints of various religious groups.
• Reconstructing Iraq
  A special section of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's web site. Frequently updated, it contains news, analysis, links and multimedia sources on the situation in Iraq. Includes the January 2004 Carnegie report on WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications.
• UT-MENIC: Countries and Regions: Iraq
  Selected links from the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, covering government and politics, history and archaeology, news and newsgroups.
• The War on Terrorism: Post-Saddam Iraq
  Comprehensive list of annotated links on Iraq created and maintained by David Durant, Political Science and Government Documents Librarian at East Carolina University, covering "selected resources on the political, economic, security, and other aspects of Iraq since the fall of the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein in April 2003." The War on Terrorism: Saddam Hussein and Iraq has annotated links to resources for the situation in Iraq before April 2003, including news and commentary, government documents, political background and analysis, military and strategic issues, weapons of mass destruction and the impact of sanctions.

Biological, Chemical and Nuclear Weapons

• Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation and Response Project
  Part of the Henry L. Stimson Center web site, this section includes resources for issues concerning chemical and biological weapons, chemical and biological terrorism, public health and global security and the CBW Chronicle . Also includes links to publications and related information.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  The International Atomic Energy Agency, one of the organizations, in conjunction with UNMOVIC, responsible for inspection of Iraqi weapons sites. A special section on In Focus: IAEA and Iraq describes the mission in Iraq, contains multimedia clips, photos, press releases, documents and web links to other resources. Also links to the web pages for the Iraq Nuclear Verification Office (INVO), which has a fact sheet on Iraq's Nuclear Weapons Programme, reports, UN resolutions, FAQs, background information and a chronology.
• Iraq Special Collection
  Selection of resources from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies on the Iraq crisis, including CNS research reports, archives and databases; UNSCOM documents and reports; photos, and links to related sites, news sources and the CNS chemical and biological weapons resources page.
• Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI): Iraq Overview
  Web site of the NTI has several searchable databases from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), with Country Information profiling the weapons of mass destruction of various countries, including Iraq. The overview includes background information on weapons programs, detailed maps, documents, and related links.
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons provides information on the Chemical Weapons Convention and other issues relating to toxic chemical and chemical protection.
• SIPRI Chemical and Biological Warfare Project
  This research project of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute provides research and documentation on biological and chemical weapons, proliferation and non-proliferation, key texts, publications and external links.

Government Agencies and International Organizations

Australia

• Prime minister of Australia: Iraq Update
  Includes official statements and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Iraq, as well as links to related web sites, news, documents and other material.

Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)

• Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)
  Web site of the temporary governing body for Iraq administered by U.S.-appointed Ambassador L. Paul Bremer. The web site includes press releases, documents (including the November 15th Agreement), transcripts, an overview of the site and links to related web sites. This web site is no longer updated but will remain archived and accessible until June 30, 2005.

International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq

• International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq
  Web site (under construction) of the "audit oversight body of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI)," which was established by UN Security Council Resolution 1483 (2003).

Iraq

• Iraqi Governing Council
  Section of the CPA web site lists the members of the Iraqi Governing Council, who were appointed by CPA Administrator L. Paul Bremer. This web site is no longer updated but will remain archived and accessible until June 30, 2005.

United Kingdom

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Iraq
  This section of the web site of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office covers all aspects of the United Kingdom's role in the situation in Iraq: news briefs, documents, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), topics such as weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and links to related web sites.
• Operation Telic
  Web site from the UK Ministry of Defence describing UK military operations in the Persian Gulf and Iraq.

United Nations

• HIC-Humanitarian Information Centre for Iraq
  The HIC is "a common service to the humanitarian community working in Iraq and the surrounding countries. The HIC was set up by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), and works under the Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI)." The web site includes maps, situation reports, fact sheets and a contacts database, among other resources.
• Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN): Iraq Crisis News
  IRIN, a unit of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), provides a clearinghouse of the latest information for humanitarian and international communities on the crisis in Iraq. Includes news and reports on Iraq, with links to news about neighboring countries.
• Office of the Iraq Programme Oil-for Food
  This web site includes updates, security council resolutions, reports of the Secretary-General, distribution plans, information for companies, background information on the Oil for Food Programme and a map of Iraq (PDF).
• Reliefweb: Countries and Emergencies: Iraq
  ReliefWeb, a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "is the global hub for time-critical humanitarian information on Complex Emergencies and Natural Disasters." The country listing includes the latest news updates, links to the complex emergency information, as well as key documents and maps.
• UNAMI: UN Iraq: Web Portal for UN Agencies and NGOs Working in Iraq
  The UN Iraq web portal is administered by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and includes donor information, documents, announcements, situation reports, requests for proposals, maps and news, among other features.
• UNHCR: Country of Origin and Legal Information: Iraq
  The web site for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has databases for Country of Origin (COI) and Legal Information, which include documents and reports. The COI database includes various country reports and the Legal Information database has refugee policy documents and the full text of national legislation. Pull-down menus allow selection by country and/or subject; additional keyword searching is also provided. Each country compilation includes links to country reports, legal documents, news and maps.
• UNHCR | Iraq Emergency
  The web site for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a special section on the emergency in Iraq which contains news releases, statistics, funding data, maps, web links and information on how neighboring countries are handling the influx of refugees.
• United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM)
  One of the UN peacekeeping missions, this web site contains a description of the background, function, location, and duration of the mission (completed October 6 2003) to monitor a demilitarized zone along the boundary between Iraq and Kuwait.
• United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC)
  Web site of the UN commission has documents (including UN Security Council Resolution 1441 (PDF) dated November 8, 2002), links, reports, lists of personnel and a chronology of events.
• United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM)
  Web site includes basic facts about the establishment and organization of the commission, documents, a chronology of events, reports, and a list of Iraqi weapons found and destroyed.

United States

• Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force
  Web site of the Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force from the U.S. Department of Commerce contains sections on the business climate in Iraq, market opportunities, reconstruction contracts and grants awarded for FY2003 and FY2004, as well as events, media information, and related links.
• Iraq Project and Contracting Office (PCO)
  The Iraq Project and Contracting Office (PCO)"manages the $18.4 billion appropriated by the U.S. Congress to support the reconstruction of Iraqi infrastructure." The web portal contains information on vendors, organizational structure, RFPs, projects, news and events, with some material in Arabic.
• USAID: Assistance for Iraq
  Web site of the U.S. Agency for International Development includes information on funding for reconstruction in Iraq: budgets and recipients of contracts/grants, fact sheets, summaries, press information and additional resources on humanitarian relief efforts.
• U. S. Central Command
  The web site of the Unified Combatant Command with the Area of Responsibility (AOR) covering Iraq includes press releases, bulletins and briefings on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Coalition. Also has photos, and links to operations, exercises, Defenselink, and additional resources.
• U.S. Department of State: Foreign Press Centers (FPC): Iraq
  Web page of resources for information on Iraq includes links to related U.S. government agencies, external web sites, FPC briefings on Iraq, U.S. government reports and Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports on the Middle East and Iraq.
• U.S. Department of State: International Cultural Property Protection
  From the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this web site covers the issues of protecting cultural property worldwide, with information on looting and recovery, and a special section devoted to the artifacts missing in Iraq.
• U. S. Department of State: International Information Programs: Iraq Update
  Web site from International Information Programs, U. S. Department of State, contains background and regional information reports, links to U.S. government sites, news sources, international organizations and other government agencies. Also includes instructions on how to subscribe to the US-IRAQPOLICY mailing list.
• U. S. Department of State: Iraq Country Information
  Web site of the U.S. Department of State includes background information, fact sheets, reports, speeches, Congressional testimony, consular information, information on U.S. Government Iraq reconstruction contracts, links to other U. S. government web sites and to archived materials for the U.S. Department of State's page on Iraq.
• U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq
  The web site of the U.S. Embassy contains press releases, statements and speeches, services for U.S. citizens, travel advisories, and links to related U.S. government sites.

Maps and Guides

• Iraq: CIA Factbook
  Country information for Iraq covering the geography, people, economy, government, and infrastructure. Includes a map.
• Iraq Maps
  Maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection of the University of Texas at Austin. These maps were produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or other sources and include country, city, regional, thematic, historical maps and links to other sites for Iraq maps.
• Maps of Iraq
  Includes maps of Kurdish settlements and situational maps from the Norwegian Refugee Council's Global IDP Project on internally displaced people.
• ReliefWeb: Iraq Maps
  Maps of Iraq detailing emergency humanitarian and security situations, demographics, climate and natural resources. Maps are from various governmental sources.

Media and News Sources

• BBC News | In Depth | Conflict with Iraq
  This in-depth report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is frequently updated and covers the latest news, analysis, feature stories, background information, timeline and maps, as well as a database of documents, country information and related web links. Features on the recent election are included.
• CNN Special Report: War in Iraq
  Online report from CNN covers all aspects of the war in Iraq and post-conflict status, including an archive of daily news on the war (archived after May 1, 2003), casualty numbers, descriptions of the weaponry and Coalition forces, and a section on The Struggle for Iraq.
• Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
  The web site for the London-based organization IWPR includes a number of publications on Iraq in English with plans to translate documents into Arabic and Kurdish; among these are a weekly Iraqi Crisis Report and a new daily Iraqi Press Monitor. E-mail subscription is available.
• Iraq Body Count
  This web site tracks "reported civilian deaths resulting from the U.S.-led military intervention in Iraq." The database provides information on individual incidents date, time, location, target, weapons used, and the media source where it was reported. Also includes and overview of the projects, a description of methodology and related links.
• Iraq Coalition Casualties
  This web site tracks military deaths and wounded, using as sources the U.S. Department of Defense, CENTCOM and the British Ministry of Defence. Includes a news feed from wire services, a news archive, a database of incidents, casualties and fatality details on individuals. Also describes the methodology and defines the time periods used.
• Leddy Library: Iraq 2003: Sources of News
  Compilation of news sources on Iraq from the Leddy Library, University of Windsor, covering mainstream and alternative press.
• News from the Iraq Foundation
  Digests and summaries of news reports on Iraq from a variety of sources with an archive going back to 1999.
• One World.Net: Full coverage: Iraq
  Extensive database of news and analysis on Iraq with articles contributed by OneWorld partners, searchable by keyword, topic, and region with additional criteria for narrowing the search.
• Online NewsHour: Iraq in Transition
  The web site of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer includes special reports on Iraq, with breaking news, features, audio clips, sections on governing Iraq, the insurgency, the reconstruction, and maps, among other resources. Previous archived reports on The Iraq War and the Road to War are also linked, as is a recurring video feature of the Honor Roll of American Service Personnel Killed in Iraq.
• RFE/RL: The New Iraq
  This special section of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty web site includes current news, maps, a timeline, articles, analytical reports, selections from REF/RL Newsline III with daily news about Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, Iraq reports, as well as Arab press comments and a link to Radio Free Iraq (news in Arabic).
• UN News Centre: Iraq
  Portal web site of the United Nations News Centre for Iraq information, with current news on the activity of UN agencies and missions in Iraq, with statements, briefings, and related stories. Includes documents (UN Security Council resolutions, for example) and the UN report dated February 23, 2004 on The political transition in Iraq (PDF).
• Yahoo! News Full Coverage- - World - Iraq
  Comprehensive list of links to special reports, news stories and sources, audio/video, magazine articles, related web sites and usenet groups. The Yahoo! News - Iraq in Transition update section of Yahoo! has the latest news, audio and video on Iraq.

Political Resources

• ICL-Iraq Index
  The web site for International Constitutional Law at the University of Bern has the full text of an Interim Constitution (2004 )and (1990) for Iraq and a draft constitution by opposition groups.
• Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iraq (KDP)
  A political party web site with organization and contact information, news, documents, maps, history, culture and external links.
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
  A political party web site with press statements, documents, news sources and a news archive, a link to PUK Radio, and links to PUK web sites in Australia, Canada, Germany and Russia.
• Political Resources on the Net: Iraq
  Links to information on elections, various political parties and organizations, news sources and general resources.
• Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)
  The web site, in Arabic and English, contains background information on the organization, the Badr Corps, a biography of Ayatollah Sayed Mohamad Baqir Al-Hakim, a section on Saddam's Crimes, and news articles from 2001.

Selected Documents and Speeches

• To Authorize the Use of Military Force Against Iraq
  H. J. Res. 114, the joint resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and passed by both the House and the U.S. Senate, October 10, 2002 and October 11, 2002, respectively. Bill summary and status includes information on related bills, a history of action taken on the bill, co-sponsors, and summary, with links to the House and Senate roll calls. Text of the legislation, (H. J. Res 114 EH) available in PDF and HTML.
• The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
  Text of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, with related links to lists of signatories, non-signatories, ratifications and ad hoc groups and conferences, on the SIPRI web site.
• CRS Reports on Iraq
  Reports from the Congressional Research Service on Iraq, dating from September 18, 2002 to present, made available through the Foreign Press Centers section of the U.S. Department of State's web site.
• Chemical Weapons Convention
  Links to the full text of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, with links to relevant conventions, on the web site of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
• Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD
  Popularly known as the Duelfer Report, for Charles Duelfer, the Special Advisor, this report, dated September 30, 2004, relays the findings of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction.
• A Decade of Deception and Defiance
  Background paper for President Bush's remarks to the United Nations General Assembly on September 12, 2002. Also available in PDF.
• Final Communiqué of International Ministerial Meeting of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq, The G8 and China
  Declaration of the International Ministerial Meeting held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November 23, 2004 regarding the situation in Iraq, with several references to the UN Security Council Resolution 1546 of June 8, 2004. Part of the U.S. Institute of Peace Library's Peace Agreements Digital Collection for Iraq.
• Government Views of Iraq
  Extensive selection of primary documents and resources from U.S. and other governmental sources, compiled by the City College of New York (CCNY) Libraries. These materials cover a broad of topics, such as Captured iraqi Documents, CENTCom briefings and reconstruction.
• Institute for Security Studies, European Union: Occasional Papers
  Two papers published December 2002 discuss the situation in Iraq; Iraq: the transatlantic debate and Iraq: a European point of view.
• International Crisis Group: Iraq
  Iraq reports and briefings include Iraq: Building a New Security Structure and Iraq's Constitutional Challenge . Part of a larger regional emphasis on Iraq/Iran/Gulf.
• Iraq: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004
  Extensive report from the U.S. Department of State. Previous country reports from 1993 and later are also available online.
• Iraq-U.S. Policy Documents
  A listing of links to the full text of U.S. policy documents on Iraq from the National Defense University library, listing documents from the White House, the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency. The texts, going back to 2002, are searchable by keyword; This listing is part of the MiPAL collection (Military Policy Awareness Links), complied by NDU Library staff.
• Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs
  U.S. Government White Paper, released February 13, 1998, detailing Iraqi use of chemical weapons, the Iraqi biological warfare program,the Iraqi chemical warfare program, and the Iraqi ballistic missile program.
• Iraqi Mobile Biological Warfare Agent Production Plants
  Released May 28, 2003, this is one of a number of reports from the Central Intelligence Agency on Iraq and terrorism.
• Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction: the Assessment of the British Government (PDF)
  This document, released September 24, 2002, examines the history and status of Iraq's chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic programs, the history of UN weapons inspections and the state of the country under Saddam Hussein.
• Letter from the Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister to the UN Secretary-General, November 13, 2002 (PDF)
  A letter from Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Naji Sabri to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, November 13, 2002 in response to UN Security Council Resolution 1441. Posted on the IAEA web site as part of a special section on IAEA and Iraq.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Republic of Iraq
  Signed February 23, 1998 by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz concerning UNSCOM/IAEA inspections. Part of the U.S. Institute of Peace Library's Peace Agreements Digital Collection for Iraq.
• Oral Histories Project on Stability Operations: Iraq Experience
  The Oral Histories Project on Stability Operations, part of the Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management, collects the full text (in PDF) of interviews conducted by the Institute's Professional Training Program with individuals involved in stability operations, to draw lessons learned and address the challenges of post-conflict intervention. The interviews are also part of the Training Program's Iraq Experience Project.
• The Political Transition in Iraq: Report of the Fact-Finding Mission (PDF)
  The United Nations report dated February 23, 2004 of a fact-finding mission led by Lakhdar Brahimi. .
• President Bush's Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly, September 12, 2002
  President Bush's speech to the United Nations in New York, calling for action on Iraq. Also available as an audio or video file.
• Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq, July 7, 2004
  This report, produced by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is available in PDF from the committee's web site, 23.M for the full report (PDF) and 1.9 M for the conclusions (PDF), excerpted from the full report.
• UNBISnet: United Nations Bibliographic Information System
  Catalogue database of the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library includes the full text of Security Council resolutions in the six official languages of the UN: (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). To find UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq, use the Keyword Search. Enter "Iraq" in a General Keyword field, "Security Council" in a Title(All) field and select "Type of Material (B01) resolutions/decisions UN" from the Limits pull-down menu.
• WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications
  January 2004 report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This new Carnegie Report studies what the intelligence community understood about Iraq's WMD programs before the war and outlines policy reforms designed to improve threat assessments, deter transfer of WMD to terrorists, and avoid politicization of the intelligence process."

Updated: May 12, 2005