Development & Aid, Environment, Tierramerica

Parties to War

Feb 24 2003 (IPS) - The drums of war have been sounding louder and louder during the past few months, and their echo is felt worldwide. Although an official conflict has not been declared, the tensions are evident, and have led to an avalanche of information on the Internet.

The stage for this war would be the Persian Gulf, and the protagonists of the climate of discord are the United States, which has announced attack plans for non-compliance with international weapons treaties, and Iraq.

The reasons behind a war are often seen as incomprehensible — and even unconscionable — by the world's “ordinary people”.

The conflict between the United States and Iraq had its first chapter in the 1991 Gulf War. Since then, disagreements and tensions have been ongoing, as a detailed timeline of events proves.

Those in search of explanations for the causes of war have a daunting task ahead, keeping up-to-date with the wide array of news agencies with an Internet presence.

U.S.-based media outlets tend to follow more closely the news coming out of Washington, but Iraq also has its on version of events.

And there are media that offer a unique perspective on the conflict and the surrounding tensions, such as Inter Press Service's special web page dedicated to the Iraq crisis.

News agency web sites provide a great deal of information about a war that has not yet begun. And they have also made evident the wide range of opinions on the conflict, including mobilizing the increasing population that favors peace