Published shortly before the United States went to war with Iraq, this Newsweek article claims that Americans today are as much like Rick Blaine in Casablanca as they were during the time of the films release. Chris Matthews uses Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine as a lens through which to look at American sentiment in the face of a war against terrorism. Like Rick Blaine, Americans are plagued with the decision of either protecting our own interests by keeping to ourselves or taking action in a fight to protect the world at large. Matthews argues that America is both historically and innately been a "reluctant warrior" - a country that will take action if the cause is worth fighting for. Matthews fears that the Bush administration's policy toward Iraq is defying American sentiment as the "reluctant warrior" and threatens us with dangerous consequences.  
    This article shows that while Casablanca is a film that pertains to the time in which it was made, its relevance is universal. Beyond the political messages that it may convey, the film ultimately teaches viewers that often times a fight for the greater good is worth a sacrifice of personal desires. Like the hero of Casablanca, we are a country unimpressed by generals in fancy uniform and unafraid by the plight of our enemies. And when someone or something we value is endangered, in the same way that Rick's ideals were in the film, it is certain that we will retaliate. Matthews worries that in declaring war on Iraq, America would not be fighting for the right reasons.
    This article would be a great way to conclude the paper as it demonstrates the significant weight that Rick's character holds, as he is a character whose outlook on world events surpasses the test of time. In 1942, Casablanca was a film that reflected wartime engagement; it grappled with the issues of love, loss, self-sacrifice, and duty. In 2002 and today, the sentiment and message of the film has yet to lose its relevance.

The war in Iraq has thrust GIS and Geospatial technologies into the limelight. Each day the public is presented with maps, imagery, and other spatial data products in an effort to provide a visual representation of the latest developments. The following directory provides some valuable pointers and descriptions of companies that are providing GIS-based solutions to help the public follow the war in Iraq. If you know of additional resources that are of interest please send us some details.

Huge map of baghdad

Great collection of maps.

The Iraq Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization working for democracy and human rights in Iraq, and for a better international understanding of Iraq's potential as a contributor to political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

This guide will help you to use the Penn Library when researching topics on the modern ethnography, history and political situation of Iraq and its people. It describes finding aids, useful reference works, and some web portals for discovering information on Iraq.
Materials containing relevant information are collected chiefly by Van Pelt Library (social sciences and humanities, including history and political science, and area studies, including Middle Eastern studies). The anthropology, ethnography, and archaeology collections of the University Museum Library will also contain useful materials.
BE PERSISTENT! Many terms for topics you'll be researching will have been transliterated into romanized forms. You'll soon discover that there's no one "approved" transliteration style. When searching, first try using the form you know. Look for clues -- controlled vocabulary (e.g., subject headings or uniform titles) that may appear only in full record displays, "see also" or "more info" references -- to discover the transliterated form used by the work you're consulting. Use truncated word forms: read the work's documentation to discover how to truncate. Try omitting punctuation-like characters: some computer interfaces may elide ayn, maddah, and other Arabic transliteration marks. Ask for help! Your instructors have great experience at wrestling with transliteration, and so do reference librarians.

A guide to the Penn Library resources on Iraq -- mostly to the printed resources. Part of the Prrucs project.

Article in Harpers from 2004 describing the lack of reconstruction in Baghdad and describing Baghdad year Zero.

 

The United Nations Development Programme for Iraq reconstruction

The war in Iraq has thrust GIS and Geospatial technologies into the limelight. Each day the public is presented with maps, imagery, and other spatial data products in an effort to provide a visual representation of the latest developments. The following directory provides some valuable pointers and descriptions of companies that are providing GIS-based solutions to help the public follow the war in Iraq. If you know of additional resources that are of interest please send us some details.

bombing in iraq superimposed onto san fransisco map

bombing in iraq superimposed onto san fransisco map

Check this site for energy stats in other countries....Energy Information Administration.

Matthews, Chris. "There's a Little Rick in All of Us" Newsweek, 00289604, 10/28/2002, Vol. 140, Issue 18

In his Newsweek article published shortly before the United States declared war on Iraq, Chris Matthews presents the case that Americans today are as much like Rick Blaine in Casablanca as they have ever been. It is hard to make the choice between protecting America’s interests by staying out of harms way and fighting for just causes to protect the world. Historically America has been the “reluctant warrior,” joining the fight in causes that Americans think are right. Matthews worries that the Bush administration is acting against American history by joining in “entangling alliances.” He fears that Bush is transforming America from “reluctant warriors” into aggressors waiting for a fight.

Casablanca has as much relevance today as ever. The film teaches that it is important to know when the time is right to fight for good and when it is time not to get involved. The danger arises when America decides to fight, but it is not to stick up for dying ethics and morality in the world. The Iraq war is America fighting for the wrong reasons, against the general consensus of what is right. America is not sticking to the model presented by Rick.

The article was published before problems arose and provides a forward thinking view about the dangers of getting involved in Iraq. The contrast between the reasons America got involved in World War II as shown in Casablanca and the reasons that America is going into Iraq, highlight the changes being made by the bush administration.