Reflection of the Chemical Attack on Halabja in 1988 in the Coverage of the American Newspaper, the New York Times

Abstract

The chemical attack on Halabja on March 16, 1988 is one of the most tragic events in the history of the Kurdish people in Iraq. In this context, this study, entitled "The Reflection of the 1988 Chemical Attack on Halabja in the Coverage of the New York Times", addresses this horrific human crime in the twentieth century, with the aim of analyzing how the New York Times covered the incident. The study includes several main sections. The first section begins with the title "The Historical and Political Background of the Incident", and consists of three main axes, such as the background of the Iraq-Iran War and the details of the Halabja chemical attack in 1988, along with local and international reactions to the incident. The study also sheds light on the causes of this attack and its repercussions by analyzing reports published in newspapers, including the American Washington Post and the French Le Monde. As for the second section, entitled "The New York Times' Coverage of the Chemical Attack", it focuses on analyzing the press coverage of the incident through three axes, which include two prominent reports prepared by the newspaper. At the end of the study, the last section is devoted to examining "The Position of Countries and Regional Powers on the Chemical Attack on Halabja". This study focuses on the positions of countries such as: Iran, Turkey, Arab countries, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Western European countries. The study aims to shed light on the different reactions to this tragic event, and to analyze the humanitarian and political dimensions that resulted from it.