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Iraqi universities in the aftermath of invasion in 2003 experienced extremely high levels of “post”-war violence and insecurity. The most widely known dimension of this violence is the shocking assassination campaign that killed hundreds of Iraqi academics. This paper provides an analysis of violence and insecurity in post-2003 that takes a broader optic and considers multiple forms of vulnerability to attack including insurgencies, sectarian conflict, and criminal violence. It also considers the various responses to the security dilemma taken by Coalition forces – principally counter-terrorism and stabilization efforts – and by Iraqi policy-makers and higher education communities, including security measures, politicization, ethno-sectarianization, and displacement.

The paper attempts to provide an outline account of the development and context of scientific and technical communication during the twentieth century. The main channels and forms of communication are reviewed, and their changing contributions to the overall pattern of information flow. The ever‐increasing volume and diversity of scientific and technical information are emphasised. The paper concludes with some reflections on what may be learnt from this history.

Virtually all UK and US newspapers and the vast majority of regional and even local titles are now represented on the web. Indeed, the Yahoo news and media directory lists no less than 114 UK newspapers online (as of November 1998). Broadcasters from the BBC and Sky downwards, and all the famous news agencies (Press Association, Reuters etc.) also boast comprehensive Internet services. With such an array of sources available, the future of mass access to the Internet, possibly via TV terminals, suggests that more and more people may soon opt for this medium to receive the bulk of their news information. This paper gives an overview of the characteristics of the medium illustrated with examples of how these are being used to both facilitate and enhance the content and dissemination of the news product. These characteristics include hyperlinking to external information sources, providing archive access to past reports, reader interactivity and other features not possible to incorporate into more passive media such as the hardcopy newspaper. From a survey of UK and US news providers it is clear that American newspapers are exploiting the advantages of web information dissemination to a far greater extent than their British counterparts, with the notable exception of The Electronic Telegraph. UK broadcasters, however, generally appear to have adapted better to the new medium, with the BBC rivaling CNN in its depth and extent of news coverage, use of links and other elements.

Analyses the “dumbing down” syndrome highlighting main quotes from BBC online, Kirkus Reviews and an interview between Roan Hoag of Amazon.xom and Pete Hamill whose book “News is a Verb” which attempts to unmask US journalism’s dumbing down. Looks at various tabloid‐style choices of sensational headlines giving examples of these. Concludes that unlike the technology world, newspaper and broadcasting world is full of dreamers staring only at their own reflection!.

The purpose of this paper is to explicate the influence of US national security approach on the Thai Government's national security, the criticisms on the US and Thai intelligence communities and ethical debates on national databases, including the introduction of the concepts of “spiritual computing” and Buddhism to the ethical aspect of intelligence databases.

The methodology of this paper is based on the interpretative approach which includes literature survey and interviews of the intelligence community (IC) in Thailand. The relevant literature survey consists of the literature on US intelligence databases for Homeland Security, criticisms of the IC, the ethical debate on national databases in the USA, the Thai National Security Council, ethical debates on the Internal Security Act and Computer Crime Act, Buddhism and “spiritual computing.”

The findings reflect that the US model of national security has significant influence on the Thai intelligence approach and application of IT for national security while both intelligence communities have similar intelligence problems and have raised ethical debates on violations of human rights.

The research limitations include the nature of the topic which is a closed subject under legal restrictions in Thailand so that the sources of official information could not be disclosed nor elaborated in details; and literature on this topic has not been widely available except unclassified information which limits a more in‐depth investigation and analysis.

The value of this paper lies in being the first attempt to throw light on a “forbidden” subject in Thailand by discussing the US experiences against the Thai case study. The application of “spiritual computing” and Buddhist precepts to the context of national security and intelligence databases could be a starting point for developing a “happier” and “successful” IC and possibly open a new approach to national security.