August 2, 2006

Baghdad: A large number of professors at Baghdad universities are fleeing the country, fearing abduction and assassination by anonymous armed groups.

M. S, a professor at the University of Baghdad, who spoke on condition of unanimity for security reasons, told Gulf News that more than 25 professors have already left Iraq for Jordan.

"Between 70 and 82 university professors have left to Amman or Damascus fleeing potential assassination attempts, while other professors are getting ready to leave for good," he added.

According to official figures released by the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, 289 university professors were killed in the last three years, from all sects and ethnic groups.

This indicated that the killings were carried out on the ground of scientific identity.

A report on brain drain by the investigation committee, which was set up by former minister of education Sami Al Mudhaffar, showed a high rise in the number of assassinated professors after the explosion of the Shiite Shrine in Samara.

The Shiite shrines, which were bombed in Samaraa last February, brought the number of assassinations to 450 people, including university professors and physicians, because militia men and parties resorted to kill highly educated people and academicians and holders of high scientific certificates.

The report also indicates that more than 900 Iraqi professors left Iraq to work in the neighbouring Jordanian universities, while 200 others are working currently in the universities of Yemen.

Fakhri Al Qaisi, assistant dean of the College of Dentistry, told Gulf News: "Professors in all medical departments are panic-stricken, while many others, have fled to neighbouring and other countries."

"It is noted that most dentistry section professors have received letters of threat. The assassinations are linked to Israeli Mossad," Al Qaisi said.

He claimed that that the Iraqi National Congress Party began abducting physicians and university professors after the US occupation, a time when assassinations increased dramatically and that the party was backed by the Mossad.

Members in the National Congress Party refuted these allegations, saying that this is a Baathist, Arab Sunni campaign to distort the role of Ahmad Chalabi in liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussain's regime.

But the questions now being asked by common Iraqis in the street and by politicians are whether Mossad really exists in Iraq and, if so, where its operations centres are and which Iraqi parties are supporting it?

Omar Al Hajj, a professor at the University of Technology said: "Death squads accused of killing Iraqi professionals and scientists are the same forces that invaded Iraq, looted its museums and stole its banks."

"They are also the same parties, which, abduct businessmen and foreigners for high ransoms."