Opinion: Academic Abductions

The dirty hands of terrorists have abducted Alaa Jasim al-Harbi, professor of history at al-Mustansiriya University. Al-Harbi is a famous academic who writes articles for this newspaper defending Iraqis’ interests. The total number of academics who have been abducted comes to more than 300, and their location and fate remain unknown. The reason for targeting lecturers is to deprive the country of its elite and to prevent young people benefiting from their knowledge. The government should find ways to protect professors and other elite figures so as to prevent terrorists from practicing their deadly skills of murder and abduction. Otherwise, most of them will flee to save themselves and their families. They must be housed in well-protected complexes or accompanied by bodyguards to protect them from criminal attack. Targeting professors is not part of the random wave of killings and kidnappings sweeping Iraq; it is an organised criminal act aimed at future of our country.