The AAUP sent the following letter in response to the news of mass kidnappings at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Scholarship and Cultural Relations Directorate in Iraq. As of November 15, officials of the Iraqi government were reporting that all but two of the hostages had been released. However, according to news service reports, officials of the Ministry of Higher Education say that many more hostages are still being held.
November 14, 2006
Honorable Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq
Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie
c/o Embassy of Iraq
1801 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036 USA
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
Embassy of the United States
APO AE 09316
Baghdad, Iraq USA
Dear Sirs:
I write on behalf of the American Association of University Professors to express alarm over the terrible assault earlier today on the offices of the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. Our most immediate concern is for the safe return of the dozens of people reported abducted. The assault—which we hope is only a kidnapping but fear is worse—is a major escalation of a long-standing campaign of violence undermining Iraq’s higher education sector in which many Iraqi academics have been killed or forced into hiding and exile because of fears of kidnapping and assassination.
This situation demands a significant and immediate increase in the security dedicated to protecting higher education facilities and personnel in Iraq. Such action is essential to preserving the physical and intellectual capacity of Iraq’s higher education institutions and their most valuable and irreplaceable resources—the trained Iraqi faculty members who are needed to help with rebuilding the country and training future Iraqi leaders and decision makers.
Today’s outrage must be confronted and the world assured that the government of Iraq is capable of dealing resolutely and swiftly with this unprecedented violence.
Sincerely,
Roger W. Bowen
General Secretary
Copies to:
Senator Harry Reid
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: 202-224-7327
Representative Nancy Pelosi
2371 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA