| Insurgents are killing at least one and as many as five Iraqi intellectuals every month, hoping to stop people from working with the U.S.-led coalition, American spokesmen said yesterday. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy operations chief, said the number of attacks against Iraq’s intelligentsia such as professors, doctors, lawyers, judges and managers has stayed in the range of 10 to 15 per month, resulting in roughly one to five deaths. However, the number "goes up dramatically" if the attacks against Iraqi police are taken into account, he said. "The focus by the insurgents ... is to break our will by isolating us with attacks against all these institutions," said coalition spokesman Dan Senor, adding that despite the attacks, more and more intellectuals and professionals are coming forward to help thwart the insurgents’ aims. |