Muslims from all over the world study chemistry, biology, nuclear science and other "scary" courses. What are we to do. Either shut down universities or become racists? We have become too terrorised since 9/11. This means terrorists have succeeded. Well done Blair.

Timothy, Manchester, UK

Would you rather have the Iranians learn their trade in Russia, China or India? Have you ever thought of the consequences of pushing Iran into the Russian & Chinese camp. If this happens be prepared to lose central asia and eventually the Middle East as a Western sphere of influence. The problem with contempory geopolitical diplomacy concerning Iran is that the West keeps on assuming Iran is nothing other than another Banana Republic or another collonial creation and this is why we keep on coming short handed in our negotiations with Iran. Behind the facade of the Mullahs the Iranians are a far more sophisticated society and until be accept them as equals we will always be at odds with them and most likely to our detriment. Remember these are the same people that beheaded four Roman emperors, spanked Mark Anthony and humiliated Caesar. They taught the game chess, invented Algebra and were the first to impose Human Rights.

Michael, San Diego, CA

We will not learn until a mushroom cloud envelops London, and even then there will be some asking how this could have happened. Socialists love "peaceful coexistence", "appeasement", and "engaging the enemy". Unfortunately, they will not realize their folly until it is too late.

Jay, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Well if Iranian students are not well come in UK then how come there are lots of joint venture program between Iranian universities and UK academic institute such as Birmingham and Kingston which let 120 Iranian students to come in UK each year and take apart in engineering courses. At the moment an Iranian student pays overseas tuition fee which is about £10000 per a year on average (it may vary from one university to another) that is tree times more than EU tuition fee. It simply highlights that British universities need money to overcome their expenses and with out foreign student they would not be able to provide any proper education for home and EU students or implement any further research. So simply if British universities is being attacked by Iranian students why don’t UK stop all its academic relation with Iran and find another alternative source to raise money for its education system.

Babak, Bedfordshire, UK

I can't speak for nuclear physics but in microbiology, culturing potential biological agents is relatively simple. It is disseminating the biological agent to a large enough potential population target that is the problem and these skills are unlikely to be taught in any university, British or otherwise. As for the comments of 'Ed of Bradford', there is a great difference between America and Iran possessing nuclear weapons. The first is a democratic country possessing a whole series of checks on the use of nuclear weapons, the second, a theocracy mired in the dark ages with an irrational, possibly insane leader and an uncertain agenda. There is no comparison between the two whatsoever.

David Lea-Smith, Edinburgh, U.K.

My late father always swore that the "Foreign Office should be paid for by the bloody foreigners - that who they work for" - needless to say I did not agree with him.

As with so many other of his views, I have now grown in understanding and agree totally - I only wish I could apologise in person!

Mike Bibby, St Albans, `England -not EU

It appears that UK wakes up late! When Iran has been under extremist Islamic religious rule for a long time, it is wrong to admit Iranian students to sensitive areas such as nuclear physics.

Why commit such mistakes repeatedly and regret later!
Regards,

Krishna R. Kumar, Udupi, India

Lets be straight for once. The chattering do-gooder class that Labour government champions are barking mad when they declare in their contorted innocence "why should America have the nuclear weapons and the rest of the world not"

They have obviously eaten one too many lettuce leafs.

As this Labour government is married to statistics and polls, it is left up to the media and small pressure groups to stear them to a sensible course. Perhaps now that this situation
has been pointed out they might just do something about it.

Glad to also see someone fron Aucland voicing the death wish the English have in voting in Labour so many times. The thing is the English have done so well economically, and with foreigners now doing most of the dirty work, and without
the right to vote, its a pretty rosy situation for them.

Regardless of wether control over fissile material, is in an ideal world the solution. Why invite your potential enemy in and reveal all your secrets! Barking!

miguel, gijon, spain

Funnily enough, the very country that is attacking Iran for possessing nuclear bombs is in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And what did Mahmood Ahmedinejad actually say?
Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad."
meaning
"The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time".
Ahmedinejad never said that he would wipe Israel off the face of the map.

Ed, Bradford,

"Last week America intensified its economic sanctions against Tehran because of the refusal of President Mahmoud Ahmadine-jad to comply with international demands to open the country’s nuclear programme to inspection. Iran insists its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes"

If its for peaceful purposes, then why not open the programme for inspection?

If things are hotting up that much in Iran, i do not think our universities should allow iranian students to study sensitive subjects. By doing this we are potentially aiding the enemy and possibly our own downfall.

Labour could be the problem, but either way, Britain has become the "soft touch" of the world, We need to toughen up and choose sides. Which no one in the government seems to be able to do.

Mark, Kingswinford, England

Have you seen what 'domestic' students get upto in freshers week? Surely we should be more concerned about imparting knowledge on the undeserving of our own as well...

Farrukh, Woking, UK

The government need to be continuously pressed on this crucial issue. Are they allowing this country to be used by to export lethal technology to hostile countries. Someone in the Foreign Office and Security Services are not doing their job and should be held accountable.

Leonard, London,

Lilly livered academics will happily take care of educational needs of "poor foreigners" in the belief that knowledge is value free.

Too many academics in the UK will spout a fashionable anti-British/anti-imperialist agenda and happily become a useful idiots.

Halo DS, London,

I seem to remember the infamous 'Dr Germ' (aka Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha al-Azawi) of Iraq was also one of the UK's distinguished research alumni, on a UK govt scholarship no doubt. I would have added the words 'University of East Anglia' but they don't really go into the same sentence as 'distinguished'.

You people really do seem to have a death wish after voting in Labour 3 times on the trot.

Ben in New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand

Oh come on. This has been a known problem for decades, especially in the US. However, foreign graduate students are willing to work cheap and Professors need them to do the research under the cost pressures of grants in an academic setting.

The export of knowledge has already enabled many foreign graduates to return home to establish technology businesses which directly compete with their former host country.

In particular, the fundamental knowledge to build a crude nuclear device is not hard to come by at all, especially for anyone who has taken university level calculus, chemistry, and physics and who likes to read physics history. The engineering problem is a bit more challenging, but it has been solved many times over in advanced undergraduate physics classes.

Control of fissile material is the only solution to the proliferation issue! Enrichment is the technological barrier which takes a governmental level of funding to accomplish. The knowledge is almost trivial.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA