Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President,  American Federation of Teachers,
On the Murder of Five Teachers and School Bus Driver In Iraq

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Federation of Teachers strongly condemns the brutal murder of five Iraqi teachers and a school bus driver near Baghdad on Monday by Sunni insurgent forces.  Schools should be safe havens for the children of all nations.  In Iraq, this moral imperative takes on even greater urgency.  If terrorists succeed in turning schools into killing fields, there will be no chance for peace or stability in Iraq.  We urge the Iraqi government and the U.S. and coalition forces to take steps to ensure that schools are free from violence and adequately protected.

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