UNESCO calls for building 400 schools in Iraq, after 400 missile strikes

Director General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, proposed Wednesday the construction of 400 schools in Iraq after the 400 missile strikes by the USA and Britain.

"If we were able to send 400 missiles, let's build 400 schools now. Let's replace war with education, bombs with books and missiles with schoolteachers. Otherwise, we will produce evidence once again that we are a society ready for war but not for peace," Mayor told a Spanish local radio station.

For the UNESCO chief, Iraq's failure to give the UN mission free access is no reason for expensive military operations. He added that the UN Security Council should be respected, stressing that military actions will not help settle the problem.

He further deplored that sanctions never affect presidents nor authorities. They only affect societies, mainly children and women, he said.