Lancet attacks its owner over promotion of arms trade

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

THE LANCET, bible of the world’s medical industry, has attacked its proprietor, the FTSE 100 media group Reed Elsevier, for playing a key role in aiding the international weapons trade.

As Reed prepares to stage the DSEi arms conference in London’s Dockland next week, the journal has called on the group to sever “all business interests that threaten human, and especially civilian, health and wellbeing”.

The Lancet, edited by Dr Richard Horton, says in a leader column today that senior editors and its International Advisory Board had been unaware of Reed’s involvement with DSEi until a few weeks ago. The conference, one of the largest showcases of military hardware and technology, is being staged by Spearhead, a division of Reed Exhibitions, with the Ministry of Defence.

“We are deeply troubled by this connection,” The Lancet says. “(Reed Elsevier) has never wavered in backing the journal’s editorial independence, as proven by the publication of this leader comment. We cannot believe that Reed Elsevier wishes to jeopardise that commitment by its presence in a business that so selfevidently damages its reputation as a healthscience publisher.”

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Stephen Cowden, Reed’s company secretary, responds in a separate letter that the defence industry “is central to the preservation of freedom and national security”.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9071-1772114,00.html


Campaign Against Arms Trade
http://www.caat.org.uk/