Publisher to End Arms Affair

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A display at a DSEI exhibition

Reed Elsevier, a major publishing company, has bowed to pressure from peace groups and academics, announcing that it will end its role in organizing arms fairs by the end of the year. Reed Exhibitions, a division of Reed Elsevier, organizes events including the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI) in London in September, IDEX in Abu Dhabi and the Latin American Aero and Defence exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. In a media statement, the company stated that "the defence shows are no longer compatible with Reed Elsevier's position as a leading publisher of scientific, medical, legal and business content." The Campaign Against Arms Trade welcomed the decision as did the medical journal The Lancet, which is published by Reed Elsevier. In 2005 the company defended its role in organizing weapons shows on the grounds that the defense industry was "necessary for upholding national security for the preservation of democratic values."