The Lancet, a leading medical journal, has requested that its parent company, Reed Elsevier [3], divest itself of business interests that "threaten human health." The magazine's editor made the request after learning that Spearhead Exhibitions, a Reed Elsevier subsidiary, organised the Defence Systems and Equipment international [4] (DSEi) arms fair, which opens this week in London. At the 2003 DSEi exhibition, some of the arms merchants displaying their wares sold cluster bombs. While the company promotes [5] its corporate social responsibility [6] credentials, Reed Elsevier Group spokesman Stephen J. Cowden was unmoved by The Lancet's appeal. Citing its role as a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact [7], Cowden wrote [8] that "it is our view that the defence industry is necessary for upholding national security for the preservation of democratic values." He did not address specific concerns about cluster bombs.