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6. NATO Defends Private Economic Interests in the Balkans community services are handled by unpaid volunteers. The value of cash reserves and real estate totals over US$1 billion, yet only 16 per cent of funds go into direct services for cancer victims. Conflicts of interest affect ACS's approach to cancer preven- tion. With a philosophy that emphasises faulty lifestyles rather than environmental hazards, the ACS has refused to provide sci- entific testimony needed for the regulation of occupational and environmental carcinogens. The Board of Trustees includes cor- porate executives from industries with a vested interest in manu- facturing both environmental carcinogens and anti-cancer drugs. Source: Samuel S. Epstein (epstein@uic.edu), "American Cancer Society: The World's Wealthiest 'Non-profit' Institution", International Journal of Health Services, vol. 29, no. 3, 1999. 16 per cent of funds go into direct s 7 As a result of NATO's success in the military conflicts of Conflicts of interest affect ACS's approach to cancer preven- Bosnia and Kosovo, NATO's member nations have been provided tion. With a philosophy that emphasises faulty lifestyles rather with the political and economic opportunities to partake in the than environmental hazards, the ACS has refused to provide sci- exploitation of the significant mineral resources in the Balkans. entific testimony needed for the regulation of occupational and In addition, Western multinational corporations are now well environmental carcinogens. The Board of Trustees includes cor- positioned to access the lucrative oil refining industry needed at a porate executives from industries with a vested interest in manu- terminal end of the pipeline, as per the agreement which was for- facturing both environmental carcinogens and anti-cancer drugs. mally signed last November by President Clinton and the presi- Source: Samuel S. Epstein (epstein@uic.edu), "American Cancer dents of four key Caspian-region nations. The proposed pipeline Society: The World's Wealthiest 'Non-profit' Institution", routes will divert oil and gas from the Caspian Sea area to either International Journal of Health Services, vol. 29, no. 3, 1999. Mediterranean or Eastern European terminals for export to the Western nations, thus avoiding the competing interests of either 4. American Sweatshops Sew US Military Uniforms Russia or Iran. The US Department of Defense (DoD) has $1 billion invested Successful re-establishment of NATO's military presence in the in the garment industry, making it the country's 14th largest retail Balkans has made real the goal of a leaked 1992 document of a apparel outlet. Lion Apparel contracts with Pentagon plan to preserve NATO as the pri- the DoD to produce military uniforms, yet the mary instrument for Western security inter- company's workplace conditions are dismal ests as well as the channel for US influence and remain virtually unregulated by the US and participation in European affairs. Government. Lion employees are mostly Sources: Diana Johnstone (107764.116@ women who are paid as little as $5.50 per 0 compuserve.com), "The Role of Caspian Sea hour. According to records obtained by NATO s member Oil in the Balkan Conflict", Women Against Mother Jones through a Freedom of nations have been Military Madness, November 1998, and Information request, the Occupational Safety . . Sonoma County Peace Press, April/May and Health Administration (OSHA) cited provided with the 1999; Sara Flounders (iacenter@ Lion Apparel 32 times for safety and health uae iacenter.org), "Kosovo: It's About the violations in the past 12 years. Employees in political and Mines", Because People Matter, May/June a Kentucky plant are subjected to formalde- economic 1999, reprinted from Workers World, 30 July hyde fumes that cause shortness of breath, _ 1998; Pratap Chatterjee (pchatterjee@ headaches and skin rashes. opportunities to igc.org), "Caspian Pipe Dreams", The San Efforts to unionise workers have failed because, union leaders claim, the compa- ny managed to evade a federal law pro- hibiting the threat of plant closures. The military continues to refuse to sign the garment industry's anti-sweatshop code of conduct. Despite the coverage provided by this article, the author estimates that there are still 10,000 American women sewing government uniforms, often in unsani- tary, unsafe conditions. Source: Mark Boal, "An American Sweatshop", Mother Jones, May/June 1999. Francisco Bay Guardian, 16 December 1999. partake in the exploitation of the significant mineral resources in the Balkans. 7. US Media Reduce Foreign Coverage Coverage of foreign news by the US media industry reflects a continuing downward trend, despite evidence that the American public wants more interna- tional information. Pollsters reveal that most Americans rely on television for national and inter- national news. Unfortunately, major network coverage of foreign news is cur- rently seven to 12 per cent and drop- ping—a sharp contrast to the at least 40 5. Turkey Destroys Kurdish Villages with US Weapons per cent coverage during the heydays of Cronkite, Chancellor and In 1995, the Clinton Administration recognised that the Turkish Reynolds. Government used American arms in domestic military operations Coverage in print media is also down in large metro-area news where human rights abuses occurred. In fact, Turkey has forcibly markets. An example is the drop in coverage by the Indianapolis evacuated, levelled and burned more than 3,000 Kurdish villages Star from 5,100 column inches within a 30-day period in in the past decade. Most of the atrocities, which have cost over November 1977 to 1,170 column inches in 1997—a 23 per cent 40,000 lives, took place during Clinton's first term in office. drop over those two decades. As an ally of the US through NATO, Turkey receives US Despite a critical examination by the Project for Excellence in weapons from dozens of companies including Hughes, Boeing, Journalism and the continued campaign of the American Society Raytheon and General Dynamics. Despite a horrifying Amnesty of Newspaper Editors, major market editors seem to continue to International report on violent abuse, the State Department passed focus on the production of a media diet of crime news, celebrity arms deals with Turkey. The war in Turkey represents the great- gossip and soft features in an effort to gain more market share and est use of US weapons in combat anywhere in the world today. an increase in profit margins. Source: Kevin McKeirnan (kevinmck@silcom.com), The Bulletin Source: Peter Arnett (parnett348@aol), "Good-bye World", of Atomic Scientists, March/April 1999. American Journalism Review, November 1998. economic opportunities to partake in the exploitation of the significant mineral Balkans. 18 - NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2000 NATO's member nations have been provided with the political and resources in the