Democracy Now! December 24, 1998

(14 Minutes) Impact of Iraq Bombings on U.S. - Europe Relations The U.S. led bombing of Iraq last week was criticized heavily by a number of Eropean powers, who saw the 4-day barage as a unilateral act that ignored the position of the world community. Russia responded first by pulling its ambassador to D.C. in protest. After the bombings stopped, Russia's defense minister called on the armed forces of the former Soviet states to cooperate more closely because quote, "The United States has become unpredictable". (36 Minutes) Nike/Soccer Coach On Tuesday, Multinational shoe and apparel maker NIKE announced that it was reducing payments to the NBA and was withholding payments to teams and players due to the prolonged NBA work lockout. The Beaverton, Oregon based company said the move was part of a contingency plan to deal with the NBA's 6-month labor dispute, which they claim has hurt demand for Nike Products. What they failed to point out in their announcement is that Nike's slump in sales may be attributable to its stained image in the U.S. and abroad, an image fostered by its use of sweatshop labor in Asia and Latin America. GUEST: Keady, Jim, former asst. coach for soccer team. GUEST: Johnso, Leo, coordinator of neighborhood center in the Bronx.