BHOPAL HOAX

Perhaps you heard a Dow Chemical spokesman tell the BBC his employer admitted responsibility for the deaths of more than 10,000 people in a gas leak in Bhopal, India, 20 years ago and would compensate their families for their losses from a $12 billion fund.

Don't hold your breath. It's an elaborate hoax by a purported member of The Yes Men, whose stated purpose is to "impersonate big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them. Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else."

The stunt forced Dow Chemical (who now owns the Union Carbide plant involved in the Bhopal leak) to put out a statement:

Dow will NOT commit ANY funds to compensate and treat 120,000 Bhopal residents who require lifelong care. ... Dow will NOT remediate (clean up) the Bhopal plant site. ... Dow's sole and unique responsibility is to its shareholders, and Dow CANNOT do anything that goes against its bottom line unless forced to by law.

Gotta love it.