Why do Iraqis think the Emperor is wearing clothes?

In a country where we started a war looking for weapons that didn't exist, Iraqis are now searching for real weapons using technology that doesn't exist. It was reported in the New York Times yesterday that a "Bomb Detector" being used in Iraq is seen as useless by American military officials and "Technical Experts." The "Bomb Detector" is a handheld wand that is supposed to point to cars when there are guns or explosives inside. It doesn't work. According to US Military generals and technical experts it is something that they never use.

Yet Iraqis have bought 1500 of these at up to 60,000 dollars a piece from a British company that makes incredible claims about their abilities. All over the country these are used at checkpoints in what is basically a shadow game of protection. Though Iraqis are no safer, they may get a false sense of security from what is essentially a magic 8 ball.

This would be funny if it weren't frighteningly real and being used in a war torn country. The depravity of selling something like this to developing countries is beyond opportunism, it is shameful. In Iraq, not just the US, people continue to buy into infomercial claims and refuse to accept that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Real bomb detection machines, such as those used at airports are bulky and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It's sad when a product being used by the military is worse than using nothing. Because now for with a false sense of safety, there is no impetus for change. The US government along with the Iraqi parliament should demand that the ADE 651, made by ATSC (UK) Ltd., either show that the product works, or refund the money to Iraq. There is no room for magic in a war zone, and there should be no tolerance of this blatant manipulation of an army that is putting an entire population at risk.