This photo shows an Iraqi soldier with an ADE 651. If there is a bomb in that car, then that device won’t detect it.
After Tony Blair spending British taxpayers’ money on searching paranormally for non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq … after non-scientific conmen landing top “scientific” bureaucratic jobs in the government of Israel and of New Zealand … now this.
From Popular Science:
How A Millionaire Sold Fake Bomb Detectors To Governments All Over The World
The British businessman’s fraud likely killed many soldiers who relied on the bogus devices to detect explosives.
Posted 04.24.2013 at 4:23 pm
It turns out someone can make millions in defense technology without any skill, innovation, or relevant expertise. Instead, as businessman James McCormick found out, it just takes some snakeoil, salesmanship, hubris, a couple bribes, and a lack of scruples. A London court found McCormick guilty of fraud on April 24.
McCormick sold his product as a bomb detection tool to governments experiencing internal violence and bomb attacks, including Iraq. Commonly labeled ADE 651, it was also sold as GT2000 or Alpha 6, with a $40,000 price tag.
The science behind the device is simple: It doesn’t work. It lacks any working electronic components that could conceivably resemble something that worked. Based on a $20 novelty golf ball finder, the device resembles nothing so much as a dowsing rod.
How did he manage to sell $75 million worth of useless product? In 2010, McCormick’s company was under investigation in Iraq, with a report by the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior noting “that many lives have been lost due to the wands’ utter ineffectiveness.” That report and investigation was later quashed. Why? The fact that “75% of the value of the contract went to kickbacks received by [Iraqi] officials” might explain some of it. Corruption was also involved in sales of the device to Mexico and Thailand.
Watch James Randi discuss the magical thinking that allowed McCormick to sell so many fake devices:
This video says about itself:
Jan 23, 2010
James Randi discusses James McCormick and his arrest on fraud charges for his “bomb dowsing” device, the ADE 651.
20 August 2013. A conman who sold cheap and “useless” bomb detectors for thousands of pounds around the world has been jailed for seven years: here.
Exclusive: Iraq still using bogus bomb detectors – and thousands pay the price. More than 4,500 people have been killed since the conviction of UK businessman, James McCormick, in April: here.
The fake bomb detectors that have cost countless lives and over $800 million.
Egypt plane crash: ‘Fake’ bomb detectors being used by hotel security guards searching for explosives. The devices seen are believed to be similar to British fakes like this one, manufactured by a couple in Bedfordshire: here.
Related articles
- Millionaire businessman James McCormick found guilty of selling fake bomb detectors (independent.co.uk)
- Man faces jail after £50m fake bomb detector scam (scotsman.com)
- James McCormick who made £50m selling fake bomb detectors bribed Iraqi officials to win huge contract (dailymail.co.uk)
- U.K. businessman James McCormick convicted of selling golf ball finders as bomb detectors to Iraq (cbsnews.com)
- Somerset businessman found guilty of selling fake bomb detectors to Iraq (guardian.co.uk)
- Conman James McCormick sold golf ball finders as bomb detectors in £50m global scam (mirror.co.uk)
- Businessman James McCormick made £50m selling fake bomb detectors based on novelty golf ball machine and they are still used in Iraq (dailymail.co.uk)
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
Reblogged this on Ban Tear Gas Now! and commented:
One more example of why we should stop trusting military suppliers to tell us what’s safe. With even MORE direct evidence of soldiers being harmed (since foreign civilians seem to go unnoticed), will the public finally step up and demand accountability from our leaders? What will it take to get the public off their butts and on the phones with their representatives? Or better yet, when will more citizens start actively protesting government offices for an end to irresponsible military spending?
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Yes, you are right.
More about soldiers being harmed: Rumsfeld’s refusal of body armour:
Dick Cheney’s KBR poisoning soldiers in Iraq:
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Thank you for these links.
Part of what’s frustrating about this situation is that soldiers are put into positions (and some out there may argue that they put themselves into these situations, but that’s a whole debate in itself) where they have to follow orders despite their conscience, and despite the danger to themselves and others, or risk punishment for speaking out or refusing orders they disagree with.
It saddens me to know how many friends signed up based on lies of the Bush regime in the hopes of doing what’s right and protecting innocent lives, and how they and others have suffered as a result.
This is a whole essay in the making.
In the meantime, keep speaking out!
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Thank you for this comment.
During the Nuremberg trials, it was decided soldiers should not obey orders violating human rights. This is a rule of international law.
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Well, we’ve seen how that turns out in the US.
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Les escrocs sont partout et sur tous les niveaux.
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Yes, they may be at the top level too … as the blog post says about Tony Blair and his “paranormal” WMD search in Iraq.
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Fake bomb detector man jailed for decade
Conman James McCormick, who is estimated to have made £50 million from selling fake bomb detectors, was jailed for 10 years today.
Mr McCormick was found guilty at the Old Bailey last week of three counts of fraud after jurors heard he had flogged off “novelty golf-ball detectors.”
He sold three different but all equally useless models to Iraq, Belgium and even the United Nations for use in Lebanon.
http://morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/132414
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