IRAQ: Official says he warned against the purchase of a defective British anti-bomb device

Record ID: 359233

  • Title: IRAQ: Official says he warned against the purchase of a defective British anti-bomb device
  • Date: 22nd July 2010
  • Summary: POLICEMEN CHECKING CARS AT CHECKPOINT WITH DEVICE POLICEMAN USING DEVICE TO CHECK VEHICLES AT CHECKPOINT IN BAGHDAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AQEEL AL-TURAIHI, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF IRAQ'S INTERIOR MINISTRY, SAYING: "Last month the British Embassy addressed the Foreign Ministry and in turn the Foreign Ministry addressed the Interior Ministry. Only yesterday we received a
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4WJOPS0W6UN2LJKTN5Z5JHZ5D
  • Story Text: Iraq's interior ministry was told not to buy an explosives detector that Britain says does not work, and the purchase of the sensors was tainted by suspected fraud, a senior official said on Monday (July 19).
    Aqeel al-Turaihi, the inspector general of Iraq's Interior Ministry, said he investigated the explosives sensors sold by British firm ATSC before the signing of the deal and found they did not work and were costly. He recommended that Iraq should not buy the devices.
    "We had objections and observations, which we had submitted to the parties concerned, but it seems that there were certain parties at the Interior Ministry which were in favour of the deal. The deal was signed and once again we made our observations. We also received observations on the failure of these devices from respected official parties, for example we received a report from the Oil Ministry and another one from Science and Technology Ministry," Turaihi told Reuters.
    Turaihi has previously said there was "corruption associated with the contract", which he had bought to the attention of the Interior ministry. He did not elaborate on the corruption allegations.
    It was not clear why more was not done after the inspector general's report to prevent more purchases of the device or to take them out of circulation.
    Iraq has spent millions of dollars on the sensors used by soldiers and police at checkpoints to detect explosives in cars.
    Some Iraqi officials have defended the device sold by ATSC, and Turaihi said his initial investigation found it could detect some bombs.
    But Britain's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said in January it would ban exports to Iraq and Afghanistan of the ADE651 sensor, after tests found sensors the did not qualify as bomb detection technology.
    And British police have arrested the owner of the company that markets the gadget on suspicion of fraud.
    Turaihi said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki set up a special high-ranking committee following his initial unfavourable report on the sensors two years ago and British media reports on the failure of the devices.
    That committee also recommended that the device should not be purchased by Iraqi authorities but was not asked to rule on whether the gadgets ought to be taken off the streets. Maliki set up another investigation committee following critical newspaper stories late last year, he said.
    "Last month the British Embassy addressed the Foreign Ministry and in turn the Foreign Ministry addressed the Interior Ministry. Only yesterday we received a report on the opinion of the British government on the devices. They (The British Embassy) said that tests carried out on these devices have proved that these devices have no efficiency, indicating that these devices are but a ploy."
    Suspected al Qaeda insurgents have conducted major assaults on the Iraqi capital over the past year in which hundreds of people have died. The attackers managed to get cars, trucks and buses laden with explosives through the multiple checkpoints that choke Baghdad's main arteries.
    Iraqi lawmakers have demanded that security forces stop using the detectors and that the government try to get its money back. Iraq has reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars on the devices.
    Turaihi called for more strict measures against those involved in the deal.
    "I think, that such a big deal has to be dealt with in a serious and strict manner, because as I have said it is not only a waste of public money, but also a waste of the Iraqi blood and the blood of people in general. I also call for a joint comprehensive investigation with the British side".
    Turaihi said that inspector generals were frequent targets of militant attacks because they fight corruption. He cited 41 cases when inspector generals had been killed since the establishment of the Inspector General Office in 2005-2006.
    "The inspector general or the employees at the Inspector General Office are not only targeted by the terrorists, but they are also targeted by the corrupt people. At the same time I want to say, even if we do not have evidence until now but we we are working to find out, that corruption finances terrorism. I think, though I do not have documents, but I have my speculations and fear that corruption is financing terrorist activities."
    The handheld gadgets have an antenna that is supposed to swivel when they detect traces of chemicals. The British Broadcasting Corporation has said it had given one of the devices to a laboratory and found it contained the same crude components as anti-theft tags used in shops.
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