Flashermac Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gt200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 A BBC Newsnight investigation of the GT200 in January 2010 found that the "sensor card" contained merely two sheets of card between which was sandwiched a sheet of paper, white on one side and black on the other, that had been cut off from a larger sheet with a knife or scissors. It contained no electronic components whatsoever. When the device's case was dismantled, it too was found to contain no electronic components. Explosives expert Sidney Alford told Newsnight: "Speaking as a professional, I would say that is an empty plastic case." Gary Bolton of Global Technical said that the lack of any electronic parts "does not mean it does not operate to the specification." A GT200 unit was examined on Thailand's Nation Channel in an interview with Lt Col Somchai Chalermsuksan of the Thai Central Institute of Forensic Science. The host commented that "there is no battery here or way of powering it" and that the bottom half of the device was completely empty. Asked if there was anything in the sealed top half of the device, Lt [color:red]Col Somchai[/color] said: "There is nothing. Once there was an accident and the device came apart. There was nothing inside." The host concluded: "So it is just two pieces of plastic put together." :content: Wikipedia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 From that wiki article, appears that the shit is about to hit the fan in Mexico as well. They appear to have been taken in almost as bad as Thailand. I really like Kenya using it to catch poachers by detecting ivory TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 << On one occasion the device was reported to have "incriminated the top of a coconut tree", though the alert turned out to have been triggered by a plastic bag with vegetable oil inside. >> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallenda Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 from the Wikipedia article... According to Lt Gen Daopong Rattansuwan, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Army, [color:red]each GT200 bought by the army cost 900,000 baht (£17,000/$27,000), rising to 1.2 million baht (£22,000/$36,000) if 21 "sensor cards" were included with it[/color]. In total, Thailand's government and security forces have spent between 800-900 million baht ($21 million) on the devices. A BBC Newsnight investigation of the GT200 in January 2010 found that [color:red]the "sensor card" contained merely two sheets of card between which was sandwiched a sheet of paper, white on one side and black on the other, that had been cut off from a larger sheet with a knife or scissors[/color]. It contained no electronic components whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Bangkok Post 25 Feb 2010 Will PM dare probe military's purchase procedures? One does not need a million-baht device to detect a rift - even a hairline one - between the army and the government led by PM Abhisit Vejjajiva. The majority of the Thai public would have believed that the controversial GT200 bomb detecting device was a hoax, after PM Abhisit announced the results of tests conducted by the Ministry of Science. The PM insisted the device should no longer be in use, especially against [color:red]human suspects[/color]. The majority of the Thai public, however, could be forgiven for feeling a little baffled because, a few days later, army commander General Anupong Paojinda led a panel of more than 100 military top brass and soldiers operating in the restive South and border areas, in saying that they would continue using the GT200 device despite its having flunked the efficiency test. "I recognise the scientific test results. I am not going against the PM. I only want the public to understand why the army bought the device and I would like to allow soldiers who are using it to say for themselves whether they find it useful. I am not engaged in a conflict with the PM. People who say that are assuming too much," Gen Anupong said. Still, the serious and totally defensive manner in which the army's top brass came out en masse to defend themselves and the procurement procedure, caused confusion. Whom should the public believe? The army? The PM? The Ministry of Science? Or the army commander? More importantly, the conflicting messages made by the PM and the army chief have people wondering whether these two leaders were still playing on the same team. Against the simmering background of events leading up to Judgement Day when the verdict on the 76-billion-baht assets of the Shinawatra family will be known, the differences in opinion between the government and the army have inevitably escalated the tension, confusion and paranoia. What was notable during Gen Anupong's press conference was the deflecting of responsibility. It was the soldiers in the South who wanted the device and requested that the army buy it for them! The more than 700 GT200 hand-held scanners in use by the army were bought during the tenure of Gen Anupong, who has survived four governments. The purchases had been made non-stop - 59 during the premiership of Surayud Chulanont, 107 under the late Samak Sundaravej, 44 under Somchai Wongsawat and 547 under the incumbent premier. Besides its questionable functionality, the price which the army paid for the device was higher than that paid by other agencies for the same instrument. Gen Anupong said he is ready for any probe into the army's procurement process. It would be up to his supervisor to consider. Although Gen Anupong claimed that the GT200 had been able to detect bombs as many as 300-400 times, he did not specify the percentage or ratio these successful cases represented out of the total number of times such devices were used. Most important of all, he declared that the soldiers could still use the questionable device because "operators on the ground still trust its effectiveness". Unsurprisingly, the army's decision to tacitly stand by the GT200, at least for now, has given rise to the belief that the army does not trust the Ministry of Science's tests because "it was conducted in a controlled atmosphere, not in a real setting". Also, sources in the army revealed that the top brass were miffed that the PM gave too much importance to the scientific testing and too little to Gen Anupong's image. The whole incident had made a culprit out of the army chief, so to speak. Sources in the army said Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban had to do the usual duty of clearing the matter with the army chief right after he was summoned to meet the PM at Government House. In his interviews, Mr Suthep echoed the army commander's insistence that the purchase was made because of the "demands from soldiers in the field". Although Mr Suthep was reportedly the one who suggested that Gen Anupong speak to the public, it is said that he himself had not expected such a grandiose, rallying-up-of-the-whole-platoon kind of press conference. The impression given was surely that of assembling the whole army to support a commander in hot water. It's no surprise that after the GT200 fiasco, the conflicting stance between the government and the army and the press conference, there is a growing call for Gen Anupong to show more responsibility. But of course, it's unlikely that the GT200 controversy will generate enough pressure to prompt the army chief to reconsider his position. For now, what Gen Anupong must do is play safe, stay the course and count down to his retirement in September. For now, the main responsibility of supporting the government in its battle with the Red Shirts falls on the shoulders of his deputy and heir-apparent, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha. As for the hairline crack in the government-army relationship, the only factor that could widen and deepen this rift will be if the PM launches a serious probe into the army's procurement process. Under the current situation, PM Abhisit has a very tough choice between doing the right thing and ensuring the survival of the government - as these two tasks may not be complementary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallenda Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 What's most disturbing about all these stories about this GT200 is how they never just state the actual truth about it, which is that the 'device' is a completely debunked fraud. And the fact that this general is even standing by it to the extent he is -- in one of our countries that wouldn't happen, because the guy would realize that some high profile news program is going to investigate and reveal that the thing is just that, a crass fraud, that its a worthless piece of plastic and paper with no functionality at all -- and further that they're sending people out there and putting their lives at risk with this thing. The general knows damn well the thing is junk. He so deserves to go down in giant flames on this one, as does anyone who's sticking by it. But why is the BK Post here calling it only "questionable" -- there's no question. It's absolutely debunked. By not calling it what it is, they're assisting in perpetuating the fraud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Hi, Can probably be summed up in one word: "Face" Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Seems that questions are being raised as to why the UK allowed this to continue for 10 years. Link The US FBI arrested the makers and banned the devices in '95/6 so the people moved to the UK where they were allowed to continue unhindered until the BBC exposed it in January this year. But it appears that James Randi (think Uri Geller) has been after these guys for many years. Link TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallenda Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Hi, Can probably be summed up in one word: "Face" Sanuk! OK so how about this happy compromise. Allow he and his men to demonstrate their confidence for all of us. We line up a few packages, one of which contains a live bomb, and let them use the GT200 to identify the clean packages, then confidently open each of those packages one by one. The general can save his face by standing next to the guy who opens the packages. (It also seems like a great, efficient way to quickly clean out incompetence from the armed forces.) So they would gain the ultimate face at the same moment they completely lose their face. Everybody wins. I'll help build the statue to memorialize them, with the inscription "He showed them" ( I think the statue would be of a guy in full military costume, holding an open box, and the guy has no more head). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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