Since the results of the tests of the bomb detectors have been made public I have found some of the statements made about them by high-ranking Army officials as well as PM Abhisit to be wrongly focused, downright absurd or mind-boggling.
Although PM Abhisit is correct to tell various agencies to stop using them, his anger at their inability to perform is misdirected. Of course the manufacturer, and not the UK government, should be held responsible. But why is he not calling for the heads of those who prepared the contracts for their purchase, as well as the officials who permitted the purchases to proceed without checks? No competent manager in industry would permit procurement without ensuring that basic rules for buying expensive, innovative or novel equipment were followed.
Had such rules been followed, this ludicrous situation would never have occurred and a considerable amount of money would not have been wasted. Was the manufacturer asked to supply customer references so the experience of previous users could be checked? Did the contract include financial penalty clauses if the equipment did not meet stringent technical specifications? Why was a clause agreed to that the devices could not be dismantled for checking if they were thought to be under-performing?
The biggest failure was not having the buyer participate in rigorous testing before agreeing to purchase and not merely acting as witnesses to whatever the manufacturer wanted to show, or worse, just taking their word that they worked without even a demonstration .
PM Abhisit will be derelict in his duty if he does not immediately initiate a thorough and transparent investigation into the purchase of the detectors. Someone should be held accountable for this fiasco.
That any Army commander says he wants to continue with their use, shows he has absolutely no regard or respect for the lives of the soldiers who use them. Perhaps the Fourth Army Region commander should use them rather than rank and file soldiers under his command. That any top Army official could say they are still confident in their ability to perform following the test results smacks of total incompetence.
One Army commander was quoted as saying, "Armchair generals might suggest using sniffer dogs, but the local Muslim people dislike dogs. How can we use them?" Just what is this man thinking? The failure of the detectors is a direct cause in the killing of many Muslims. I'm sure many Muslims don't like guns either, and they certainly do not like these detectors. Keep the dogs working; they are recognised worldwide as one of the best detectors of illegal substances, including explosives.
CHRIS KAYE
CHON BURI
Pest control needed |in the banking sector
Re: "Bankers put European stability I peril", Letters, February 18.
Re: "Bankers put European stability in peril", Letters, February 18.
I agree with John Symons. This ongoing financial disaster has been brought about by sheer greed, in particular on the part of the banks, and the effect is now being felt by national governments. Greece is a basket case; Italy has always been a basket case, although no one says too much about it; now Spain and Portugal are falling into that category, while the banking systems around the world continue to profit from the hardship being suffered by these countries. They argue that they have to operate in this way in order to preserve a free market that benefits everyone, when in fact the only ones benefiting are the banks themselves.
As Mr Symons says, when are governments going to bite the bullet and bring these greedy, self-serving parasites into line?
GREG MELLOR
BANGKOK
Communicable diseases still lurk
According to a report I read recently, Asian disease-control experts met in Singapore last month to discuss and explore public concerns over indoor environmental pollution and its health effects. One of the experts suggested that poor indoor air quality could be a factor that enables an outbreak of communicable diseases such as Sars and Swine flu to occur.
As a person with a sensitive nose who cannot spend more than half an hour in any overcrowded, closed public building without uncontrollable sneezing, I found this piece of news not very encouraging, especially in regard to the competency of today's physicians. Because if it took these so-called experts this long to learn this very simple and basic public-health fact, then what can we expect from them in finding cures for more complicated diseases?
Or is it that they no longer teach "public health 101" in medical school, so that these modern-day medical experts can spend more time on subjects that will help them get rich more quickly? No wonder the people of this century are so weak in body and mind!
VIC PHANUMPHAI
BANGKOK
