Did you hear the one about the 85 million Iraq spent on fake bomb detecting equipment?

As news of another coordinated bomb attack comes on the day Ba'athist Chemical Ali is killed, Americans and Iraqis alike are wondering how insurgents can continue to outsmart millions in training and bomb detecting equipment.

The answer? Very, very easily.

The Iraqi government recently spent $85 million dollars on the latest evolution in bomb detecting equipment. The British manufactured ADE 651 consists of a black plastic handle, a radio-styled antenna, and requires no battery or energy source whatsoever beyond the static electricity generated by soldiers shuffling their feet on the ground. Really. Millions watched an Iraqi shuffling his feet to generate the static electricity on CBS' Nightly News last night.

The trouble is, the device is a total, total hoax. Adding insult to injury, Iraqis paid about $60,000 for each device in a no-bid contract, though the manufacturer normally sells them for $18,500. According to the New York Times, five to eight bomb-sniffing dogs could be purchased for the price Iraqis paid for one ADE 651.

The story, originally reported by the BBC, is exploding across papers and has led to an export restriction of the device by Britain and an arrest of its manufacturer, parent company-ATSC's Jim McCormick. The export restriction initially angered Iraqi soldiers who claim the device works. Major General Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate for Combating Explosives, told the New York Times “Whether it’s magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs.”

In the face of increasing evidence to the contrary, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki launched a probe into the reliability of the bomb detecting equipment this morning. Let's hope he uses something a bit more reliable to uncover the truth.

Certainly the only thing more entertaining (and tragic) than this story, is the ADE 651's promotional video. Let's all hope Mr. McCormick gets his just desserts.