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insight and expertise in a range of industries. what can we do for you? >> now "bbc newsnight." >> bomb detectors that don't detect. why did the british government help to sell them around the world? an investigation has found the u.k. government helped sell bomb detectors which are subject to a government export ban because they put lives at risk. we also revealed the devices are still being sold. >> when this country exports something, it should work. it should work when people's lives are at such risk. >> a rare interview with one of the most controversial women in sports. she tells us about the pressure of facing this gender issue. the shock waves in the tunisian

uprising that have spread to jordan. >> once rare, they are becoming prominent. what happened in tunisia are happening around the world. >> it was -- an explosive detection is supposed to detect suicide bombers. the exporter of the detectors from the u.k. was banned because of the threat they posed to troops. between 2001-2005 someone from the army helped market these devices are around the world. they have cost a few pounds to make but have cost 15,000 pounds. >> the capital of malta on the trail of a deeply troubled

international train which lives are at stake. it was one of the first countries targeted by british zealots. of a -- it is one of the detectors with a plastic handle with an area that swivels in the direction of what you are trying to detect. but there are no working electronics in it at all. despite that, they have sold in every corner of the globe. they can cost as little as 10 pounds to make but they are selling for thousands each. [inaudible] there is an elaborate sales pitch -- the maltese police were persuaded to part with large sums of money for the device. they said they have bought

another one. but the police were not the only ones to be approached. in 2000 [inaudible] this man is now head of airport security, but back then he was in charge of dog handling teams. he wanted to know if the detectors could find a large stack of drugs hidden away. >> they had a substantial amount of drugs in an area which i used for dog training. the equipment had to work as we were told -- it would have been triggered by the amount of drugs. i knew something was wrong. >> if it cannot detect drugs or explosives, why does this move? >> it is a toy. if i want the equipment to point

at you, it has been done. it is just the way you swing your wrist, there it goes. >> these pictures show the army testing one of the detectors at the airport. according to officials, this is the place the bomb exploded over lockerbie in 1988. it killed 270 people. although the british army never used any of these detectors themselves, it was involved in promoting them abroad. the government and engineers demonstrated than in several countries. it is also admits the department of trade and industry helped market them to mexico and the philippines. the admission that the government gave them came after

a freedom of information request. >> the government was employing a british army personnel to demonstrate these phony bomb detectors which were completely ineffective. they effectively gave the bomb detection to the british military. it allows them to sell these all around the world, which may result in the deaths of on told people. -- untold people. >> baghdad 2009. a string of explosions that year took hundreds of lives and raised questions about the -- how the bombs were getting through. the spotlight fell on desk. it was -- the spotlight fell on this. with the help of cambridge

university we prove one a year ago it cannot work. a card meant to detect tnt contained nothing but a cheap anti-theft tag. >> it could not detect tnt. >> the government sent them to iraq and afghanistan. they could endanger british or friendly forces. after fbi warnings they were a fraud, britain became a new [unintelligible] this was the mold. but after lab tests proved it did not work, the man behind it went their separate ways and sold them around the world under different ways. among them, the alpha 6. last year police raided several

businesses and confiscated hundreds of the devices. the foreign office warned countries they did not work, but no action has been taken to ban their export to countries other than iraq and afghanistan because the impact of any further u.k. action in preventing the supply would be limited if they are available elsewhere. but many concerned say that is not good enough. >> it seems to me john. -- it seems to be junk. if this is presented as a device that detects bombs, and has to be stopped. -- it has to be stopped. we really need to do something about this. >> the man who made millions through sales to iraq is still on bail after being arrested on suspicion of fraud and misrepresentation. we have now learned of a new

attempt to enter british forces with a new device. look familiar? there are claims this can detect all kinds of explosives through steel barriers and up to 100 meters away. >> [unintelligible] >> this is an explosives expert who makes this device used by special forces under hostage rescue. many of his inventions are used in afghanistan to diffuse roadside bombs. last year he helped us expose these bogus detectors. >> [unintelligible] >> he said he was astonished to hear a few months ago such devices were still being demonstrated. >> it is possible to be technological very competent, but to be extremely naive in

other directions. >> the man who showed the engineers this detector is the retired army colonel. we came to ask him why he was promoting it. >> it seems to me this is anything that has a positive outcome, can even help a little bit with afghanistan, then we should look at it seriously. we should not just dismiss it. >> the maker's distributed a statement saying they were a massive scam, but this device was different. it was displayed at the terror show and showed customers it proved extremely successful in several countries. >> it is intangible science to me that i would newt -- not use it in a life or death situation. i put it here because i wanted

it to be looked at if you feel they are gaining an edge by my involvement, i would probably say i am guilty. >> john would have made 3000 euros profit on each detector. he has not sold any so far. but the manufacturer has sold this and a virtually identical device around the world. the u.s. navy tested it in 2005 and concluded it does not work. presumably you know the background the first version -- it was detected by the u.s. navy and found not to work. >> this is where i had a problem because independent tests which don't actually test it without guidelines can come

to different conclusions. >> this man was indicted for fraud by the securities and exchange commission in 2008 for declaring his that nice -- for declaring his device detected bombs but did not. >> i can understand if you look back into the 19th century where people are developing new sciences. if people don't understand the science then people are very cynical and critical. we are looking at that. >> sydney understands the science and showed how he conducted a double blind test to show it worked. it found six more examples of explosives. >> this contains more than 20 kilos of explosives. that is a lot of explosives. >> john says he wants the

device properly tested before he sells any. you know the engineers did arrange for testing and it failed to detect 20 kilograms of explosives. does that concern you? >> it concerns me a little bit but not entirely because they guys were not trained. >> we never will know how many lives were >> -- how many lives were lost if these were detected, but the devices are still being used in many countries around the world. it is still being sold. >> the women's world 800 meters champion was just 18-years old when she did two remarkable things. in 2009 she knocked seconds off her personal best time and ran the fastest recorded by a woman that year, bought her muscular appearance stirred gossip into something much worse, -- turned

gossip and too much worse. she is giving her first major tv interview about her past hopes for the future. >> she forged through the finish line at the world champion at 18, but as the image raced around the world the quote -- gold medal was tarnished by questions of the most personal kind. her struggle to convince the world who she really is seems greater than any challenge she faces on the track. >> there is only one person who can judge me. >> she burst onto the world stage when she was 18. she took the 800 middle -- 800 meter title in 2009. it was not her impressive finish line that

would become scrutinized, but whether she should have been allowed to compete as a woman. competing is all she has ever cared about. born in a poor village, she says she coached herself running alone every night a long dark roads. >> [unintelligible] i have to make sure that she has good food and everything. >> you are still going out to run after that? >> yes. >> her first major sporting success came when she won the african youth championships in 2009. but the victory fuelled the gossip from other athletes who questioned whether she was even a woman at all.

in some ways it was a brilliant moment for you. absolutely extraordinary, but it was the beginning of a difficult time for you. >> it was difficult because i need to live my life. [unintelligible] for me, it is not difficult. >> but from outside it seems huge the pressure you are under. >> it seems huge but my personality -- i know what kind of person i am. i am not ashamed of being myself. you need to be yourself. >> but when you knocked eight seconds of your own personal best people are starting to talk. people are starting to say who is this? what is this person?

what was that like? >> to me it was good. i became famous. everybody wants to be on tv. i did not see it as a big deal. i know people talk so i don't care. >> you were not hurt? >> no. >> but when people are questioning who you are -- very cool things other athletes pointing to you at the starting line -- very cruel things. how do you deal with that? >> when i am on the track i am here to run. >> just hours before she was due to run in the world championships it emerged the international association at the mantid she undergo gender -- demanded she undergo gender testing. and her own country had already

embarked on this without telling her. >> a few hours before you run you discover they put up gender verification tests. what are you thinking? >> i think about the future. what has happened to me [unintelligible] >> she went on to win in berlin. but with the gold medal came very public questioning about intimate details of her life. your focus is on being a good person. you must be able to have looked around and did you judge other people who had not been good to you in terms of putting you through this task without telling you? >> i don't judge people. if you mess around with me you will go through hell.

>> she was out of athletics for 11 months while the group concluded the investigation. they admitted their handling of the case was a regrettable. although the outcome was never made public, the federation's general secretary telling people that she is clearly a woman in. the statement issued by the federation simply said she was clear to compete and has left many questions unanswered. she continues to be the victim of endless speculation. the most current, she had some sort of hormone treatment before being allowed to compete. >> have you had to undergo any treatments? >> [unintelligible] especially when you are asking

me about treatment. >> that is part of the difficulty. rumors fly. nothing has put them to bed. would it be better if you were able to [unintelligible] >> for my side it is good the way i am living my life. >> do you have anything to say to other athletes? >> there is nothing i would say. >> she knows the world will be watching her closely to see if her performance on the track changes. she says she is focused totally on the future with an olympic medal in her sights, but nothing leads you to suggest this is true. >> [unintelligible] i don't forget what has happened to me. >> but the fear must be that she

will not be able to keep this memory of this part of her story will always be chasing her no matter how fast she runs. >> arab governments still trying to learn lessons of the popular uprising in tunisia. this week has seen protests in egypt and yemen. jordan has seen the largest demonstrations in 20 years. the shock with tunisia sent across the arab world. the movement that grew into a revolution in tunisia began far from the capital. it was born and not just of policy but of anger at rulers to treat their own people with contempt. that is anger you can feel here. on the streets of the capital, they are chanting they want

lower prices, more jobs and the resignation of the prime minister. they know that the people of the street have power. there is something that tunisia's example has inspired them. many of the grievances are long standing, but it is only now they can give voice to them. >> we are very proud of what we have done in this country. because we want to feel we are free. we want to take everything for the people. >> corruption, people cannot live anymore. they need to stop these things. we need to be one family, all of the world. we are stopping the corruption. >> they don't just want change in their own country. president mubarak, you our next,

they are shouting. will 2011 see democracy break out across the arab world? a score of states have -- but they are all different. agent crusader towns, strongholds of tribes fiercely loyal to the monarchy, they provide the backbone of the armed forces. but even here there is a conspiracy. these are some of the retired military officers from britain, an unprecedented open letter complaining about corruption and lack of accountability. they fear if the king does not act the torrent of the public rage may sweep all before it. >> we are unable to control the spark. it is light -- like a gas

cylinder. it will burst. >> we don't know what will happen in the future. we are waiting for our country. -- we are worried for our country. >> what has happened in tunisia -- in the beginning it was very small. somebody burned himself, he was suffering. you can see what happens now. >> for now, the king remains untouchable. the monarchy is a much respected institution although abdullah is not quite as popular as his father. his wife the queen is for many a symbol of all that is going wrong in jordan. >> look up the queen on the internet and you can see what a

glamorous image she projects. the official web site really stresses her social role. if you go on to twitter, she has 1 million followers. but it is not quite how she is viewed by many jordanians. she is accused in private of being too westernized, to extravagant and too politically influential. there is no proof of that but the ill feeling toward sur is why jordanians are so excited by what happened in tunisia. demonstrators protested their loyalty to the king. it was at the center of this march, the only organized opposition force that will challenge the marquee and political islam. -- challenged the marquee. >> they held back from joining

the protests. now it appears to be trying to lead them. there are concerns that encouraging [inaudible] >> [inaudible] >> it would almost certainly mean an end to the unpopular peace treaty with israel. they are shouting for comprehensive reform and will not denounce the king, at least not yet. hear the police moved in not with tear-gas but with [unintelligible] everyone knows jordan is now at a dangerous crossroads.

the king is under pressure. the speed of the events in tunisia took everyone by surprise. perhaps other arab regimes are panicking too soon. they know now they cannot take their citizens for granted. that is all for this week. from all of us, goodbye. >> funding for this possible -- for this presentation is made possible by the frieden foundation of new york. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. mcarthur foundation and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from

small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc newsnight" was presented by kcet, los