Terrorists and unscrupulous business dealers have little trouble obtaining sensitive high-tech military gear and selling it to hostile overseas governments, according to a June 4 report by the Government Accountability Office to Congress. Despite laws that require government approval of such transactions, the GAO was able to purchase night-vision scopes such as those used by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, electronic sensors used to trigger improvised explosive devices (IEDs), gyro chips for missile and aircraft guidance, and other equipment using a bogus front company. The GAO then exported dummy versions of the equipment to "a country that is a known transshipment point for terrorist organizations and foreign governments attempting to acquire sensitive technology," according to a summary of the report. It is not possible, the GAO states, for enforcement agencies to expect every overseas-bound shipment leaving the U.S.
