Posted on 06/04/2009 6:33:00 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military hardware that can be used in nuclear devices and ground fighting can be easily purchased In the United States and shipped overseas, a government investigation revealed Thursday.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) watchdog agency set up fake companies to obtain military and dual use items -- which have both military and commercial use -- in the United States and ship them overseas, according to a report made public at a House subcommittee hearing.
The domestic purchases allow buyers to avoid U.S. restrictions on sales to foreign entities, it noted.
Items purchased in the bogus transactions included parts for making nuclear devices and guiding missiles that could carry nuclear warheads, as well as night-vision devices, body armor and other hardware for ground combat, said the report provided to the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
"There appears to be a gigantic loophole within our laws that makes it easy for our enemies to get hold of our superior military technology and use it against us," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan.
Gregory Kutz, a GAO managing director who led the 13-month investigation, said it found "sensitive dual-use and military technology can be easily and legally purchased from manufacturers and distributors within the United States and illegally exported without detection."
He stressed that no laws were broken by any of the companies that sold items to the undercover GAO operation, and that the magnitude of trying to check all overseas travelers and shipments made it impossible to halt illegal export of the items under current law.
Committee members said the lack of regulation or export controls made the situation particularly troubling.
"The scandal here may be what is legal, not what is illegal," said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
“There appears to be a gigantic loophole within our laws that makes it easy for our enemies to get hold of our superior military technology and use it against us,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan.”
Yes, Rep Bart, there is a loophole and until recently, we referred to that loophole as ex Presidents and Congress.
This is true. Yesterday I ordered a Shipment of Air to air missles thru Amazon.
This is about lumping nukes with personal protection gear, to use the nukes as a cover to prevent Americans - not foreigners - from being able to buy effective self-defense gear. It's a standard Rat strategy: whip something major into hysteria, then create some sort of asinine equivalent with something you want to ban.
I thought the cry during the Bush years was our Troops had inferior equipment and were broken.
Now, we worry about “superior military technology?”
Can’t they ever get it straight?
I wonder if they would sell me some 9mm ammo.
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