Defense Secretary Calls for Overhaul of Export Controls

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called for an overhaul of the government's Cold War-era system of licensing the export of weapons and other high-tech goods, warning that the rules are detrimental to national security by blocking arms sales to allies and giving an advantage to foreign manufacturers, reports the Washington Post. Secretary Gates seeks to replace the "Byzantine amalgam" of government agencies, including the Commerce, State, and Defense Departments, that regulate exports of a wide range of products with potential military applications, such as satellites, night-vision goggles, and even certain kinds of nuts and bolts, with a single licensing agency. "Not too long ago, a British C-17 spent hours disabled on the ground in Australia-not because the needed part was unavailable, but because U.S. law required the Australians to seek U.S. permission before doing the repair,"...