It is characteristic of the bloated and ramshackle US federal government bureaucracy that at the same time as the administration is looking to reduce sharply the export restrictions on high-tech goods, the US has reportedly reached an agreement with the British government that will allow the US Commerce Department to conduct security audits of British computer companies that re-export US equipment, a development that is certain to provoke a howl of anger in Parliament and cause a new surge of anti-American feeling in opposition parties.
