With sales of $10.1 billion last year, a third of its total, the home and networks business is among Motorola’s (MOT) largest and most profitable. It also makes Motorola one of the top three set-top box manufacturers in the industry. As such, the division will command a hefty price–roughly $4.5 billion, according to The Journal, which posits private equity firms and other communications gear makers as possible buyers.

No word yet on whether the possibility of selling home and networks emerged after Motorola was unable to spin off its mobile-phone business. The company for its part, insists that such a move is still in the cards.

“Separation into two independent, publicly traded companies (Mobile Devices and Broadband Mobility Solutions, which comprise Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Home and Networks Mobility Solutions) is the publicly stated long-term goal of Motorola,” the company said in a statement. “We remain committed to the separation goal and continue to believe that it is the right strategy to position Motorola for long-term success.”

According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, all manner of sensitive or stolen military gear is available for purchase online. GAO investigators apparently had no trouble at all picking up night-vision goggles, U.S.-issue body armor, nuclear-biological-chemical gear and the aforementioned F-14 fighter components at online marketplaces. Many of these items could easily be used against U.S. troops or reverse-engineered to develop countermeasures or equivalent technology, yet they were shipped to the GAO “no questions asked.”

“Given that the United States has retired its fleet of F-14s, these components could only be used by the Iranian military,” the GAO noted in its report. “By making these components available to the general public, the eBay sellers provided an opportunity for these components to be purchased by an individual who could then transfer them to Iran. The continued ability of Iran to use its F-14s could put U.S. troops and allies at risk.”

A sobering revelation. Funny that eBay and Craigslist policies and procedures prohibit the sale of things like bootlegs, animals and whatnot, but F-14 fighter components are perfectly acceptable.