[国际新闻] 美国撤除禁令8月起可带打火机上飞机

日月光

美国政府决定从8月4日开始，停止施行已经两年，禁止乘客带普通打火机上飞机的政策。美国运输部认为，在乘客登机前搜索他们身上是否携带打火机，根本是浪费时间。 2001年当鞋子炸弹客芮德意图在从巴黎飞往迈阿密的班机上，用火柴引燃藏在鞋子里的炸弹後，美国政府在国会的坚持之下，终於宣布了禁带打火机上机的命令。; U/ R% W6 }& X, b& m

. E/ J. \8 c  M# w- P7 U. r/ i0 l  WCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US
: Y; l; k0 E8 Brs238848.rs.hosteurope.deUS authorities will no longer enforce a two-year-old ban against taking cigarette lighters on planes because searching passengers wasted time and did not improve aviation security, the New York Times reports.人在德国 社区1 b; M# B) U- Y5 `: h6 B
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The ban on lighters was ordered by US lawmakers after a passenger, Richard Reid, tried to ignite a bomb in his shoe in 2001 on a flight from Paris to Miami.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de# J9 A& u7 _9 U  E; D

- ~( c2 N. x9 b0 {+ }Reid, known as the "shoe bomber", had used matches to try to ignite explosives concealed in his shoe and is currently serving a life sentence for trying to blow up the transatlantic flight.人在德国 社区/ w( x4 b0 |. L9 M; ?* I* Q

0 }1 C/ }0 x$ q# F, [US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.
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US Transport Security Administration assistant secretary Kip Hawley says the ban on lighters did not significantly enhance security because small batteries could be used to detonate a bomb.
- v4 G0 i, |3 d  d  d% B& rrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deMr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts.
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"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said./ U8 y1 g" `, m% P
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"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."  g; l, M- f& x

( U( i* ~3 [- kThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.$ |, }9 x* W) O% g1 v6 k/ e; v
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The New York Times says some 22,000 lighters a day are collected by security officers at airports across the United States and disposing of the confiscated lighters has cost about $US4 million a year.