[国际新闻] 美国撤除禁令8月起可带打火机上飞机

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。
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5 M7 [! k+ E7 {& J1 B) ~; Prs238848.rs.hosteurope.deCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US# J- g5 I+ W' K) s5 h) ^* i( o
US 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.
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, Q* O" O: V3 C1 jThe 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.- e9 r& V, N, y: L3 A

1 U9 `( P0 R9 m' ^' k  y' sReid, 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.
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US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.
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+ @; J9 @; i" o/ MUS 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.
. `( p5 a$ ~9 vMr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts.人在德国 社区- P) C8 x. ^4 ]1 l
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"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de- e. G3 t, Q; Y  _7 v

- X. ?7 U* q. Q: r4 f9 g; U"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."
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* l# A5 j) E: _) P7 a2 G( B' DThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.
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- B$ @0 l. [* x0 L! Xrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deThe 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.