[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。
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  W9 ?$ p; w* E! u8 I* N* yrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US- Q# _, j5 l1 i' }
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.3 I" ^0 D. i; y! Z& ?9 K1 W

5 S+ s8 g. U! Q/ Z% iThe 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/ f" h; }( w# f" x- h8 Q

( h5 `. ~2 F( Z8 F( s9 f# E% v% C3 IReid, 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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. E6 k2 B* j6 R: `! b3 cUS authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.
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% ^7 k, k3 q. S5 c2 Mrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deUS 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.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de2 N+ j1 G# ^7 i; V7 R7 ^3 q
Mr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de! y8 Y/ J9 c! M0 U: a0 h9 a
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"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.; `% v+ Z) c; \# T
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"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."% k" s! S0 _2 e% C& ^
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The policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.# I" K# M7 C, H* E, y$ k
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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.