[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。% C. j% d: J. ]& G

0 ?3 @$ M* s0 E- G: KCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US# e. z' F& q: {
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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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.1 ^7 W# r- C( [" V5 D0 h; ?

* H) y8 Q5 k0 o" W! f% lReid, 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.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de) B0 p' V9 G+ n9 G  r1 L

# s) Y& e# ]0 h8 x9 fUS 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., H+ P# V0 t+ n& Q! w
Mr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts.
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1 i5 }) a9 g! E' |- n9 X. q8 H' P* w人在德国 社区"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.0 k- F" \& R& `7 }9 k* j2 A1 e3 h+ n

9 k, x& O( L- K# Z9 D& c. A"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."
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The policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.
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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.