[国际新闻] 美国撤除禁令8月起可带打火机上飞机

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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。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de& E- l' T, R% _, s7 ]
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Cigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': USrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de9 d) l+ a/ {* g/ p
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.6 W" ]2 {+ C. u% f; @' H) c
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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.人在德国 社区& |, u5 N/ p3 n( X/ o1 c8 [' i
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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.4 O: o1 F: x. E; n$ o
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US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.
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! o" A1 Z1 \2 V  UUS 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.7 s3 @/ \1 K0 a: D
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; ]6 ?; o& P) \3 r2 D
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"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.
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"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."
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) q+ R- Z( V) U' q) l9 D& [7 ?The policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.1 d! Y+ {1 G5 o0 {* G0 g" A2 c. l" R

4 b( O1 G2 E% k% y2 N, v1 Drs238848.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.