[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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* w1 G; [; b3 Srs238848.rs.hosteurope.deCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US- N, d. V# z6 o) b. e4 y
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 \% u# p0 M7 ^- }

: f/ F5 v6 \! h5 d$ }% ?- W9 HThe 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.
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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.
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US authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de) e. i5 p$ I( X3 [, g( o
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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.
2 r  U- [9 u1 J- C" BMr 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.9 e2 R/ [+ Y" b$ c! s: J9 ?

( w/ O. K; ^" E+ r7 ~4 @1 u) Q% a"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."% x& q8 Y8 o4 P) L' X) S

- W% A# R& O3 GThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.* T, i9 T' O. n. Q$ Z, @
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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.