[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。
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. |6 I+ |% z( X7 T; Z2 ?Cigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US# c' c/ A$ p1 X" ]) {" g$ 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.csuchen.de" x( S* {. }2 o
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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.csuchen.de* R7 ^; V9 `. E6 l' R
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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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& I; V3 z! e( U1 m3 q  Z9 A" NUS authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.
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1 X8 D  b* @7 J9 G& W人在德国 社区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.
- z9 ?8 U8 ?1 \: TMr 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; y, I& n( I9 Y7 C4 `

% o& I; j& ^* V6 n: F( O  c"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said.人在德国 社区% S2 C" g0 c  w- K' a  ?
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"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."人在德国 社区9 }+ o; S0 C; H% a

- }% {+ ^# h+ Ycsuchen.deThe 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.