US to ban laptops and tablets on flights from eight countries
Source: BBC
US to ban laptops and tablets on flights from eight countries
3 hours ago
From the section US & Canada
The US is banning electronic devices from cabin baggage on flights from eight mainly Middle Eastern and North African countries. A US government source told the BBC that the measure would affect nine airlines operating out of 10 airports. US media reported the order was sparked by intelligence gathered overseas.
It will reportedly include all large electronic devices such as laptops, tablets cameras, DVD players and electronic games, but not phones. Medical devices will also be exempt from the ban.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to comment on the issue but is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is part of Homeland Security, also refused to comment.
A formal list of the airlines affected has yet to be released, but an official speaking to the Associated Press (AP) said it would apply to the following 10 airports in eight countries:
◾Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
◾Cairo International Airport, Egypt
◾Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
◾King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
◾King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
◾Kuwait International Airport
◾Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
◾Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
◾Dubai International, United Arab Emirates
◾Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates
Officials said the ban had no end date. AP reported that airlines would not be officially informed of the ban until 03:00 ET (07:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
(snip)
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly reportedly called congressional lawmakers over the weekend to explain the travel security issues that prompted the electronics ban, a congressional aide briefed on the discussion told the AP news agency. The new ban has been under consideration for several weeks, according to US media.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39333424
truthisfreedom
(23,155 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,008 posts)Kittycow
(2,396 posts)I guess the White House has to look like they're working.
woodsprite
(11,924 posts)IronLionZion
(45,528 posts)as it already happens all the time without people calling them terrorists if they are white or black.
Response to nitpicker (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
The Sand Reckoner
(194 posts)It is simply a back door way to discourage as much travel as possible from these countries. How do you want to bet that the TSA will be rifling baggage for laptops, and probably confiscating a few arbitrarily?
US companies that do business in those countries will likely push back on this.
Rhiannon12866
(206,008 posts)Unless they're his. Or anywhere else, for that matter. He's already crippled the tourist industry.
The Sand Reckoner
(194 posts)They will push back against the members of Congress that they've bought and paid for.
metalbot
(1,058 posts)What is more likely is that they'll be copying hard drives of people that they are interested in, and the owner would have no way to know.
Yo_Mama
(8,303 posts)I doubt very much the UK wants to discourage travel from these countries. London lives on finance, and several of these ports of origin carry cash cows to London.
The Sand Reckoner
(194 posts)We're still taking our shoes off by the millions...does any sane person think there is still a credible threat from more mad shoe bombers? The three ounce rule is patently ludicrous and increases safety not one bit against smart, determined people. This is more security theater.
longship
(40,416 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Plenty of American based Corporation people fly Dubais direct luxury flights.
sinkingfeeling
(51,473 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)tammywammy
(26,582 posts)bigworld
(1,807 posts)not US airlines. So it has NOTHING to do with security.
IronLionZion
(45,528 posts)which has nothing to do with security since these items are already removed from bags for screening.
A lot of US citizens work or fly through the middle east to Asia for work all the time. Often the only flights from DC to South Asia are through the middle east.
Racist assholes
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Particularly as some of the larger devices marketed as "phones" are bigger than some of the smaller devices marketed as "tablets". I have a Samsung Tab A with a SIM card. Is it a "phone" or a "tablet"? Is that up to whoever does my security screen in Dubai?
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)thanks
Recursion
(56,582 posts)So, I got a bluetooth headset I use with it. I mostly use the SIM card for the data, but I do make & take calls on it some.
Yo_Mama
(8,303 posts)Coventina
(27,172 posts)But, I'm an old curmudgeon that way....
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)Kindles are tablets and used primarily for reading books. They are great to travel with because I can take many books in the size of 1 paperback.
Coventina
(27,172 posts)Apologies.
I was more complaining about the people who have these huge "laptops" that take up half your space while in use.
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)lostnfound
(16,189 posts)Like so many parts of our new world economy, space is a limited resource allocated in such a way to give maximum luxury to 2% while the experience for the majority is just "miserable but survivable"
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)"One of the easiest ways into today's system is to subvert employees who have passes to go into airside," he added......
Looks like the solution is better security at airports since an employee could give an exploding backpack, stuffed toy, purse, bag, doggiebag/food service container, canteen, book, coat, etc etc etc to someone and the only way to keep everything large enough to explode off a plane is strip the passengers as they enter the plane.
And in this case, they did not send the laptop through security so this ban would not have caught it unless there was a second pat down/examination as they entered the plane.
If this was indeed where the exploding laptop came from.
Rhiannon12866
(206,008 posts)Seems to me like tighter security is the solution rather than restricting ordinary items that passengers bring on planes.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,214 posts)Change airlines to fly to the US? I swear Trump is dumb as a bag of rocks.