Britain and US Will Ban Electronic Devices on Flights From Middle Eastern Nations Amid Terror Threat

NewsFeed · March 23rd, 2017

British passengers on holiday flights from the Middle East and North Africa will be banned within days from carrying laptops, tablets and other electronic devices on board after security services identified a new al-Qaeda terrorist threat.

More than 2 million passengers a year flying on airlines including British Airways, Thomson, Thomas Cook and Easyjet will be prevented from taking devices larger than a mobile phone into the cabin.

Instead, anyone flying from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia will have to put electronic devices in their hold luggage, despite concerns they could be stolen or damaged.

The Government introduced the ban after a similar move by the US, where officials revealed “evaluated intelligence” showed that terrorists are “aggressively pursuing innovative measures” to carry out attacks with devices such as laptop bombs.

The intelligence is believed to have come from a raid by US Navy Seals in Yemen in January, which targeted al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP). It resulted in the death of a soldier, but yielded “important intelligence”, according to President Donald Trump.

Reports at the time said AQAP’s bomb-maker Ibrahim al-Asiri was trying to build compact bombs containing only trace amounts of metal that can be smuggled onto planes.

US security analysts are also said to have picked up increased “chatter” in recent weeks from militants saying they want to hide explosives in computers.

Last year the insurgent group al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu, Somalia, blowing a hole in the side of a plane.

The ban, which has been under consideration for weeks, represents the most significant restriction on air travel since the Government banned passengers from carrying liquids of more than 100ml in their carry-on baggage in 2006.

Theresa May’s official spokesman admitted that the restrictions will cause “disruption”, but said that they are necessary for the safety of passengers.

The spokesman said: “Safety of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is why we keep aviation security under constant review and put in place measures that are necessary, effective and proportionate.

“Over the last few weeks, the PM has chaired a number of meetings on aviation security, most recently this morning, where it was agreed new measures will be introduced.”

Insurers warned that laptops and tablets are not typically covered by policies for loss, damage or theft if they are placed in the hold.

Industry experts said that an estimated 2.4million people fly from the six nations to the UK every year, many of them holidaymakers.

Airlines will be given a few days to adjust to the new regulations, and those which refuse to do so will be barred from flying to the UK.

It will also affect those flying with foreign carriers including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global, Egyptair, Tunisair, Royal Jordanian, Saudi and Middle East airlines.

Anyone who flie

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read full article at source: http://www.amren.com/news/2017/03/br...terror-threat/

cornelius · March 25th, 2017

If Trump had thought this one up there would be cries of 'racist' from the usual quarters.

March 23rd, 2017	#1
NewsFeed News Bot	Britain and US Will Ban Electronic Devices on Flights From Middle Eastern Nations Amid Terror Threat British passengers on holiday flights from the Middle East and North Africa will be banned within days from carrying laptops, tablets and other electronic devices on board after security services identified a new al-Qaeda terrorist threat. More than 2 million passengers a year flying on airlines including British Airways, Thomson, Thomas Cook and Easyjet will be prevented from taking devices larger than a mobile phone into the cabin. Instead, anyone flying from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia will have to put electronic devices in their hold luggage, despite concerns they could be stolen or damaged. The Government introduced the ban after a similar move by the US, where officials revealed “evaluated intelligence” showed that terrorists are “aggressively pursuing innovative measures” to carry out attacks with devices such as laptop bombs. The intelligence is believed to have come from a raid by US Navy Seals in Yemen in January, which targeted al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP). It resulted in the death of a soldier, but yielded “important intelligence”, according to President Donald Trump. Reports at the time said AQAP’s bomb-maker Ibrahim al-Asiri was trying to build compact bombs containing only trace amounts of metal that can be smuggled onto planes. US security analysts are also said to have picked up increased “chatter” in recent weeks from militants saying they want to hide explosives in computers. Last year the insurgent group al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu, Somalia, blowing a hole in the side of a plane. The ban, which has been under consideration for weeks, represents the most significant restriction on air travel since the Government banned passengers from carrying liquids of more than 100ml in their carry-on baggage in 2006. Theresa May’s official spokesman admitted that the restrictions will cause “disruption”, but said that they are necessary for the safety of passengers. The spokesman said: “Safety of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is why we keep aviation security under constant review and put in place measures that are necessary, effective and proportionate. “Over the last few weeks, the PM has chaired a number of meetings on aviation security, most recently this morning, where it was agreed new measures will be introduced.” Insurers warned that laptops and tablets are not typically covered by policies for loss, damage or theft if they are placed in the hold. Industry experts said that an estimated 2.4million people fly from the six nations to the UK every year, many of them holidaymakers. Airlines will be given a few days to adjust to the new regulations, and those which refuse to do so will be barred from flying to the UK. It will also affect those flying with foreign carriers including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global, Egyptair, Tunisair, Royal Jordanian, Saudi and Middle East airlines. Anyone who flie ----- snip ----- read full article at source: http://www.amren.com/news/2017/03/br...terror-threat/

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March 25th, 2017	#2
cornelius Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: aylesbury Posts: 522	If Trump had thought this one up there would be cries of 'racist' from the usual quarters.