US and EU Reject Expanding Laptop Ban To Flights From Europe (bbc.com)
An anonymous reader writes: US and EU officials have decided against a ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Europe. But after a four-hour meeting in Brussels to discuss the threats to aviation security, officials said other measures were still being considered. US officials had previously said they were looking into extending to Europe a ban on electronics on flights from eight mostly Muslim countries. The measure was introduced over fears a bomb could be concealed in a device. The meeting was requested by EU officials after recent reports suggested US authorities had new information regarding laptop parts being turned into explosives.
If laptops had been banned on flights from Europe, then a terrorist could put an undetectable-laptop-bomb in their luggage from Paris to New York, then pick up their luggage, board a flight from New York to Los Angeles with the laptop in hand, and blow the plane up.
Banning laptops on international flights would have done nothing about that risk. Therefore, it seems this measure was security theater, not real security. And when it became clear how big the economic effect of banning laptops would be (in terms of dissuading travel), the measure had to be cancelled. Laptops are still banned on flights from the Middle East, but this is a small market without other options, so the economic impact on the US is minimal.
Did the US officials bring their laptops and tables as cabin luggage on this trip to Europe?
No. He allegedly revealed specifics from an operation in a particular location in Syria that was detailed enough that it was felt that the Russians could have informed Assad, which would have led to the exposure of an Israeli intelligence operation in the country (and endangered the lives of the informants/operatives).
It was related to laptops, but it was operation-specific.
Yes. That was one of the topics. Seeing as how Russia already had at least one downed aircraft from a terrorist attack, would it not be prudent to discuss this with their representative? So has Egypt on this matter. Where is the outrage when Trump met with the Egyptian representative?
What I see now is that this administration is now trying to at least talk to them to try and find a solution to the issues instead of ignoring them like the previous administration.
Thanks for the clarification. I try to stay up on foreign affairs but the current shitstorms have rendered most articles useless with unnamed informants, sketchy recollections of what someone thought someone else wrote or said, and strained attempts to tie possibly unrelated things together. It's kind of scary that SlashDot's more valuable as a traditional news source (kind of like the Daily Show was back in the day) than as a tech source (since it lags tech news by a day or more) these days.
then a terrorist could put an undetectable-laptop-bomb in their luggage from Paris to New York, then pick up their luggage
Omitting the tiny detail that the luggage goes through much more rigorous screening than any carryon, so it would in fact be detected, and the person arrested, all before the plane took off...
What is your idea of an "undetectable laptop bomb"????
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The airlines don't want to take liability for laptops that get lost / stolen / broken in the cargo hold.
And if they force to you check them then they will be forced to take liability for them.
No. He allegedly revealed specifics from an operation in a particular location in Syria
But who was the idiot that gave Trump that information in the first place? He has no "need to know" those sorts of details.
>commander-in-chief doesn't have a need to know what his forces may or may not be doing
OK sauce boss.
Remember united beaks guitars ? Think about United breaks macbooks. not to mention the infosec people at many companies melting down over executives lousing control over there laptops for that long ext.
The whole point of these laptop measures is that, supposedly, the bombs cannot be detected at security.
Yes, because they don't do as intensive of a screening of you and your carryon vs. the luggage that goes into the plane.
The chemical sniffers that most people don't have to go through in security lines and are impractical to do on all laptops can easily be done on ALL luggage...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Not just laptops, but also expensive camera gear. I've got over $5,000 worth of lenses and cameras that I travel with, and my sister-in-law carries about $10,000 worth of gear. This has us seriously rethinking future travel plans, sticking with destinations we can drive to.
But Russia isn't really that interested in fighting ISIS. That's a side-effect of helping Assad. So no, Russia and Israel are not "on the same side", particularly if an Israel agent embedded in the Assad regime gets revealed.
You know, this has only been going on since 2011, so I'm not sure how people could still be confused about the details of the conflict.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
I'm sure the three letter agencies have long been in the habit of keeping the President apprised of important operations, seeing as normally the President is a sensible, sane, intelligent human being capable of rational thought and reflection. I'm thinking going forward not much in the way of classified information is ever going to reach the Oval Office.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
You're not doing the old starter pistol in the checked camera bag trick? It's legally a gun and needs to be inspected and then locked, it's carefully monitored until it gets back in your hands and unlocked.
I try to stay up on foreign affairs but the current shitstorms have rendered most articles useless
Yeah, it's gotten really bad.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Sorry if I were condescending. I also had no idea what the CNN reports these days (stopped watching since they went full-retard mode on Trump back in August 2016. Occasionally tune it for 2 mins to verify they are still in it).
Here is the actual statement that Israel made in response to the liberal "leak" hysterics. Educate yourself if you can.
Do you agree, or not, that Russia, Israel, Syria, and now possibly the US of A are fighting on the same side?
Do you therefore admit that, the entire libtard premise of "zOMG Russia Leaks" is full of shit?
I'm sure the three letter agencies have long been in the habit of keeping the President apprised of important operations
He needs to know the broad strokes. He has no need to know the details, and certainly not "actionable intelligence".
seeing as normally the President is a sensible, sane, intelligent human being capable of rational thought and reflection.
But we already knew that wasn't true for Trump, and we have known that for a long time. Someone gave Trump information that he didn't need in order to make themselves look important and curry favor.
If I give a two year old child an expensive vase, and he breaks it, is that his fault or mine? We already know that Trump has the maturity of a two year old, so instead of blaming Trump for being Trump, we should be blaming his staff for giving him something he should have never been trusted with.
There might be a concealed bomb on the laptop...also known as the battery. I'm not even talking about some cheap chinese crap failing and melting down. You crack the casing and stab it with a pen. Tada, instant pyrotechnics. That could probably do some damage at least to the air in the plane if not the plane's actual structure.
That's wary. You can't be weary of something before it's even happened.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
The US just bombed a Syrian airbase couple of weeks ago, so no, Russia and the US are not on the same side.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Do you agree, or not, that Russia, Israel, Syria, and now possibly the US of A are fighting on the same side?
Absolutely not. The conflict in Syria is multi-lateral. Often, different parties end up attacking the same party, but that in no way makes them allies, it just means they're attacking the same party. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" is rarely true, and it's clearly false in several ways in this case.
The situation in Syria is more like a barroom brawl than a typical war.
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
This ban is economical. Trying to protect Lufthansa, British Air and other European flag carriers against the competition of Gulf, Emirates and Turkish on long-haul flights. Security in Istanbul Ataturk airport is three tiered while you get through one check point in Barcelona (for example)
Ok, so the Israelis are illegally in Syria, trying to overthrow the government of a sovereign country, probably even operating un-uniformed, i.e.: as spies--risking death penalties in such cases during war time.... And their possible exposure is bad in what way?
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.
I had a Police lieutenant acquaintance have gun stolen from a locked gun case flying out of Philly to New Orleans ten years ago. They know the theft occurred while still in Philly, yet were still unable to find out who did it, even with all the cameras and surveillance. The case arrived in NO, still locked, but empty. http://www.warriortalk.com/sho... It hasn't gotten any better since then. Also, flying into foreign countries with differing gun laws might not be a good idea.
...wants to shoot itself in the foot...
Not if the goal is the destruction of America.
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.
The parents are just pointing out that you have to ban laptops on all flights or not at all.
And that is the point I disagree with.
From some countries, the risk of this happening is simply much lower than others.
In particular some airports like Egypt, it may be MUCH easier to bribe guards to bring anything into the secured areas (that was being reported around the time the plane from Egypt blew up).
That is why it makes sense to ban laptops from some airports and not others...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Maxim 29: The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more. No less.
"'Tis great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his." --Poor Richard's Almanac
But Russia isn't really that interested in fighting ISIS. That's a side-effect of helping Assad. So no, Russia and Israel are not "on the same side",
Also it's pretty daft to think there are only two "sides" to a conflict. There are almost as many sides as there are interested parties in a war. Look at the amount of petty politicking happened between the Allies in WWII (not even bothering to include the USSR in that, just the western Allies).
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
The Egypt will bring his laptop in cargo of the Egypt plane.
Which will be found via sniffers (remember that luggage has enter go trough U.S. Customs screening ALSO) and he will be arrested.
By doing this internationally you've also doubled the chances luggage scans will find your laptop bomb.
Great plan Sherlock!
Apparently YOU are the one who cannot read since that is what I started with...
Since you're just going in circles I've leave the last response to you.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Helping ISIS probably...
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.