
The ban of portable devices from airplane cabins followed warnings from security experts. They warned of the potential use of battery space for explosives. In fact a terrorist used a laptop to blow a hole into an airplane in Somalia last year. Intelligence has revealed that Al Quaeda was planning such an attack. Barbara Starr and Rene Marsh of CNN highlight that this decision was not made by Trump, but carefully coordinated with intelligence officials. The UK has enacted its own ban to protect its citizens.
Keep on reading at CNNFirst off, the ban’s logistical flaws include a laptop bomb being just as dangerous in the baggage hold as in the cabin. Terrorists can also fly through another country. Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman of the Washington Post theorize that Trump is motivated to punish Gulf airlines. A group of them have undercut their American competition thanks to subsidies from their governments. This ban is intended to hurt their revenue and drive travelers to choose US airlines.
Keep on reading at the Washington Post