Intelligence obtained in recent weeks found that an al Qaeda affiliate was perfecting techniques for hiding explosives in batteries and battery compartments of electronic devices, according to a US official.
The discovery that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was looking to exploit batteries and their compartments in laptops and other commercial electronic devices led the US and UK to ban devices larger than a cell phone from certain flights, the US official told CNN.
The new security restrictions, announced Tuesday, require airlines based in the Middle East and North Africa to prevent people flying from eight countries from bringing any device bigger than a smart phone on board their aircraft. Instead, those electronics need to be stored in the cargo hold.
US officials told CNN Tuesday that intelligence “indicates terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation” by “smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”
An aviation official informed CNN that he was told firsthand by an intelligence official that this electronics ban was not a “political move.”
In fact, career employees are heavily involved in this decision, and this wasn’t just a Trump administration decision, the aviation official said.
Some airlines are still seeking clarity on the reasoning behind aspects of the ban, according to the official. For example: If there is an immediate threat to aviation security, why is DHS giving airlines 96 hours to comply with the ban instead of implementing it immediately?
But Rep. John Katko, R-New York, who has been briefed on the matter, said, “There’s no question this is the right move.”
Katko said the ban is based on credible new and existing intelligence. The congressman said that the list of airports that fell under the ban were based on the intelligence community’s assessment of the information.