Maybe I’m missing something - why is this important?
A cynic might note that only foreign owned airlines are affected by this move, which may make indirect flights on other, US-owned airlines more appealing than they would otherwise be.
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/04/16/delta-qatar-atlanta/
Of course, that might be a complete coincidence. Might be a genuine security risk from locations that US airlines happen not to serve.
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If a terrorist smuggles explosives on board, or has a samsung product I think the last thing the plane will be doing is actually landing on US soil.
Got it. I think we’re all arguing some different points here. 
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It is (was) important because it was suggested that this restriction was based on the “flag” of the airline rather than the port of origin of the airplane. The former would be clearly protectionist, the latter arguably based on security, though not excluding the possibility of protectionism.
I don’t know what to think about this.
The UK joining in, to me, suggests that there may be some specific intelligence behind this. And the UK move does affect, say, BA, so they aren’t joining in for trade war reasons.
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I’m too cynical to think it’s anything but protectionism from the many other points others here have raised most notably this:
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Australia is in the “Can’t Be Arsed” camp on this.
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The CEO of Delta is quoted in the article you linked as being involved in a rather public spat with the CEO of Qatar Airlines.
Guess who met with Trump two weeks ago?
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Here’s Forbes, also joining the voices saying “um, what the fuck?”
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Maybe part of the plan is that customs can get access to your laptop when entering the US without you even noticing?
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To Dubai?
The “weaponizing interdependence” is an interesting angle, but one that makes me think how shortsighted is this administration in terms of what is the real source of American power.
Lets not enter into the economic impact that this will have in many sectors that will see huge drops in the numbers of foreigners deciding they want to make a business or pleasure trip to the US.
The US is also losing one of of its more important weapons; cultural dominance. When people around the world go to the US to study, work, train, consume, participate in conferences, etc, it is a subtle but tangible network of influence that ties them to the US. Is people that return home or talk to their friends and relatives there and recomend US products, support US policies, tie their expertise and contacts to US institutions and corporations, etc.
This whole idiocy on insisting the US has to look tough by bullying foreigners, specially in some corners of the world, just cheapens and dilutes all that. Other countries will fill that gap, to the US disadvantage.
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I think they (Doha et al) are already used to it. This wasn’t a separate checkpoint, but when I flew out of Doha back to Dulles, they had a queue at the gate that I didn’t notice at the other gates. This was 5 years ago, so I don’t remember exactly what they were checking, but I’m guessing they were looking for liquids.
I don’t recall anything different about leaving Dubai, but maybe because it was 3:30 in the morning…
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It’s better than that; this is how my former boss lost a laptop. When he tried to file a claim, they said he shouldn’t have checked it in the first place. (I don’t recall who made him check it or why)
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For that there is the mail.
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Oh well, here we go! To prove 45 actually did retrieve actionable intel from his fucked mission in Yemen that killed civilians and a US Serviceman he is bullshitting us again.
They didn’t get any information that wasn’t already known about.
Trump is playing the World.
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The messaging kerfuffle turned an ongoing counterattack into a damp squib.
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