Obama: ‘Credible Terrorist Threat’ Being Probed

U.S. President Barack Obama says authorities have uncovered “a credible terrorist threat” against the United States with the discovery of packages containing explosive material on U.S- bound cargo planes.

Speaking at the White House Friday, Mr. Obama said two packages, which were intercepted overseas, originated in Yemen and were bound for places of Jewish worship in Chicago.

The president stopped short of linking the packages to the al-Qaida branch in Yemen, but suspicion has fallen on the group which has long declared a goal of attacking the United States.

Mr. Obama said his counterterrorism assistant, John Brennan, spoke with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh Friday. He said Mr. Saleh pledged his full cooperation with the investigation.

Mr. Obama said counterterrorism authorities are taking all steps necessary to ensure the safety of the American people. He said he has ordered an all-out investigation into the origins of the packages and their connection to any terrorist plot.

Addressing reporters after the president spoke, Brennan said the packages were intended to carry out what he called some sort of attack that could have caused harm, though he would not say on what level.

Asked if authorities believe radical Yemeni-U.S. cleric Anwar al-Awlaki was involved, Brennan said all individuals associated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula are being looked at.

In a statement later Friday, Brennan thanked Saudi Arabia for its assistance in developing information that helped identify the suspicious packages.

Meanwhile, U.S. Homeland Security officials have tightened security at U.S. airports, increasing security measures such as pat downs, sniffer dogs and additional cargo screening.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said intelligence and law enforcement agencies on Thursday discovered potential suspicious packages, sent from Yemen, on two UPS cargo planes en route to the United States.

One package was uncovered at Britain’s East Midlands Airport, the other in Dubai. Officials say the package examined in Britain contained a printer toner cartridge with wires and a white powder.

Several cargo planes were searched at airports in the eastern United States but officials say no explosives were found.

In another precautionary measure, an Emirates Airlines passenger plane that also carried cargo from Yemen was escorted by U.S. military jets from the Canadian border to its New York City destination.

Some information in this story was provided by AP.