Yemeni Officials: Woman Arrested in US Bomb Plot

Yemeni officials say a woman has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in sending two explosive packages from Yemen intended to reach the United States.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday security personnel had surrounded a house where the woman was believed to have been hiding. He did not give the location of the house.

Earlier Saturday, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the packages had the “hallmarks of al-Qaida” — specifically al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen.

She said the packages appeared to contain the same plastic explosive substance used in a failed plot to bomb a U.S. airliner last year. The earlier plot was linked to al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

The packages, addressed to Jewish places of worship in Chicago, were found Friday on cargo planes at airports in Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

In London Saturday, British Home Secretary Theresa May said the package intercepted in Britain was “viable,” meaning it could have exploded. She said the package could have brought the airplane down if it had detonated.

She also said in light of the incident all cargo originating in Yemen and coming into Britain will be stopped.

Also Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the terrorist plot with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.

A White House statement said in speaking with Mr. Cameron, President Obama praised the professionalism of American and British services involved in stopping the plot. Mr. Obama said his top counter-terrorism official, John Brennan, will continue to speak regularly with his British counterpart to prevent future terrorist attacks.

On Friday, President Obama said the shipments of the explosives were part of a “credible terrorist threat,” and he confirmed the packages originated in Yemen. Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen has long said it wants to attack the United States, despite efforts by the Sana’a government to combat al-Qaida militants.

U.S. officials say the packages were discovered after Saudi Arabian intelligence gave the United States information related to the plot.

Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters