Via the Jerusalem Post
US President Barack Obama announced Friday that law enforcement authorities in the US, UK and the United Arab Emirates have thwarted two attempted terrorist attacks on synagogues in the Chicago area.
Obama called the incident “a credible terrorist threat” and said he was informed by US counter-terror intelligence officials ob Thursday of a suspected attack. The president and other White House officials repeatedly stated that, contrary to earlier media reports, two packages found and examined – one in the East Midlands in the UK and another in Dubai – did in fact contain explosive material.
While two packages have been confirmed to contain explosive material, international law enforcement authorities are continuing to search other packages recently shipped from Yemen and the Persian Gulf region on suspicion that more explosive devices may be headed for the US.
Fear of more explosive devices originating in the Persian Gulf led to the escorting by two US fighter jets of an Emirates Airlines passenger jet also carrying cargo headed from Canada to the US on Friday. Nothing out of the ordinary was said to have occurred before or during the flight, but the fighter jet escort was ordered as a precautionary measure.
Both of the suspicious packages containing explosives were shipped from Yemen using the United Parcel Service company.
The first package that was found in the East Midlands contained a toner cartridge with wires and powder, and was discovered during an extra-vigilant screening of cargo in the United Kingdom prompted by reports from US intelligence.
