Terror: Packages Intercepted Contained 'Explosive Material' - Obama

San Francisco, Oct 29, (THEWILL) - US President Barack Obama today said two suspicious packages being flown from Yemen to the United States intercepted in the United Kingdom and Dubai, UAE contained 'explosive material.'

Obama called it a credible threat against the United States. 'We also know that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula continues to plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens, and our friends and allies. Initial examination of those packages has been determined that they do apparently contain explosive material,' the president said in a press briefing on the threat.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia played a key role in providing intelligence that led to the interception of suspicious packages which included a toner cartridge with a white substance. The Saudi government provided the shipping tracking numbers for the devices, a source told CNN on Friday.

"The United States is grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their assistance in developing information that helped underscore the imminence of the threat emanating from Yemen.

"Their assistance, along with the hard work of the U.S. counter-terrorism community, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and other friends and partners helped make it possible to increase our vigilance and identify the suspicious packages in Dubai and East Midlands Airport," Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan said in a statement on Friday evening.

One of the packages was found on a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane at East Midlands Airport, near London while the other was found at a FedEx Corp facility in Dubai.

Both packages intercepted on Thursday night were addressed to Jewish Synagogues in Chigago, Obama confirmed.

The Yemeni government has assured the US government of its full cooperation in its investigations of the threat.

Meanwhile, UPS and FedEx have announced a suspenson of its Yemeni services.

Photo: This suspicious package from Yemen had wires and a circuit board. Photo Credit: CNN.