White House: Packages In UK, Dubai Triggered Security Alert

White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs
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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has just issued a statement addressing the searches of cargo planes at airports in Philadelphia, PA and Newark, NJ today. Gibbs said the security precautions triggered by the discovery of two suspicious packages, one on a plane in East Midlands, United Kingdom and one on a plane in Dubai, resulted in the searches of the planes here in the United States. According to the statement, both packages originated in Yemen.

Here’s the full statement:

Last night, intelligence and law enforcement agencies discovered potential suspicious packages on two planes in transit to the United States. Based on close cooperation among U.S. government agencies and with our foreign allies and partners, authorities were able to identify and examine two suspicious packages, one in East Midlands, United Kingdom and one in Dubai. Both of these packages originated from Yemen. As a result of security precautions triggered by this threat, the additional measures were taken regarding the flights at Newark Liberty and Philadelphia International Airports.

The President was notified of a potential terrorist threat on Thursday night at 10:35, by John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism. The President directed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security, to take steps to ensure the safety and security of the American people, and to determine whether these threats are a part of any additional terrorist plotting. The President has received regular updates from his national security team since he was alerted to the threat.

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