Explosives Found on U.S.-Bound Cargo Plane

President Obama said Friday that federal authorities had uncovered a “credible terrorist threat” against the United States following the overseas discovery of U.S.-bound packages containing explosives aboard cargo jets, the Associated Press reported.

The triggered a worldwide alert that al-Qaeda was attempting to carry out new terror attacks against the United States, AP said. The president said the packages originated in Yemen and were addressed to Jewish organizations in the Chicago area.

U.S. and British security officials searched UPS Inc. cargo flights after suspected packages were found in Britain and Dubai, Reuters reported.

Some news analysts speculated Friday that air-cargo security regulations could be tightened in the wake of the revelations.

Several other cargo planes at Eastern U.S. airports also were searched, but officials said no explosives were found, AP reported.

An Emirates Airlines passenger jet carrying cargo from Yemen was escorted from the Canadian border to New York City by two U.S. military fighter jets as a precautionary action, AP reported.