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19:48 GMT
WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (KUNA) -- North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) reported on Friday afternoon its fighter jets were escorting a
passenger plane identified as "an aircraft of interest" into JFK Airport in
New York.
Additional details were not immediately available, but the report came on
the same day news broke of suspicious packages arriving on planes entering the
United States from Yemen.
President Barack Obama was scheduled to make a statement later in the day
on the developments, and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John
Brennan planned to follow that with a late afternoon briefing.
Cargo planes and trucks in several U.S. cities were inspected Friday after
investigators found suspicious packages in at least two locations abroad, law
enforcement sources said.
U.S. officials told Cable News Network (CNN) that they believe al Qaeda in
the Arabian Peninsula was behind the plot.
One suspicious package, found in Britain, contained a "manipulated" toner
cartridge but tested negative for explosive material, the officials said. The
package had white powder on it as well as wires and a circuit board, a law
enforcement source said, and it was shipped from Sanaa, Yemen, with a final
destination of Chicago, Illinois. A similar package has been discovered in
Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the source said.
Some media reports said Jewish religious leaders in Chicago were informed
that synanogues in the United States might have been targeted in the incidents.
Authorities were looking for about 13 other packages shipped from Yemen, a
law enforcement source told CNN, and some of them have been found and deemed
to not be a threat.
The plot could be a dry run to test Western security, another official told
CNN.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it had taken steps to
enhance security, including heightened cargo screening and additional security
at airports.
"Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security
layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology,
canine teams and pat downs, among others," DHS said in a statement. "As
always, we remind the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity
to local law enforcement." (end).
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