Obama thanks Cameron, Saudi King Abdullah for help in foiling terror plot

[News_Editor]

Obama thanks Cameron, Saudi King Abdullah for help in foiling terror plot

2010-10-31 09:25:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday thanked British Prime Minister David Cameron and Saudi King Abdullah for the help they provided to discover a plot in which several explosive devices were placed on two U.S.-bound cargo planes.

The White House said in a statement that President Obama spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss the terrorist plot that was disrupted at East Midlands Airport in England and in Dubai.

The plot was discovered as a result of the close cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as other international partners, the White House said.

Obama also expressed his appreciation for the professionalism of American and British services involved in the joint effort to stop this plot.

The president also telephoned on Saturday morning Saudi King Abdullah, expressing his 'strong appreciation for the critical role played by Saudi counterterrorism officials' in averting the attempted attack and for the 'deep and enduring relationship' between both countries.

The White House also said that he President's counterterrorism advisor, John Brennan, spoke to President Ali Abdallah Saleh of Yemen on Saturday. Brennan told the Yemeni president that the United States stands ready to assist the Yemeni Government and the Yemeni people in their fight against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.

On Friday, two suspicious packages were found aboard U.S.-bound cargo jets in England and Dubai, and contained explosives, officials said, sparking an international airline security scare and prompting U.S. authorities to search several planes and increase aviation security.

British PM David Cameron told the BBC on Saturday that London "believe that the device was designed to go off on the airplane."

"We cannot be sure about the timing, about when that was meant to take place. There is no early evidence it was designed to take place over British soil but of course we cannot rule that out," Cameron said.

On Friday, Obama said the packages found were part of a "credible terrorist threat".

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