"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," Brennan said in a statement Friday.  "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," he said.  President Obama said Friday that the packages were bound for two Chicago synagogues.  If not for Saudi intelligence, former U.S. homeland security adviser and CNN contributor Fran Townsend said Friday, the packages "would have arrived at these Jewish houses of worship and would have exploded ... (they) could have killed some, maimed others."  U.S. officials believe that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, commonly referred to as AQAP, is behind the incident.  Obama confirmed that the packages originated in Yemen, the stronghold of the extremist group, which was formerly called al Qaeda in Yemen.  Brennan first briefed the president on the potential threat on Thursday at 10:35 p.m., White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at a Friday press briefing.  Obama directed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security to take security precautions and to determine whether the threats were a part of a broader plot, Gibbs said.  Brennan continued briefing Obama throughout the night while also talking by phone with Homeland Security Secretary  Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Central Intelligence Agency officials and other officials into early Friday morning, Gibbs said.
Saudi Arabia played a key role in providing intelligence that led to the interception of suspicious packages in at least two locations abroad that were bound for the United States -- including the