Saudis warned U.S. of plane plot weeks ago

WASHINGTON Western officials credit the Saudis for playing a crucial role in finding the two mail bombs in Dubai and England before they reached the U.S. Both mail bombs were hidden inside computer printers and wired to detonators that used cell-phone technology and packed powdered explosives.

The threat set off a major security alert in several major cities around the world and in the U.S. Suspicious packages were investigated in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Queens.

Officials said the Saudi tip contained no mention of cargo planes or any other details of the plot.

Meantime, an Al Qaeda group based out of Yemen is claiming responsibility for that plot and the crash of a UPS cargo plane in Dubai in September.

Investigators say they believe the UPS crash was an accident, not a terror attack, but they're not discounting the Al Qaeda claim.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, said on Friday that it will continue to target Western cargo and civilian aircraft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.