Al Qaeda Takes Blame for Cargo Plot

Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen have claimed responsibility for last week's cargo-bomb plot, taking credit for the act with posts on radical Islamist websites. "We will continue to strike blows against American interests and the interest of America allies," members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula wrote. Security officials had already suspected Ibrahim Hasan al-Asiri, an expert al Qaeda bomb maker based in the region. The group also claimed responsibility for a September incident in which a UPS cargo plane crashed in Dubai, though analysis of that event had previously cleared any link to terrorism. Last week's plot, intercepted by a Saudi tip, placed two explosive devices on U.S.-bound planes; officials say they could have exploded while in the air.