Yemen Bomb Could Have Taken Down Plane

Weekend services were proceeding as normal at Chicago synagogues, with members processing the news that overseas terrorists apparently had them in their sights, reports the Chicago Tribune. No addresses were released, but sources helped the paper figure out the two neighborhoods involved and at least one of the presumed targets. "I heard that the packages were intended for Chicago, but it didn't even occur to me that our small congregation would be a target," said its past president.

The worry is legitimate: Authorities say the bomb shipped from Yemen and found aboard a plane in Britain was the real thing, reports the New York Times. “I can confirm the device was viable and could have exploded,” said Britain's home secretary. It remains unclear whether the terrorists wanted the bombs to reach the synagogues or take down the two planes carrying them. “The target may have been an aircraft and had it detonated the aircraft could have been brought down," said the British official. As for the second bomb found, that one in Dubai, officials there have said it bears the hallmarks of al-Qaeda. (More terror threat stories.)