King credits Saudis in discovery of bombs

Saudi intelligence that led to the discovery Friday of two mail bombs from Yemen helped avert possible explosions on two planes and in synagogues, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said Sunday on the CBS "Face the Nation" morning TV show.

"If we had not gotten that intelligence from the Saudis, you would have seen at least two planes go up, and maybe the synagogues," said King, the top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives.

"And it shows that al-Quaida in the Arabian Peninsula, I think, is emerging as the major force now in the Islamic terrorist world, even in some ways supplanting bin Laden," King said.

King once served as chairman of the House homeland security committee and, in response to a question from "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer, said he hopes to find himself in that position again if Republicans take the House in Tuesday's midterm elections.

The Obama administration handled Friday's terrorism scare "perfectly", King told Schieffer.

"They received actionable intelligence," King said. "They shared it with their allies. So everything was done right."