Congressman Peter King had warned just a few days ago, that an al Qaeda bomb attempt was imminent.

He said he suspected a plot was underway and that it "underscores the growing threat from radicalization within the Muslim-American community and 'lone wolf' terrorism, which I have repeatedly argued pose one of the gravest threats to U.S. national security."

King has been criticized in many quarters for holding hearings on alleged radical elements in the Muslim American community.

King, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has confirmed that the bomb device which was intercepted in Yemen yesterday was meant for a US bound airplane.

The Long Island Irish American told Anderson Cooper on CNN that the recovery of the bomb is just part of the ongoing investigation and that many details are still unknown.

"It's not over as far as the operation itself, which is why you're seeing very few details being given out," he said. King also revealed that the suicide bomber had been intercepted and arrested before he could board a plane. “We don’t have to worry about him anymore,” he said.

The bomb contained no metal. “It is clear that  al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is revamping its bomb techniques to try to avoid the causes of the failure of the 2009 device," a White House official said, referring to the Detroit incident on Christmas Day 2009.

King stated that information on the case had been “tightly held,” but it was revealed by Associated Press. He said officials “were shocked that this had gotten out” before the announcement planned for Tuesday.