Saudis Report Plot To Assassinate Obama

[JimGinPA]

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/06/world/worldwatch/entry4922608.shtml

The Saudi Arabian newspaper al-Watan reported today that Turkish security services have arrested a man of Syrian origins Friday in connection with a plot to assassinate President Barack Obama during his current visit to Turkey.

The man, who was carrying an Al-Jazeera TV ID card in the name of M.G., confessed after his arrest that he was planning on stabbing the U.S. president with a knife during the Alliance of Civilizations summit held in Istanbul, adding that he had three other accomplices to help him execute his plan.

According to the paper, Turkish investigators were trying to verify whether the Qatari-based Arab TV channel has truly issued the ID card produced by the man, or if it’s a forged copy.

The suspect, a permanent resident of Istanbul, has been regularly attending all conferences and events relating to the Middle East held in the city.

Al-Watan contacted Al-Jazeera's bureau chief in Ankara, Yucef al-Sharif, who said that news of the suspect came as a complete surprise to Al-Jazeera staff in Turkey, who all claimed that they knew nothing about the man.

"We learned that he (the suspect) claimed to be working for our bureau … if that has been the case then he most certainly forged our ID card,” al-Sharif told al-Watan in a phone call from Ankara.

Al-Sharif said that Turkish security services know everyone who worked in Al-Jazeera's offices in Ankara.

[Jennicut]

1. The secret service would never allow him to get close enough, thankfully

A knife is nothing compared to them.

[GentryDixon]

5. The President needs to stop walking into adoring crowds.

These people do not care if they are killed, thus martyred, in their attempt to take out their target.

The pictures taken in Prague are a good example of how close President Obama gets to these people.

Scary indeed.

[Jennicut]

7. Maybe. Its hard to constantly feel in fear, you have to just live your life.

Even if you are the President. Still, he does need to be careful. I do think that if the Secret Service thought it was really unsafe they would not let him do it.

[stillcool]

6. you never know...

How many does it take to look away?

[sharp_stick]

2. Stabbing him with a knife?

I know shrubbos bodyguards let a guy chuck shoes at him but I don't think he would be all that successful at stabbing a US President. Did he think he'd just walk on up there and start swinging away?

This guy sounds like he's got the brainpower of those whackjob white supremacists that were going to kill Obama during the DNC last year.

[ClarkUSA]

3. President Obama is a very brave man to hold as many public events as he does.

[Deja Q]

4. Immensely. It's a show of trust, I think, but it's very risky.

:(