The New York Times has further details on the possible assassination plot against Barack Obama that I wrote about last night:
DENVER — City and federal authorities said Monday night that at least three people were under arrest on firearms and drug charges in connection with a possible plot to kill Senator Barack Obama during his speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday night.
The United States attorney’s office in Denver has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to discuss its investigation. A spokeswoman for the Denver Police Department said that an “aggressive” inquiry had been under way since the first arrest in the case. That occurred during a traffic stop in Aurora, Colo., on Sunday morning, when the police seized firearms and methamphetamine, the authorities said.
It was not clear how well along the possible plot was, or whether the people under arrest had found a way to overcome the heavy security surrounding the Democratic convention. Mr. Obama is scheduled to deliver his speech at Invesco Field, near the convention center.
The United States attorney for Colorado, Troy Eid, seemed to play down the degree of threat that Mr. Obama faced.
“Because this matter is currently under investigation, there is little we can say right now,” Mr. Eid said in a statement. “We can say this: We’re absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the
candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado.”
Whether that’s because the men arrested this weekend were never a credible threat, or because the arrests have ended that threat, is unclear right now.
In either case, it’s clear that moving Thursday night’s events to Invesco Field does post some real security risks.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:56 am
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