Constance Ikokwu
28 October 2008
Washington, D.C. With Agency Report — A plot to assassinate US Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama has been uncovered by the country's federal agents, THISDAY has learnt.
The Associated Press (AP) reported last night that a plan to kill Obama and decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree was revealed by the ATF (a crime fighting body) yesterday evening.
Unsealed court records say two Neo-Nazi Skinheads (White supremacists) had planned to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American High School in a shooting spree, with the ultimate target being the Democratic candidate.
A special agent in charge of Nashville field office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jim Cavanaugh was quoted as saying that "they said that would be their last, final act, that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama. They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."
Cavanaugh said plotters, 20 year old Daniel Cowart of Bells, Tennessee and 18 year old Paul Schlesselman of West Helena Arkansas also planned to shoot 88 black people and decapitate some 14 other people.
Reports say the numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.
A rifle, three pistols, and a sawed-off shot gun were seized from both men. It was gathered that they were in preparation for another break-in to steal more guns before they were arrested.
Cowart and Schlesselman have been charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.
The two men are held being held by officials without bond. Investigations are on-going.
A similar plot was uncovered during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August. Four people suspected in a possible plot to shoot Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech in Denver were arrested and held on weapons charges.
Police found two high-powered, scoped rifles in the car along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, wigs, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licences in the names of other people and 44 grammes of methamphetamine.
Nathan Johnson, 32, who was arrested told authorities that the two men had "planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech."
"He don't belong in political office. Blacks don't belong in political office. He ought to be shot," Johnson told authorities.
The Obama campaign was not available immediately for a comment on the new development.
THISDAY gathered that the plot unraveled when one of the men was arrested on other charges and in the course of interviews he confessed.
"They seemed determined to do it. Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South," said Cavanaugh.
Court documents also show that both men "planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows".
"Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states.
Meanwhile, the battle for the White House is heating up, as Republicans and Democrats criss-cross key battleground states to make their final arguments. Republican John McCain is trying hard to distance himself from Bush as polls show him trailing behind his opponent.
The economic meltdown has left the Republican brand battered, causing McCain to play defence. In his latest stump speech, the Republican candidate noted that he and Obama do not favour Bush's economic policies.
"We both disagree with President Bush on economic policies. My approach is to get spending under control. The difference between us is he thinks taxes have been too low, and I think that spending has been too high."
In response, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said: "A day after John McCain said that he agreed with George Bush's economic philosophy, he continued to parrot the same failed policies that give billions to billionaires and big corporations while providing no relief at all to more than 100 million middle-class Americans."
Obama has focused on what his campaign calls his closing argument, which they say is a clear choice between another eight years of President Bush and McCain or a Democratic government determined to turn the country in the "right" direction.
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