Roman Conaway Arrested: Accused Of Threatening President Obama, Local Muslims

[Tx4obama]

Source: AP (via HuffPo)

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An Army veteran arrested after a seven-hour standoff was charged Wednesday with threatening to kill President Barack Obama as part of what authorities said was his plan to ignite a war between Muslims and Christians and "start an apocalypse."

Federal agents arrested Roman Otto Conaway, 50, when he surrendered early Wednesday at his home after the confrontation, in which he insisted a bulky belt he wore and three storage containers on his Fairview Heights property were packed with explosives.

The FBI and the criminal complaint say the belt turned out to carry only inert putty-like material – similar to children's molding clay – made to look like high-grade explosives, with wires attached to a curling iron Conaway claimed was a triggering device. Nothing dangerous was found in the storage drums.

Conaway was in custody and was scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday on one count apiece of making a threat against the president and making false threats to detonate an explosive device. Bond was not immediately set.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/22/roman-conaway-arrested-ac_n_735707.html

[opihimoimoi]

1. Send him to GITMO

[KansDem]

10. I agree!!! Waterboard him until he confesses to something!

:grr:

[bluestateguy]

2. Disgusting. Janet Napolitano was right

We do face a terrorist threat in this country.

From knuckledragging teabaggers right here at home.

[formercia]

4. The rethugs threw a fit when that report came out

and she was cowed into rescinding it.

Never back down from the Right when you know they're wrong.

[24601]

14. When did she warn about attempted "suicide by cops". Janet

slurred all vets implying they were dangerous to others. John Kerry, a vet you may know, shouldn't have to tolerate that.

[leftynyc]

21. Please link me to where

she slurred ALL vets. I don't remember that at all - thanks.

[24601]

23. Here's the link to the wiki article and the specific passage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Napolitano

"Napolitano was the subject of controversy after a Department of Homeland Security threat assessment report...and disgruntled military veterans' possible vulnerability to recruitment efforts by extremist groups as potential risk factors regarding right-wing extremism recruitment."

To be fair, after it was publicized she apologized, "Napolitano made multiple apologies for any offense veterans groups had taken at the reference to veterans in the assessment, and promised to meet with those groups to discuss the issue....'

And the report: http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf

"The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of
military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities
could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists
capable of carrying out violent attacks."

"Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are
attractive to rightwing extremists. DHS/I&A is concerned that rightwing
extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to
boost their violent capabilities."

I suppose a clever lawyer would argue that the statements refer only to "returning" veterans; and it may be thoretically possible that some veterans never went anywhere and therefore never returned from anywhere.

[leftynyc]

24. The words are "disgruntled military"

She did not smear ALL veterans by any stretch of language.

[24601]

25. The "disgruntled" characterization was the wiki article. The DHS report

said "returning" veterans.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. One of these days, someone who is not a nut is going to try this. n/t

[glinda]

5. Listen to Faux News much?

[gratuitous]

6. TV permanently tuned to Fox?

Not that that would be indicative of anything at all, should it be true. Same goes for any reading materials that just happen to be exclusively written by Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh. In an age where people holding nothing have been blown away, Mr. Conaway and his ersatz explosive belt and dummy storage drums is damned lucky he'll be making an arraignment instead of his survivors making funeral arrangements.

[Trocadero]

7. Hmmm. I wonder who or what incited him to do this?

[nolabear]

8. There is illness here, and the current political climate gives it something to project onto.

This kind of thing has happened forever, and is always wrapped in something that piques the victim/perpetrator's particular paranoid leanings. The current constant flow of vituperation does not create, but certainly can feed and focus the anxieties that are inherent in a paranoid (possibly but not necessarily paranoid schizophrenic) personality.

It's an awful situation all around. We here can easily project our own fears onto the elements that alarm us the most, and I believe the constant barrage of information and misinformation makes our own responses heightened. We're just not as unfortunate as this poor deluded man is. Like others, I hope fervently that the protections put in place work.

[onethatcares]

9. shades of Charles Manson.

jeeez. Roman Otto Conaway should get out a little more and leave the pla doh for the kids.

Hopefully he gets 5 years of mental health treatment if he can afford it. I don't want my tax dollars going to any medical treatment for folks like this.

Let him pray to st ronnie of the tide raising all boats.

[izquierdista]

12. with silly putty and a curling iron?

Oh no, no. Much more dangerous. Do you know what MacGyver could do with 5 lbs of silly putty and a curling iron?

[bushisanidiot]

11. Typical tea bagging nutcase.

Way to go, Beck, Limbaugh, Palin, O'Reilly, Hannity, and Scarborough!!! Drive your followers to murder.. they are (apparently) more than willing to do your bidding.

[crim son]

13. Does anybody know the latest statistics on attempts/planned attempts

on Obama's life vs. the shrub's?

[RamboLiberal]

15. Army veteran in Ill. accused of threatening Obama (Wanted to Start Muslim/Christian War)

Source: AP

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An Army veteran arrested after a seven-hour standoff was charged Wednesday with threatening to kill President Barack Obama as part of what authorities said was his plan to ignite a war between Muslims and Christians and "start an apocalypse."

-----

The caller also pledged to "start a war between Christians and Muslims," "kill President Obama and other government officials to start a war," end the military conflict in Afghanistan and ensure North Korean leader Kim Jong Il would "have some pain and cry," Box wrote.

"I want to start an apocalypse," Box alleged the caller also said in the call to the mosque, perhaps unaware his telephone number had appeared on the mosque's caller ID and ultimately was conveyed to the FBI and Secret Service. The number was Conaway's, Box wrote.

-----

Conaway explained he carried out the bomb ploy because he is "anti-government" and, just hours before he called the mosque, was barred by a judge from having contact with his grandchildren, Box wrote.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5KkSYL2Np1TfYp96wimLLr0PZkwD9ID8H300

---

Well there's our RW loonie for September. There's been at least one a month lately. Bet he listens to Beck & Limbaugh.


Roman Conaway, of downstate Fairview Heights, Ill., allegedly wanted to assassinate President Barack Obama and start an apocalypse.
CBS

[bluestateguy]

16. Tea Party, please refudiate

nt

[DCKit]

17. "Bet he listens to Beck & Limbaugh."

If he can even hear them over all the other voices in his head.

[young but wise]

18. Real Christians do not behave this way.

:puke:

[RamboLiberal]

19. The whacko's Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001336225242#!/profile.php?id=100001336225242&v=wall

[Democat]

20. If he was a muslim this would be all you'd hear on the news!

But he isn't, so this has nothing to do with terrorism, right?

[Evasporque]

22. Another Tea Party voter purged off the roles.....hahahahaha! nt