George W. Bush
[edit] First assassination attempt
February 7, 2001: While President George W. Bush was occupied in the White House Residence, Washington, DC, Robert Pickett, standing outside the perimeter fence, discharged a number of shots from a weapon in the direction of the White House. The U.S. Park Police claimed, according to CNN correspondent Eileen O'Connor, that the type of handgun that was confiscated was of a sophisticated type and had the shooter not been shooting from an unobstructed angle view, the bullets would have reached the White House. However, numerous trees and bushes separated the sidewalk, where Pickett was, from the White House. Following a stand-off of about ten minutes, the incident ended when a Secret Service officer shot Pickett, resulting in an injury which required immediate hospital surgery. Pickett was found to have emotional problems and employment grievances. Although Pickett had written letters to the President about these grievances there was lack of conclusive evidence that President Bush was a personal target. A court in July 2001 sentenced Pickett to three years imprisonment in connection with the incident.
[edit] Second possible assassination attempt
September 11, 2001: On the morning of 9/11, President George W. Bush was at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference">[18]</sup> He woke up around 6:00 AM and prepared for his morning jog.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference">[19]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference">[20]</sup> A van occupied by men of Middle Eastern descent arrived at the Colony Beach Resort and claimed they had a "poolside" interview with the President. They did not have an appointment and were turned away.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference">[21]</sup> It is possible this was an assassination attempt modeled on the one used on anti-Taliban fighter and Northern Alliance military leader Ahmed Massoud two days earlier. The previous April, Massoud addressed the European Parliament and warned of the possibility of al-Qaeda attacking in the West.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference">[22]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference">[23]</sup> Longboat Key Fire Marshal Carroll Mooneyhan was reported to have overheard the conversation between the men and the Secret Service, but he later denied the report. The newspaper that reported this, the Longboat Observer, stands by its story.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-0" class="reference">[24]</sup> Both Mooneyhan and the Observer reporter were questioned by the Secret Service, but the agency has not commented further.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-1" class="reference">[24]</sup> Witnesses have recalled seeing 9/11 hijacker ringleader Mohamed Atta in the Longboat Key Holiday Inn a short distance from where Bush was staying as recently as September 7, the day Bush’s Sarasota appearance was publicly announced.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-2" class="reference">[24]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference">[25]</sup>
[edit] Second verified assassination attempt
May 10, 2005: While President George W. Bush was giving a speech in the Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, Vladimir Arutyunian threw a live Soviet-made RGD-5 hand grenade towards the podium where he was standing and where Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and their two wives and officials were seated. The grenade was live and had its pin pulled, but did not explode because a red tartan handkerchief wrapped tightly around the grenade kept the firing pin from deploying quickly enough. <sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference">[26]</sup>
Arutyunian was arrested in July 2005, and killed an Interior Ministry agent while resisting arrest. He was convicted in January 2006, and was given a life sentence.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference">[27]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference">[28]</sup>
[edit] Fourth possible assassination attempt
November 19, 2008: Asa Seeley hailed an unlicensed cab in Baltimore, Maryland and asked for a ride to the White House. When the cabbie noticed Seeley was carrying a rifle, he refused to transport Seeley to Washington, and instead dropped him off at the West Baltimore commuter rail station, then alerted police. Several suspicious commuters also notified police. When police arrived at the station, Seeley jumped off the platform, broke his ankle, and was transported to Shock Trauma. He was charged by the state of Maryland, but presently is not facing federal charges<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference">[29]</sup>.
It was later revealed that Seeley was not planning to assassinate the president, but to seek revenge on those who had previously shot him<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference">[30]</sup>.
[edit]
[edit] First assassination attempt
February 7, 2001: While President George W. Bush was occupied in the White House Residence, Washington, DC, Robert Pickett, standing outside the perimeter fence, discharged a number of shots from a weapon in the direction of the White House. The U.S. Park Police claimed, according to CNN correspondent Eileen O'Connor, that the type of handgun that was confiscated was of a sophisticated type and had the shooter not been shooting from an unobstructed angle view, the bullets would have reached the White House. However, numerous trees and bushes separated the sidewalk, where Pickett was, from the White House. Following a stand-off of about ten minutes, the incident ended when a Secret Service officer shot Pickett, resulting in an injury which required immediate hospital surgery. Pickett was found to have emotional problems and employment grievances. Although Pickett had written letters to the President about these grievances there was lack of conclusive evidence that President Bush was a personal target. A court in July 2001 sentenced Pickett to three years imprisonment in connection with the incident.
[edit] Second possible assassination attempt
September 11, 2001: On the morning of 9/11, President George W. Bush was at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference">[18]</sup> He woke up around 6:00 AM and prepared for his morning jog.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference">[19]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference">[20]</sup> A van occupied by men of Middle Eastern descent arrived at the Colony Beach Resort and claimed they had a "poolside" interview with the President. They did not have an appointment and were turned away.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference">[21]</sup> It is possible this was an assassination attempt modeled on the one used on anti-Taliban fighter and Northern Alliance military leader Ahmed Massoud two days earlier. The previous April, Massoud addressed the European Parliament and warned of the possibility of al-Qaeda attacking in the West.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference">[22]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference">[23]</sup> Longboat Key Fire Marshal Carroll Mooneyhan was reported to have overheard the conversation between the men and the Secret Service, but he later denied the report. The newspaper that reported this, the Longboat Observer, stands by its story.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-0" class="reference">[24]</sup> Both Mooneyhan and the Observer reporter were questioned by the Secret Service, but the agency has not commented further.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-1" class="reference">[24]</sup> Witnesses have recalled seeing 9/11 hijacker ringleader Mohamed Atta in the Longboat Key Holiday Inn a short distance from where Bush was staying as recently as September 7, the day Bush’s Sarasota appearance was publicly announced.<sup id="cite_ref-USSS_23-2" class="reference">[24]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference">[25]</sup>
[edit] Second verified assassination attempt
May 10, 2005: While President George W. Bush was giving a speech in the Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, Vladimir Arutyunian threw a live Soviet-made RGD-5 hand grenade towards the podium where he was standing and where Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and their two wives and officials were seated. The grenade was live and had its pin pulled, but did not explode because a red tartan handkerchief wrapped tightly around the grenade kept the firing pin from deploying quickly enough. <sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference">[26]</sup>
Arutyunian was arrested in July 2005, and killed an Interior Ministry agent while resisting arrest. He was convicted in January 2006, and was given a life sentence.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference">[27]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference">[28]</sup>
[edit] Fourth possible assassination attempt
November 19, 2008: Asa Seeley hailed an unlicensed cab in Baltimore, Maryland and asked for a ride to the White House. When the cabbie noticed Seeley was carrying a rifle, he refused to transport Seeley to Washington, and instead dropped him off at the West Baltimore commuter rail station, then alerted police. Several suspicious commuters also notified police. When police arrived at the station, Seeley jumped off the platform, broke his ankle, and was transported to Shock Trauma. He was charged by the state of Maryland, but presently is not facing federal charges<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference">[29]</sup>.
It was later revealed that Seeley was not planning to assassinate the president, but to seek revenge on those who had previously shot him<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference">[30]</sup>.
[edit]
