US wary of white supremacists at Obama inauguration
US president-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in to office at a ceremony in Washington on January 20th
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Saturday, 17, Jan 2009 11:13
Security arrangements are being stepped up in Washington against known white supremacists ahead of US president-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
Mr Obama, who is set to become America's first black president, will be sworn into office on January 20th. US security agencies are trying to ensure that the event, which will see millions line the streets of Washington, passes peacefully.
Security experts have told media that they are keeping a special eye out for members of white supremacist groups who may try to attack the president on the day.
Assistant FBI director Joe Persichini told CNN that he was concerned about discussions held on websites frequented by members of the extreme fringe of the white supremacist movement.
He told the US broadcaster: "We have seen a lot of chatter. We have seen a lot of discussions. We have seen some information via the internet. But those are discussions. We look at the vulnerabilities and whether or not the groups are taking action.
"You have freedom of speech. Anyone in this nation can have a discussion about their beliefs, but we are concerned about whether or not they take that freedom of speech and exercise some act that is against the law."
The American news network also reports that a group, the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, has called on members to wear black armbands and fly the US flag upside down on Mr Obama's inauguration day and his opening days at the White House.
In October, two Neo Nazis were arrested by authorities in the US state of Tennessee for planning to attack the then presidential candidate's motorcade in an assassination attempt.