Terror Suspect: I Would Have Shot Obama
An Ohio man accused of plotting to attack
the US Capitol called a television station
and said he would have to gone to
Washington and shot President Barack
Obama in the head if he had not been
arrested.
Cincinnati television station WXIX-TV said
Christopher Lee Cornell called the station
from his Kentucky jail, confessed to being
a supporter of Islamic State (IS) and said
he planned to kill government officials in
retaliation for US airstrikes on the militant
group.
The station broadcast part of the
interview on Friday, not long after the 20-
year-old's attorney argued unsuccessfully
that it could violate Cornell's right to a
fair trial.
When asked what he would have done had
he not been arrested in January, Cornell
said he would have taken one of his guns,
"I would have put it to Obama's head, I
would have pulled the trigger, then I
would unleash more bullets on the Senate
and House of Representative members,
and I would have attacked the Israeli
embassy and various other buildings."
Cornell, who repeatedly identified himself
as Muslim, said "the continued American
aggression against our people and the
fact that America, specifically President
Obama, wants to wage war against
Islamic State" was the reason for his
planned attack.
He said: "They might say I'm a terrorist,
but you know we see American troops as
terrorists as well, coming to our land,
stealing our resources and killing our
people, raping our women."
Cornell said support for IS is widespread
in the US.
"We're here in Ohio, we're in every state,"
he said.
"We're more organised than you think."
The federal indictment against Cornell
charges him with two counts that carry
possible sentences of up to 20 years for
each conviction.
They are attempted murder of government
employees and officials and solicitation to
commit a crime of violence.
Cornell, who grew up in the Cincinnati
suburbs and lived with his parents, also
faces a firearms-related charge.
He has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
Cornell was arrested outside a gun shop
near his home in January after the FBI said
he purchased two M-15 assault weapons
and 600 rounds of ammunition.
In court documents, the FBI said Cornell
planned to "wage jihad" by attacking the
Capitol with pipe bombs and shooting
government officials and employees.
Cornell's father said his son was coerced
and misled by "a snitch" trying to better
his own legal situation.
