Arrested men 'posed no true danger' to Obama

Denver: A group of suspected drug users arrested in Denver over the weekend with methamphetamine, guns and bulletproof vests made racist threats against Barack Obama but posed no true danger to the presidential candidate, federal authorities said on Tuesday.

The three men, all high on methamphetamine when arrested, are the subject of an assassination investigation but so far, authorities say, it appears that they had no capacity to carry out any attack on Obama.

Obama will be in Denver this week accepting the Democratic nomination.

US Attorney Troy Eid said, "The law recognises a difference between a true threat - one that can be carried out - and the reported racist rantings of a drug addict."

He said the men's plans were "more aspirational, perhaps, than operational."

The three have been charged with drug and weapons offenses but not with threatening to assassinate Obama or with other national-security-related crimes.