Washington – Presidential Hopeful Barak Obama Placed Under Secret Service Protection.

Washington – Democratic presidential hopeful Barak Obama has been put under the protection of the United States Secret Service, reportedly due to a threat against the candidate.

It is the earliest that the Secret Service has ever placed a candidate under its protection, sources said.
United States Secret Service confirmed that the detail has been put in place based on a decision by a five-person advisory committee chaired by Michael Chertoff, the head of the Department of Homeland Security.

Two separate sources would not elaborate on the reasons why the detail was put in place, beyond acknowledging that it had been put in place and that there had been security concerns including a threat that warranted the protective detail. [abc]