Man with news credentials said he was planning to assassinate President Obama in Turkey

 UPDATE:4/07/09

Turkish authorities have released a Syrian man who was arrested last week in connection with an alleged plan to kill President Barack Obama, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

The official said that while U.S. authorities take all threats seriously, they do not believe the president’s life was ever in serious danger.

A Saudi newspaper is reporting that Turkish security services arrested a Syrian man who was plotting to assassinate President Obama in Turkey.

According to reports, when the unidentified man was arrested on Friday he had Al Jazeera press credentials on him, and admitted that he and his three accomplices were planning on stabbing the president.

Al-Jazeer’s Ankara bureau chief, Yussef al-Sharif told the media that the news of the assassination came as a “complete shock” to him, and after checking with his employees in Turkey, none claimed to be acquainted with the suspect.

Turkish authorities are unable to verify the man’s identification.