Maldives cheers Scout who foiled assassination attempt

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Residents of the Maldives showered praise Wednesday on a 15-year-old Boy Scout who foiled an attempt to assassinate the president of this island nation by grabbing the attacker's knife.

Mohammed Jaisham Ibrahim, wearing his blue Maldives Scout uniform with a blue kerchief, was among those waiting to greet the leader Tuesday when the attacker lunged out from the crowd.

"Jaisham our national hero saves the president," the Midhu Daily newspaper cheered in a headline.

President Maumoon Gayoom was unhurt, but his shirt was ripped as the attacker tried a second time to stab him before being overpowered by security guards, government spokesman Mohammed Shareef said. The incident occurred on Hoarafushi, one of the 1,190 coral islands in the Indian Ocean that make up the Maldives.

"One brave boy saved the president's life," Shareef said.

He added that the Cabinet will discuss awarding a national honor to Ibrahim.

"The Cabinet will discuss it, and it's a lengthy process," Shareef said.

"He has become a hero," said Ahmed Zahir, executive editor of Haveeru newspaper. "There were hundreds of people gathered at the jetty to receive him when he arrived in Male yesterday. He is a very smart boy. I don't know how he reacted so quickly. He is very, very brave I would say."

Boy Scouts in the Maldives are similar to their U.S. counterparts, receiving training in first aid and participating in activities like camping. Their motto is the same as well: "Be Prepared."

After the attack, Gayoom addressed the nation in a radio broadcast, thanking the teenager and calling for calm, according to the Web site of the Minivan newspaper.

"We should not resort to violence even if we have differences between the parties," Gayoom was quoted as saying.

A police Web site identified the attacker as Mohamed Murshid, 20. No motive was given, and other details were not disclosed. Shareef, speaking by telephone from Male, said the assassination attempt may have had a "political motive," but it was too early to say if Islamic militants were involved.

Opposition to Gayoom's three-decade rule has grown in recent years and there have also been concerns about increased Islamic militancy in the Muslim nation.

Gayoom, 70, has ruled the Maldives since 1978 and helped turn it into a major destination for tourists seeking a quiet vacation on virgin beaches surrounded by crystal blue waters.

However, the country of 350,000 people has also had its share of turmoil in recent months.

On Sept. 29, a bomb blamed on Islamic militants exploded in a park in Male, wounding 12 tourists. A week later, police and soldiers raided an island that was a reputed insurgent stronghold, sparking a battle with masked men armed with clubs and fishing spears that wounded more than 30 security officers.

In recent years, Gayoom has also faced opposition protests of his previously unchallenged rule. Under pressure, he legalized opposition parties and agreed to hold the nation's first truly democratic election later this year.

The New Maldives Movement, a new opposition coalition formed to challenge Gayoom's rule in upcoming elections, condemned the attempted assassination.

"The NMM calls for an independent and speedy investigation into the attack and stresses the importance of making the results of the investigation public," the group said.