Pipe bombs sent to top Democrats, CNN
Acts or threats of political violence have no place in US — Trump
Crude pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, CNN and others were intercepted on Tuesday night and yesterday in a rash of attacks aimed at prominent Democrats and a cable news network often criticised by political conservatives.
US President Donald Trump condemned what he called “despicable acts” and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. “In these times, we have to unify, we have to come together, and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” Trump said at the White House.
“We’re extremely angry, upset and unhappy about what we witnessed this morning, and we will get to the bottom of it,” Trump said.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier said his office received an explosive package, and the FBI said Florida Rep. Deborah Wasserman Schultz did, too, possibly misaddress and then sent to her as the return addressee. A similar device was found Monday at the New York compound of liberal billionaire George Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes.
Cuomo said at a briefing that “we will not allow these terrorist thugs to change the way we live our lives.”
Same source of packages
The bombs were intercepted two weeks before nationwide elections that could reshape Congress and serve as a referendum on the first two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
All the confirmed bombs appeared to come from the same person or persons, said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s head of intelligence and counterterrorism.
Two law enforcement officials said the pipe bomb at CNN was crude but operational and was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, who regularly appears as a television contributor and who has publicly clashed with Trump.
Two explosive devices were found in mail sent to former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, officials said yesterday, sparking an intensive investigation into whether a bomber is targeting prominent Democratic figures.
The devices were similar to one found on Monday at the home of the George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and liberal donor, who has often come under fierce criticism from conservatives and conspiracy theorists.
None of the devices harmed anyone. Law enforcement officials said they were investigating whether all three were sent by the same person or persons.
Packages intercepted
In a statement, the Secret Service said it “had intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” who were identified as Clinton and Obama.
The device addressed to Clinton in Westchester County was found late on Tuesday by a Secret Service employee who screens mail for her, the statement said.
The package addressed to Obama was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC, early yesterday.
“The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such,” the statement said.
Neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures, the Secret Service said.
The statement said the agency had “initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible.”
The official said one of the packages had the return address of Representative Deborah Wasserman Schultz, an ironic reference to the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
Authorities have stepped up screening of other people who could be targets, the official added. The motive was not immediately clear.
CNN anchors, speaking live from cellphones outside their bureau at the Time Warner Center, described an evacuation of a New York landmark that disrupted traffic and drew the New York Police Department’s bomb squad.
Relentless rhetoric
All three known targets have been the subject of relentless rhetoric from President Donald Trump, who has led chants of “lock her up” at political rallies long after he defeated Clinton and repeatedly called CNN “fake news” while labeling the media the “enemy of the people.”
The White House condemned “the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures.”
“These terrorising acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that that referred to the senders as “these cowards.”
Also yesterday, CNN’s offices in Manhattan were evacuated, according to a spokeswoman for the New York Police Department. The spokeswoman said it was not immediately clear why the evacuation had taken place or whether it was considered a serious threat.
Soros’ home is in Katonah, a hamlet in Westchester County north of New York City. That device was constructed from a length of pipe about 6 inches long filled with explosive powder, and it was “proactively detonated” by bomb squad technicians, according to one of the officials, all of whom were briefed on the investigation.
Law enforcement agencies were closely examining possible ties between the packages and the one sent to Soros, according to one federal law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The connection was being “strongly considered,” the official said.
On Tuesday, one of the law enforcement officials said the motive of the would-be Soros bomber or bombers remained unclear, adding that there had not yet been any claim of responsibility.
We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders | White House press secretary