The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Tension rises after bombs sent to Joe Biden and De Niro
United States: Actor and former VP latest targets
The US mail bomb scare has widened as police seized three more suspicious packages – two sent to former vice-president Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro.
Officers said the items were similar to crude pipe bombs sent to former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and TV news channel CNN.
None of the devices exploded and no one was injured but the packages, sent to prominent Democrats critical of President Donald Trump, heightened nationwide tensions two weeks before congressional mid-term elections.
As Mr Trump decried political violence, blame flew for the corrosive nature of political debate in the current-day United States.
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” Mr Trump wrote in a morning tweet.
Former CIA director John Brennan, the target of one package sent to CNN where he has been a contributor, fired back.
“Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror,” Mr Brennan tweeted.
Police said the package recovered in Manhattan addressed to De Niro, who insulted Mr Trump at this year’s Tony Awards, was similar to other pipe bombs recovered this week. Mr Biden has also criticised Mr Trump, as recently as last week, saying he may not “know what he’s doing” and coddles dictators.
The first bomb was delivered on Monday to billionaire George Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes.
“It appears an individual or individuals sent out multiple, similar packages,” said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s head of intelligence and counterterrorism.
Later, at a rally in Wisconsin, Mr Trump urged unity.
“Let’s get along,” he said. “By the way, do you see how nice I’m behaving tonight? Have you ever seen this?”