Must Read 'Explosive devices' sent to Clinton, Obama, CNN two weeks before U.S. election

[webfact]

Suspected bombs target top Democrats, CNN two weeks before U.S. election

By Makini Brice and Jonathan Allen

 

A package containing a "live explosive device" according to police, received at the Time Warner Center which houses the CNN New York bureau, in New York City, U.S. is shown in this handout picture provided October 24, 2018. Courtesy CNN/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Police have intercepted suspected bombs mailed to former U.S. President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other high-profile Democrats, as well as to CNN, in what New York officials on Wednesday branded an act of terrorism.

 

A car is pictured in the driveway of the house of Bill and Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York, U.S., October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

 

The packages were similar in appearance and "contain potentially destructive devices," the FBI said. Other officials said the devices looked like pipe bombs, similar to one that was found and detonated by police on Monday at the home of George Soros, a prominent Democratic Party donor and frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories.

 

With the country deeply polarized, the news brought a new level of tension to Nov. 6 political election that will decide whether Democrats can take majorities now held by President Donald Trump's Republicans in Congress.

 

All the packages were mailed in manila envelopes with bubble wrap interior and had the return address of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a U.S. representative and former chair of the Democratic Party, the FBI said.

 

The U.S. Secret Service intercepted packages addressed to Obama at his Washington home and to Clinton at her home in New York state.

 

The CNN bureau in New York also received a device looking like a pipe bomb, leading police to evacuate the Time Warner <T.N> building in a busy part of New York City near Central Park. Mayor Bill de Blasio described it as "a serious bomb."

 

Eric Holder, who was U.S. attorney general under Obama, and Democratic Representative Maxine Waters were also among those targeted.

 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

 

"This clearly is an act of terror attempting to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference.

 

Trump condemned what he called "despicable acts" and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

 

Trump, who usually relishes in making partisan attacks on Democrats, also issued a rare call for unity.

 

"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.

 

All of the targets are frequently maligned by right-wing critics. Trump has repeated criticized CNN as "fake news" and disparaged the mainstream media.

 

Members of the New York Police Department are pictured outside the Time Warner Center in the Manhattan borough of New York City after a suspicious package was found inside the CNN Headquarters in New York, U.S., October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs

 

"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," CNN President Jeff Zucker said in a statement that was read out on CNN. "The president, and especially the White House press secretary, should understand that their words matter. Thus far they have shown no comprehension of that."

 

U.S. Democratic leaders in Congress said Trump's call for unity rang "hollow" because of his past statements that condone acts of violence.

 

"Time and time again, the president has condoned physical violence and divided Americans with his words and his actions," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives top Democrat Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

 

PACKAGES RECOVERED

The package to Clinton was found late on Tuesday while the one addressed to Obama was recovered early on Wednesday, both during routine off-site mail screenings, the Secret Service said. Obama and Clinton were not at risk, they said.

 

Officials said the package received by CNN was addressed to former CIA director John Brennan, who appeared on CNN periodically before joining cable news rival MSNBC as a paid contributor.

 

Brennan has been an outspoken critic of Trump, calling the president's performance during a July joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki "nothing short of treasonous."

 

The package sent to CNN also contained an envelope of white powder that experts were analysing, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said.

 

In the weeks following the attacks of September 11, 2001, anthrax spores were mailed to news media offices and two U.S. senators, killing five people and infecting 17 others.

 

A suspicious package was found at the building that houses Wasserman Schultz's office, the Broward Sheriff's office said.

 

The FBI said the package was meant for Holder but rerouted to the return address in Florida.

 

Waters said in a statement that her Washington office was the target of "a suspicious package." The package was intercepted at a Maryland mail processing facility, NBC reported.

 

(Reporting by Makini Brice and Jonathan Allen; Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Mark Hosenball and Susan Heavey in Washington, Gina Cherelus and Gabriella Borter in New York; Additional reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Writing by Susan Heavey and Dan Trotta; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-25

[Somtamnication]

Blame is squarely on Trump's door. His vitriolic and hate filled politics is to blame. 

And to be fair, the other side aren't angels, either. 

[canuckamuck]

Once again it is time to ask who benefits. Obviously these bombs weren't intended to go off. This is more of a statement than anything.

I can't see this helping the folks on the right, unless it is eventually confirmed to be a false flag. So my suspicion is a plot by the left. Early days yet though. There are crazies on both sides and it could be lone wolf stuff.

[Chomper Higgot]

7 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Once again it is time to ask who benefits. Obviously these bombs weren't intended to go off. This is more of a statement than anything.

I can't see this helping the folks on the right, unless it is eventually confirmed to be a false flag. So my suspicion is a plot by the left. Early days yet though. There are crazies on both sides and it could be lone wolf stuff.

More blinkered rightwing hogwash.

[canuckamuck]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

More blinkered rightwing hogwash.

I basically said it could be anybody. I suppose the only theory you would accept is that Donald made the bombs himself and hand delivered them. Who is blinkered, you or me.

[wayned]

The sad fact of the matter is that our politics has come to the point where someone just attempted to murder 2 ex Presidents, 1 ex Secretary of State, 1 ex Attorney General, 1 ex Director of the CIA and a sitting US Congresswoman.  All of these people have openly criticized Trump and he has and continues to openly criticize them.  I'm not saying that he sent the bombs himself, but his continuing negative rhetoric about people who oppose him is weaponizing certain individuals in his base!

[Scott]

Conspiracy posts and replies removed.  

 

[whatsupdoc]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Once again it is time to ask who benefits. Obviously these bombs weren't intended to go off. This is more of a statement than anything.

I can't see this helping the folks on the right, unless it is eventually confirmed to be a false flag. So my suspicion is a plot by the left. Early days yet though. There are crazies on both sides and it could be lone wolf stuff.

What a sad, sad comment....

[canuckamuck]

So I am not trying to push a conspiracy theory, I am just trying to apply logic here. There is no way Trump benefits from mail bombs. So I think the first assumption should be that it wasn't something that came from his administration. That leaves two other options. Lone wolf crazy unibomber type guy, or a conspiracy from some left wing group. I am not picking any of them, But this plot occurring with Trump's knowledge must be the least likely scenario.

It seems the mainstream is hinting at the alt right lone wolf theory.

 

[FritsSikkink]

6 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

. I am not picking any of them

Yes you do: "So my suspicion is a plot by the left."

[canuckamuck]

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

Yes you do: "So my suspicion is a plot by the left."

It is a suspicion, not a belief. Lets have some dialogue and some more facts first.

 

[mtls2005]

The Supreme Court will probably rule that sending pipe bombs is "free speech"?

[FritsSikkink]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

It is a suspicion, not a belief. Lets have some dialogue and some more facts first.

 

sus·pi·cion

[səˈspiSHən]

NOUN

1. a feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true.

   "she had a sneaking suspicion that he was laughing at her"

   synonyms:

   intuition · feeling · impression · inkling · surmise · guess · conjecture ·

   [more]

   • a feeling or belief that someone is guilty of an illegal, dishonest, or unpleasant action.

[canuckamuck]

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

sus·pi·cion

[səˈspiSHən]

 

NOUN

1. a feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true.

   "she had a sneaking suspicion that he was laughing at her"

   synonyms:

   intuition · feeling · impression · inkling · surmise · guess · conjecture ·

   [more]

   • a feeling or belief that someone is guilty of an illegal, dishonest, or unpleasant action.

Whatever, you know what I am saying, I remain skeptical. I'll give you a cookie for researching the meaning of a word though..

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, canuckamuck said:

Whatever, you know what I am saying, I remain skeptical. I'll give you a cookie for researching the meaning of a word though..

I don't know what you are saying.

[canuckamuck]

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

I don't know what you are saying.

Did you try?

[Spidey]

In the run up to the election, there's no doubt that Clinton needed a bomb up her backside. Dreadful candidate who ran a dreadful campaign. The main reason that the US is in the mess it's in now.

[blazes]

A lot of violence threatened on both sides.  Republican law-makers having a quiet meal at a favorite restaurant are suddenly attacked and confronted by mobs of screaming (presumably)  Democrats or (at the very least) anarchists.

No one knows where this quasi-terrorist act has come from, but violence is encouraged on all sides.

 

[PatOngo]

Yeah, OK!

 

 

[mtls2005]

5 minutes ago, blazes said:

Republican law-makers having a quiet meal at a favorite restaurant are suddenly attacked and confronted by mobs of screaming (presumably)  Democrats or (at the very least) anarchists.

 

Quite odd comparing protests to bombs, forgetting about the use of words like attack, mobs, and anarchists. Think you need some perspective.

 

 

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, PatOngo said:

Yeah, OK!

 

 

Would be more accurate if it read "Make Trump Rich Again." Has a more truthful ring about it.

[whatsupdoc]

19 minutes ago, blazes said:

A lot of violence threatened on both sides.  Republican law-makers having a quiet meal at a favorite restaurant are suddenly attacked and confronted by mobs of screaming (presumably)  Democrats or (at the very least) anarchists.

No one knows where this quasi-terrorist act has come from, but violence is encouraged on all sides.

 

Disturbing a meal is bad, but it is not in the same category as attempted murder by sending explosive devices.

Describing it both as 'violence' downplays the severity of the bomb threats (but maybe that is what you intend?)

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

I basically said it could be anybody. I suppose the only theory you would accept is that Donald made the bombs himself and hand delivered them. Who is blinkered, you or me.

That is not what you basically said. You said 'probably a plot by the left'.

[blazes]

8 minutes ago, whatsupdoc said:

Disturbing a meal is bad, but it is not in the same category as attempted murder by sending explosive devices.

Describing it both as 'violence' downplays the severity of the bomb threats (but maybe that is what you intend?)

 

Correct...there is no equivalence....BUT at this moment no one (take a look at CNN and all the other media sources) no one has the faintest fookin idea what these things were.  On the other hand, EVERYONE rushes to use the word "bomb" while not knowing their a$$ from their elbow.  It's instructive that the intended victims were easily protected from any danger, whereas the Republicans (like Sara Sanders, McConnell and Cruz) were faced with situations that were violent and potentially could have led to serious injury.

I very much doubt that anyone here on TV would relish being surrounded by a mob accusing them of being "farang"  (so go home) while they tried to have a quiet meal in a restaurant.

[MisterTee]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Once again it is time to ask who benefits. Obviously these bombs weren't intended to go off. This is more of a statement than anything.

I can't see this helping the folks on the right, unless it is eventually confirmed to be a false flag. So my suspicion is a plot by the left. Early days yet though. There are crazies on both sides and it could be lone wolf stuff.

Spot on.

Anyone - left-wing or right-wing crazies - could be behind these bombings.

The US is notorious for false flag ops.

It's the "Home of the Whopper" that started the millennium off with a bang.

[Boon Mee]

The 'bombs' were all duds. 

Just a lame distraction to muddy up the mid term elections. 

[BritManToo]

19 minutes ago, whatsupdoc said:

Disturbing a meal is bad, but it is not in the same category as attempted murder by sending explosive devices.

Unless these guys open their own mail, nobody has attempted to murder them.

I'd prefer someone to send an 'explosive device' to my 3rd removed mail room, then surround me with an angry mob.

[Becker]

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

That is not what you basically said. You said 'probably a plot by the left'.

Well, you've got to give him credit for furiously backpedaling on that comment...

[Chomper Higgot]

55 minutes ago, blazes said:

A lot of violence threatened on both sides.  Republican law-makers having a quiet meal at a favorite restaurant are suddenly attacked and confronted by mobs of screaming (presumably)  Democrats or (at the very least) anarchists.

No one knows where this quasi-terrorist act has come from, but violence is encouraged on all sides.

 

Illiberal gets confused between legitimate protest (protected by the Constitution) and sending bombs (act of terrorism).

[whatsupdoc]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Unless these guys open their own mail, nobody has attempted to murder them.

 

Very twisted logic.