Suspicious packages were sent to former President Barack Obama’s house in Washington DC, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s residence in Chappaqua, New York, and CNN’s Time Warner Center office in New York.
The package to CNN contained a “live explosive device”, likely a pipe bomb, according to New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. It was addressed to John Brennan, a former CIA Director. The return address on the envelope was that of the office of Florida Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Ms. Schultz’s office in Sunrise, Florida, was also evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package — meant for former Obama-era Attorney General, Eric Holder — was sent there.
On Monday, a suspicious package was found in billionaire philanthropist George Soros’s house in New York, which is believed to have been placed there rather than mailed to Mr. Soros.
In addition to the devices sent to Mr. Obama (intercepted before it reached his residence) and Ms. Clinton (retrieved on Tuesday night) being nearly identical, a commonality appears to be that the intended recipients have been critical of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The home of former President Barack Obama in Washington on May 25, 2016.
Mr. Trump has portrayed the Democrats as responsible for the challenges facing America and has also often called mainstream news organisations, “the enemy of the people”, frequently singling out CNN. His supporters chanting “lock her up” with reference to Ms. Clinton were a regular feature at his political rallies during the 2016 presidential election. Last week, Mr. Trump celebrated an attack by a Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte on Guardian journalist Ben Jacob. The political polarisation in the U.S. has increased over the last few months around the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and in the run up to the November 6 midterm elections.
In addition to the pipe bomb received by CNN, a white power (potentially a biochemical weapon) was also sent to their New York office as per emerging reports. Misaddressed envelopes and spelling errors on these suggested that the job was not very sophisticated. It appeared that the CNN package had been delivered via a courier, and not mailed, a fact that is likely helpful to investigators trying to locate the culprit(s).
“We wouldn’t be at all surprised if more devices show up. A device has been sent to my office in Manhattan...” Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo told the press on Wednesday. Reports emerged that a suspicious package had been found in Capital Heights, Maryland, at a screening centre for mail that goes to the U.S. Congress.
“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 said.
Bill and Hillary Clinton stand in the driveway of their new home in Chappaqua, New York on January 6, 2000.
Sarah Sanders, White House Press Secretary, tweeted condemning the incidents. “This is an ongoing situation that President Trump and his admin are monitoring closely. Our condemnation of these dispicable [sic] acts certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants. These cowardly acts are unacceptable and wont[sic] be tolerated,” she tweeted.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” Mr. Trump said of Vice President Mike Pence’s condemnation of the attack.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the incidents, calling them “attempted acts of domestic terrorism”.
“The goal of terrorists is to instil fear. We will not allow them to diminish our commitment to building a brighter future for communities across America,” House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, said on Twitter.
