The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
New York, United States | AFP | Pipe bombs were sent Wednesday to Barack Obama, prominent Democrats and CNN — all hate figures for supporters of Donald Trump as political opponents accused the US president of sowing violence.
Hillary Clinton was among some of the most high-profile Democrats targeted with America bitterly divided ahead of November 6 elections seen as a referendum on the Republican president.
CNN is well known for its robust coverage of the Trump administration and is routinely singled out for harsh words by the president, who succeeded Obama and defeated Clinton in 2016. Signs at his rallies condemn the network.
The spree of bomb alerts was kicked off Monday with a device found at the New York home of billionaire liberal donor George Soros. “So far the devices have been what appear to be pipe bombs,” said FBI agent Bryan Paarmann.
“It appears that an individual or individuals sent out multiple similar packages,” he added.
“This investigation is of the highest priority for the FBI,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible.”
At least six suspicious packages were sent to addresses in New York, Washington and Florida, including to prominent African American Democrats — Obama’s former attorney general Eric Holder and Maxine Waters, a lawmaker from California — both outspoken Trump critics.
They were sent in manila envelopes with bubble wrap, were marked with computer-printed address labels and listed Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as the sender.
Trump appealed for unity, saying “acts of political violence” have “no place in the United States” after earlier simply retweeting condemnation from his vice president.
Critics on the left accuse his violent rhetoric-laden presidency of emboldening right-wing extremists encouraging attacks.
– ‘Words matter’ –
Trump came under an avalanche of criticism for recently endorsing the body-slamming of a reporter.
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” said CNN president Jeff Zucker.
“Words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”
CNN evacuated its New York bureau Wednesday after the pipe bomb together with an envelope containing white powder was found in the mailroom. A bomb squad secured the device and removed it for investigation, police said.
The packaging was addressed care of CNN to former CIA director John Brennan, who has worked as a television analyst but not for the channel.
The Secret Service intercepted the package addressed to Clinton at the home she shares with her husband, former president Bill Clinton, north of Manhattan on Tuesday, and a second package addressed to Obama’s Washington home on Wednesday.
There has been no claim of responsibility and no one was yet known to have been arrested.
Clinton, who has remained an outspoken political force despite her stunning loss to Trump in the 2016 election, thanked the Secret Service and raised concerns about what she called a “troubling time” in America.
“It’s a time of deep divisions, and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together,” she said.
Top Democrat lawmakers Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer accused Trump of condoning “physical violence and dividing Americans” as tensions soared.
– ‘Domestic terrorism‘ –
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned “an effort to terrorize” as he appealed to all elected officials, from the top down, to refrain from encouraging violence.
“Unfortunately this atmosphere of hatred is contributing to the choices people are making,” said de Blasio.
The Secret Service said the packages were “immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures” and that neither Clinton or Obama were ever at risk of receiving them.
Republican lawmakers followed the White House in issuing condemnations, just over a year after a shooter angry about Trump shot four people at a congressional baseball practice near Washington.
“Violence and terror have no place in our politics or anywhere else,” tweeted senior Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise, who was seriously injured at the baseball practice in June 2017.
The top Republican lawmaker, Mitch McConnell, slammed “attempted acts of domestic terrorism.”
Soros, the target of the first device, has long been a hate figure for right-wing groups and lives in Bedford, New York, not far from the Clintons.
The 88-year-old is one of the world’s richest men and supported Clinton in 2016. He has been accused by nationalists of sponsoring protests and seeking to push a liberal, multicultural agenda.
Earlier this month, Trump accused Soros of paying demonstrators to protest against Brett Kavanaugh, whose nomination to the Supreme Court was almost derailed after he was accused of attempted rape while in high school.
Soros has also been falsely accused of funding the caravan of migrants moving north from Honduras through Mexico en route to the US border.
