Pipe Bombs Sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and CNN Offices

A suspicious device resembling a pipe bomb was sent to CNN and addressed to Barack Obama’s ex-C.I.A. director John Brennan. Here’s what we know about it.

Bombs were sent against several well-known Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which resulted in an in-depth investigation Wednesday into the vilified people's attack on the right.

From Washington to New York, via Florida and Los Angeles, the authorities intercepted a wave of coarse-built devices contained in kraft paper envelopes.

In downtown Manhattan, Time Warner Center, an elegant commercial and office complex, was evacuated following a bomb that was sent to CNN, with offices in New York City. It was addressed to John O. Brennan, critic of President Trump, who was the CIII of Mr. Obama. director.

None of the devices hurt anyone, and it was not immediately obvious whether one of them could have done it. A law enforcement official said the investigators were investigating the possibility that they were deceptive devices built to look like bombs but did not explode.
Objectives of explosive devices

During the past three days, at least seven explosive devices have been discovered.

A device for Mr. Holder had been misdirected and sent to the office of Mrs. Wasserman Schultz because her name was at the address of the sender. | By Jugal K. Patel and Joe Ward

The F.B.I. He added that these devices resembled those discovered Monday at George Soros, billionaire philanthropist and liberal donor, in the suburbs of New York.

Less than two weeks before the mid-term elections, the discovery of tube bombs echoed in a country already on the brink of collapse, raising new questions as to whether the political discourse had become too violent.

Clinton, Obama, Soros and CNN all excelled in right-wing political attacks, many led by Trump. He has often described the major news agencies as "the enemy of the people" and has expressed contempt for CNN.

In his address to the White House on Wednesday, Trump described attempts to attack acts of "heinous acts."

"In these moments, we must unite," said Trump. "We must unite and send a very clear, strong and unequivocal message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind do not occur in the United States of America."

The Time Warner Center, the headquarters of CNN's New York office, was evacuated after an explosive device was sent. Jeenah Moon credits for the New York Times

He continued on the same line Wednesday night at a rally in Wisconsin, encouraging "all parties to come together in peace and harmony," before addressing the media.

"The media also has the responsibility to establish a civil tone and put an end to endless hostility and constant and often false negative attacks," said Trump.

In a speech to a crowd of 200 Democratic donors in Florida, Clinton said, "This is a moment of concern, is not it?" It's a moment of deep division and we need to do everything possible for our country together ".

An X-ray of one of the homemade bombs, none of which hurt anyone.

In Manhattan, Mayor Bill de Blasio described the bombing attempt as "an effort of terror" and vowed that the inhabitants of the city "will not allow terrorism to change us".

But Jeff Zucker, CNN's global president, accused Trump of demonizing journalists.

"The president, and in particular the White House press officer, should understand that his words are important," Zucker said.

All devices were wrapped in bubble envelopes and return addresses bearing the name of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congressman who was formerly chair of the Democratic National Committee, F.B.I. He said. The mailing labels were printed on the computer and six first-class stamps were placed on all the envelopes.

The fifth device sent to Obama's Attorney General, Eric H. Holder Jr., was apparently misdirected and, as Ms. Wasserman Schultz's name was in the return address, it was finally returned to her office. District in Florida, FBI He told me.

An X-ray of a device. Bomb technicians would seek to determine where the components of the bombs were purchased or how the bombs were made, officials said.

Another package, addressed to Representative Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, was intercepted in a congressional mail center, Waters said in a statement. In recent months, Mr. Trump and Ms. Waters have often ridiculed each other.

Later, according to a law enforcement official, another package sent to Mrs. Waters was discovered at a mail facility near downtown Los Angeles. The discovery forced the evacuation of the facility.

The device that was sent to CNN's offices arrived by mail, said a law enforcement official. However, I still had half a dozen first-class stamps. The investigators believe that the bomb delivered to Mr. Soros' home was left in his mailbox.

Two explosive devices were found in an email sent to former President Barack Obama and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, announced Wednesday the Secret Service. Karsten Moran Credit for the New York Times

The secret service employee found the device sent to Mrs. Clinton Tuesday night, according to a secret service statement.

A security officer at the Clinton Foundation offices in Midtown Manhattan said the package had been sent to Clinton's home in Westchester County, north of New York, not to her office.

The package sent to Obama was intercepted Wednesday morning by secret service personnel in Washington.

A law enforcement official said the devices were made with 1 "x 6" PVC pipe, filled with suspected pyrotechnic powder and broken glass as shrapnel. They had a small button cell with a digital clock as a timer and a gateway initiator, said the manager.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the explosive devices that had been sent to CNN's offices, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Liberal donor George Soros, were an act of terrorism. Posted by OnOct. 24, 2018CreditCreditImage by Timothy A. Clary / Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

The devices contained some of the components that would be needed to build a usable bomb, but law enforcement officers would not say Wednesday night whether they were viable.

The devices were sent to the F.B.I. Laboratory at Quantico, Virginia, where they would be analyzed.

A senior law enforcement official in New York, describing the bomb sent to CNN, said he had been intercepted in the underground mail room and looked like the others: "The same package." Same device. "

On Wednesday afternoon, James P. O'Neill, New York City Police Commissioner, said the CNN bomb was "a living explosive device" and would be harmless and sent to the F.B.I. to analyze. The package containing the device also contained a white powder that the police were testing to determine if it was toxic, he said.

Some bomb technicians who have studied the photos of the device circulating on social networks have suggested that the bomb sent to CNN has distinctive features: artificial explosives, the type most often depicted on television and in movies, rather than devices capable of detonating.

President Trump called the "despicable acts" of the series of explosive devices that were sent to prominent Democratic politicians and said an investigation was under way. Published in October. 24, 2018CreditCreditImage by Doug Mills / The New York Times

A digital clock has been recorded in the middle of the pipeline, a feature which, according to experts, is usually displayed on fake bombs in order to increase dramatic tension, but is not necessary in real life.

In fact, pump manufacturers generally avoid placing clocks visible on their devices to prevent their targets from turning around when the bombs explode.

Earlier this month, federal authorities announced that they had intercepted several suspected packets containing the deadly ricin-based substance, targeting Mr. Trump and at least two senior Pentagon officials. In February, an envelope containing a white and dusty substance that investigators later determined to be cornstarch was sent to the Manhattan Department by Donald Trump Jr.'s mother-in-law.

On Wednesday, the authorities said the bomb technicians would look to determine where the bomb components were bought or how the bombs were made. The test technicians will try to recover DNA traces or fingerprints from the components and envelopes containing the bombs.

Federal agents of the US Postal Inspection Service could play an important role in the investigation if any of the parcels were delivered by mail.

According to a former law enforcement official informed of the investigation, the envelopes contained more postage than necessary.

The additional sending led investigators to believe that the person who sent the devices wanted to avoid going to a post office to buy the proper postage, a step to avoid detection, said the official.

The postal inspection service will examine postal and postage stamps and try to determine where the envelopes were sent. Investigators could examine the surveillance video at post offices and around blue mailboxes where packages could have been dropped.