Suspected explosives sent to Obama, Clinton

New York: Suspected explosive devices were sent to former president Barack Obama, defeated presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and CNN hours apart and less than two weeks before sharply polarizing US elections, officials confirmed Wednesday.The two Democrats are among the most high-profile political figures in the United States, which goes to the polls on November 6 in elections seen as a referendum on Republican President Donald Trump.CNN has distinguished itself in the last two years for its aggressive coverage of the Trump administration and robust criticism of the Republican, who succeeded Obama and defeated Clinton in the 2016 election.The New York Times reported that the packages were similar to an explosive device found at the New York home of billionaire liberal donor George Soros on Monday. In Florida, police were investigating a suspicious package near the office of a Democrat lawmaker, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.The White House swiftly condemned what it called "despicable" acts."These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, later adding that Trump and his administration were "monitoring closely."Trump himself confined his initial comment to retweeting a condemnation from Vice President Mike Pence against the "cowardly" attempted attacks, adding: "I agree wholeheartedly!"CNN evacuated its New York bureau Wednesday after a suspicious device, which police described as a metal pipe with wires, was found in the mailroom. Bomb squad were on the scene, New York police confirmed.It was addressed care of CNN to former CIA director John Brennan, who has worked as a television analyst but not for the channel.- ´Domestic terrorism´ -The Secret Service recovered a package addressed to Clinton in Westchester, a suburb north of Manhattan on Tuesday, where she lives with her husband former president Bill Clinton, and a second package addressed to the Obama residence in Washington on Wednesday.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York police chief James O´Neill were to brief the media at the scene at 12:45 pm (1645 GMT).The Secret Service gave no details about the contents of the packages sent to Clinton and Obama. There has been no claim of responsibility and no one was yet thought to have been arrested.The Secret Service said the packages were "immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such.""The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them," it added.Condemnation from Republican lawmakers followed that of the White House. The suspected explosive devices were sent just over a year after a shooter angry about Trump shot four people at a congressional baseball practice."Violence and terror have no place in our politics or anywhere else," tweeted senior Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise, who was shot and seriously injured at the Washington baseball practice in June 2017.The top Republican lawmaker, Mitch McConnell, condemned what he called "attempted acts of domestic terrorism".The Secret Service, which provides protection to current and former US presidents -- said it had initiated a "full scope criminal investigation."

from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2PNHWrr

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