US arrests suspect over 12 bombs, suspicious packages
New York, Oct 26: The US government on Friday announced a suspect had been arrested in connection with 12 suspicious packages and pipe bombs sent to critics of Donald Trump in a days-long spree that has inflamed the United States ahead of key midterm elections.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman announced the arrest on Friday morning, saying a news conference would be held at 2:30 pm (1830 GMT).
US media said the suspect was taken into custody in Florida, where a huge nationwide manhunt mobilizing hundreds of agents, had reportedly concentrated in recent hours.
Since Monday homemade bombs and other suspected explosive devices have been addressed to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Hollywood megastar Robert De Niro and a litany of figures loathed by the US president's supporters.
Early Friday, an 11th package to Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator often touted as a Democratic presidential hope, was intercepted in Florida, the FBI confirmed.
A 12th package, identified by police as a pipe bomb similar to others found across the country, was found at a US Post Office in Manhattan and the bomb squad were dispatched, New York police said.
James Clapper, among a string of former intelligence chiefs critical of Trump, was the addressee of the 12th package, sent care of CNN.
On Wednesday, the news network evacuated its New York bureau after a similar package was found in the mail room addressed to another frequent CNN guest, former CIA director John Brennan.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have branded the packages -- intercepted in New York, Maryland, Florida, Delaware and Los Angeles -- domestic terrorism, but Trump has come under fire for his response.
"Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this 'Bomb' stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics," Trump tweeted Friday in remarks bound to enrage his opponents.
"Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!" New York's state Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo was unimpressed.
"Leaders have to be more responsible and the American public have to demand that responsibility," he told CNN.
Even before his Friday tweet bemoaning slacking Republican momentum, Trump came under criticism from the left for tempering calls for unity in the wake of the attacks, by lashing out at the press for stirring up "anger."
The White House has been forced to defend the president over accusations that he was not taking the attempted bombings seriously enough.
Trump recently endorsed the body-slamming of a reporter, routinely denounces the press as "fake news" and has leveled toxic remarks in the past against the pipe bomb targets.
Cuomo insisted that the investigation was making "significant progress" despite the dearth of leads announced publicly and no known arrests.
US media has reported that much of the investigation has focused on Florida, where officials believe that at least some of the packages were dispatched.
"The focus on Florida is going to bear through," Cuomo told CNN. "My instinct is they are going to have results there on the specifics of the manhunt." Cuomo disputed speculation that the devices were not rigged to explode.
"No one can say there were fake bombs, they were dangerous," he said. "There may be questions about the levels of sophistication." The packages were sent in manila envelopes with bubble wrap, marked with computer-printed address labels.
Each listed Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as the sender, including misspellings of her last name, the FBI said.
Double Oscar winner and biting Trump critic De Niro on Friday urged people to vote in the November 6 elections, one day after a device was discovered at the Manhattan offices of his production company.
"I thank God no one's been hurt, and I thank the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us," he said. "There's something more powerful than bombs, and that's your vote. People MUST vote!" "This is definitely domestic terrorism," Clapper told CNN Friday, hitting out at Trump saying he bore "some responsibility" for a decline in civility.
"I'm not suggesting a direct cause and effect relationship between anything he's said or done and these -- and the distribution of these explosives," Clapper told CNN.
"But I do think he bears some responsibility for the coarseness of civility in this country. He needs to remember that his words count."
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By-election result not a mandate for the government: Basavaraja Bommai
Bengaluru: The results of the by-elections in three constituencies do not represent a mandate for the state government, said MP Basavaraja Bommai, adding that ruling party MLAs are dissatisfied with the lack of development in the state.
Speaking to the media at the BJP office on Tuesday, he stated that by-elections typically favor the ruling government. "When we were in power, we won 13 out of 17 by-elections. The Congress should not assume that this is a verdict in their favor," he remarked.
Bommai emphasized that these results are confined to the constituencies where the by-elections were held. He also accused the state government of poorly implementing its guarantee schemes without adequate financial preparation, claiming that the schemes are being halted due to financial strain.
He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government has borrowed over ₹1 lakh crore, leading to difficulties in financial management. Bommai pointed out that the state government is yet to release over ₹2,000 crore to local bodies, including village panchayats, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
"Anganwadi workers and contract workers are not receiving their salaries, and contractors are refusing to take up work due to non-release of funds, even after tenders have been floated," he added.
Responding to questions about internal dissent within the BJP, Bommai denied any significant issues, stating, "There is no dissent in the BJP. Everyone is committed to the party. There may be differing opinions on some matters, but I am confident that everything will be resolved within a month." He also noted that a motivated BJP team is actively working for the party.
