A former Navy explosives expert pointed to some characteristics of the explosive devices sent to CNN and other current and former Democratic officials, which indicated to him amateurish construction and perhaps an ulterior beyond causing bodily harm.
CNN posted an image of a pipe bomb sent to its New York City bureau, which prompted the evacuation of the entire building on Wednesday.
The package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN’s office in the Time Warner Building in midtown Manhattan.
This is a photograph of the suspicious package sent to the CNN building in New York City earlier this morning. Police say it appeared to be a live explosive device. https://t.co/aG9JsTfwhx pic.twitter.com/tcICHJErda
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 24, 2018
Thomas Sauer, who according to his LinkedIn profile is a Naval Academy graduate and served as a commander of a Naval explosive ordinance disposal unit, offered some observations on Twitter about the device.
(THREAD)
A few observations from a former bomb disposal officer (i.e. Me):
1. Proper pipe bombs don’t have wires connected to both ends. That’s dumb.
— Tom Sauer (@thomasbsauer) October 24, 2018
First, he noted that wires were connected on both ends of the bomb, a style of construction he called “dumb.”
Sauer next pointed to the timer and saying that an experienced bomb maker would have placed it inside the pipe. “That thing is just silly looking,” he wrote.
Concerning the appearance of the device itself, he concluded, “Bottom Line: Whoever made that wanted it to be painfully obvious to anyone and everyone that it’s a ‘bomb.’”
Sauer then offered that “hoax devices” are “FAR more common than real ones. In which case, we should ask ourselves what the motives of the ‘bomber’ are and ‘who benefits?’ Go ahead. Think deeply and critically.”
4. “Hoax Devices” are FAR more common than real ones. In which case, we should ask ourselves what the motives of the “bomber” are and “who benefits?”
Go ahead. Think deeply and critically.
— Tom Sauer (@thomasbsauer) October 24, 2018
Former Marine Corps bomb technician Johnny Jones told Fox News on Wednesday, “At first look … It does look like a bomb that could be designed to function, not just a hoax.”
Retired U.S. Marine Corp Bomb Technician @Johnny_Joey gives us his intel on the suspicious packages that were discovered. #DailyBriefing pic.twitter.com/I4cGj9Ygut
— The Daily Briefing (@dailybriefing) October 24, 2018
Law enforcement officials believe, based on their preliminary reviews, the pipe bombs sent to Brennan, as well as former President Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among others, were intended to maim or kill, according to ABC News.
The New York Times reported that the devices sent are similar to the one found on Monday in the mailbox of the home of liberal billionaire political fundraiser George Soros.
President Donald Trump condemned the attacks, calling them “despicable” in remarks from the White House on Wednesday.
“The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice,” the president said.
“This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans,” Trump added. “We are extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning, and we will get to the bottom of it.”
Via WesternJournal
