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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Islamic State identifies jihadi who hit Manila hotel, police say it was robbery gone wrong

Jun 2, 2017 8:07 pm By Robert Spencer

“ISIS fanatics have again claimed responsibility for an attack on a Manila casino that left dozens dead – despite police declaring almost immediately that it was a robbery gone wrong….However, ISIS has today insisted for a second time that the attack was carried out by one of its jihadists named Abul-Khayr al-Arkhabili. ‘With God’s help, our brother Abul Khayr al-Arkhabili managed to hide with his machine gun among a group of Christians, who fight Islam, inside a Resorts World resort in Manila, Philippines, where he opened fire on them, killing and injuring about 100 of them, until he, eventually, died as a martyr.'”

Both have motives to lie: the Islamic State to exaggerate its reach, and the police to downplay the significance of the event. Whoever is telling the truth here, note that the Islamic State once again casts its jihad as one of Christians vs. Muslims — while Western counterterror analysts continue to downplay or deny outright the religious aspect of its motivations.

“ISIS reveal identity of their ‘lone wolf’ gunman in Manila who killed 36 after police insisted he was just a ‘white gambler’ with a vendetta against casino,” by Rachel Burford and Julian Robinson, MailOnline, June 2, 2017:

ISIS fanatics have again claimed responsibility for an attack on a Manila casino that left dozens dead – despite police declaring almost immediately that it was a robbery gone wrong.

At least 36 people were killed last night after a ‘white, English-speaking’ masked gunman attacked a casino in Manila, stole £1.7million ($2.3million) worth of betting chips and set fire to tables before he ‘burned himself to death’.

It is understood many of the victims were women who suffocated due to smoke inhalation as crowds battled to get to the exits.

The Philippines is battling ISIS and the terror group claimed responsibility early on for the attack – but national police were quick to insist that the deadly raid was a robbery gone wrong.

However, ISIS has today insisted for a second time that the attack was carried out by one of its jihadists named Abul-Khayr al-Arkhabili.

‘With God’s help, our brother Abul Khayr al-Arkhabili managed to hide with his machine gun among a group of Christians, who fight Islam, inside a Resorts World resort in Manila, Philippines, where he opened fire on them, killing and injuring about 100 of them, until he, eventually, died as a martyr.’

Witnesses said the gunman, who had an assault rifle, entered the Resorts World Manila casino in Pasay City, Philippines, shortly after midnight on Thursday before opening fire on betting terminals and televisions.

It sparked mass panic and the man, who was seen on camera unmasked but later said to be masked during the attack, was then seen pouring fuel over tables and setting them ablaze while gamblers were fleeing for their lives.

Explosions were also heard coming from the tourist hotspot and bloodied victims were seen being stretchered out of the building.

A Resorts World Manila official said the dead, who all died from smoke inhalation, included 13 employees and 22 guests.

Philippine police said they’re looking to speak to a person of interest in connection to the attack, though the COO of Resorts World Manila has insisted that only one person was involved.

Before the gunmen had been killed and police had confirmed any motive, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility and US President Donald Trump also branded it a ‘terrorist attack’. It was later revealed that the incident was likely a robbery gone wrong….

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Filed Under: Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), Philippines Tagged With: Abul-Khayr al-Arkhabili


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Comments

  1. ElderlyZionist says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    “…the man…was then seen pouring fuel over tables and setting them ablaze…It was later revealed that the incident was likely a robbery gone wrong….”

    You betcha. A robbery. Just like the Seth Rich assassination…uh…murd…uh…mugging. Or maybe it was workplace violence.

    • mortimer says

      Jun 2, 2017 at 8:26 pm

      Why does a mere ‘robber’ want to destroy a gambling table? You would think he was a Muslim who disapproves of gambling, because of the Koran and hadiths.

  2. gravenimage says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 8:23 pm

    Islamic State identifies jihadi who hit Manila hotel, police say it was robbery gone wrong
    ……………………………

    More proof that it is not just the West that obfuscates and is in denial about the threat of Islam.

    Worst case scenario in a “robbery gone wrong” the thieves panic and might shoot a security guard or a cashier who was moving too slowly–you are not going to find *a 100 people* shot to death.

    Besides, the Islamic State has specifically claimed that they were out to mass slaughter Christians.

    • utis says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 3:08 am

      I agree. Too many casualties for a trigger-happy robber; there’s intent to kill and terrorize. And for a couple of days, CNN has run a “news” caption mocking Trump for calling it wrong. As a former casino owner, I’m sure he knows what a botched robbery looks like.

    • JIMJFOX says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 4:10 am

      ‘*a 100 people* shot to death’
      Where did you get this from? ‘Smoke inhalation’ & panic was claimed
      as main cause of deaths. Sounds suspicious but who knows?

      ‘Burned himself to death’- ridiculous; he had a weapon, was reported
      to have shot himself; why would he have chosen agonising death to a
      quick, painless one?

      This whole event is unbelievable…

      • gravenimage says

        Jun 3, 2017 at 5:58 pm

        Well, you are right–the Jihadists “just” soaked the casino with gasoline and set it on fire, slaughtering at least 36 people.

        Apologies for getting the details wrong–not sure that this is any better, though.

  3. mortimer says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    Amazing how they are described by ISIS as ‘Christians who fight Islam’. Supposedly, anyone who pays taxes that support armies fighting ISIS are ‘Christians who fight Islam’,

    You would think that ISIS believes they are fighting a bigoted WAR OF RELIGION… perhaps a ‘HOLY WAR’ even!

    But to say that ISIS Is fighting an Islamic holy war would be ‘Islamophobic’, even if that is literally and truly the case.

    • WPM says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 12:42 am

      Listen the official line is robbery! Terrorism is bad for casino businesses all the high rollers from Japan and China will go some where else. I am sure the casino has him filmed doing the shouting and doing the usual Islamic song and dance of death .I am sure they can trace him to an Islamic racial imam whose Mosque he attended, they will give the usual he was not a good moslem because he drank ,wine, beer and pick his nose during sermons. It is getting to be tiresome ,From what I read the guy in charge of the Philippines right now is half a nut, maybe he will bulldoze the mosque with little luck the mad freak imam will still be in it. I am sure the West press will side with the casino version nothing to see here someone angry about there loses at blackjack move along. Maybe they will (western press ) blame it on the earth heating up raising sea levels!

      • WPM says

        Jun 3, 2017 at 12:56 am

        Just like put it in there it is a white guy someone from outside the Philippines. You do not want to hurt tourism! Many Philippines have mixed blood some could pass for people from Indian, or middle east the people who ran the casino said everyone died from smoke as he sprayed the crowd with machine gun fire! No one died of that right! The West will not move or dig into this does not fit into there storyline of the religion of peace. Yes some lone wolf casino robber who came armed and with a lot of gasoline.

        • WPM says

          Jun 3, 2017 at 1:05 am

          As far as how many Chips he took ,in the fire and chaos I am sure many chips burned up Better yet the casino could make a claim of over a million dollars worth taken to push thru the claim of robbery who would know? The whole thing is just so much of a B.S. story.

  4. Oliver says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    Perhaps both are right. The Muslim terrorist was trying to rob the casino to buy more weapons for his fellow terrorists.

    But, he got to close to the flames.

    Which-perhaps-if he was burned to death- would that make him unattractive to the virgins?

    Incidentally, why the: a ‘white, English-speaking’—in the picture-hard to say if white or brown; and English speaking-it is my understanding that most Filipinos speak English-after all, the Philippines was once an American colony ( granted its independence in 1945 or 46). Does the color make a difference? or is that to deflect that many of the jihadists are brown?

  5. Beagle says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    The robbery angle in this case could be a ruse to protect the tourism industry. This area of the country had seemed safe until recently.

    Not that a “botched robbery” could ever be used to cover up something more sinister. It’s inconceivable!

  6. Baucent says

    Jun 2, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Not many robbers set fire to themselves. This is clearly an embarrassing terror attack in the Philippine capital and no doubt in part retaliation for the Army’s activities in the muslim south of the country. There will be great concern that the Philippines tourism industry is going down the drain. Recent tourists have been kidnapped and beheaded now a visit to a casino could also leave you dead.A marketing nightmare. So the knee jerk Police claim of a robbery gone wrong or the work of “gangs” will fool no one. Make no mistake, if the Philippine government doesn’t get a grip on the muslim insurgency there are huge risks ahead for the country.

  7. Debi Brand says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 2:59 am

    Just as the blood of the kafir is halal to shed,so
    too is the kafir’s wealth halal to take. Allah’s Messenger
    said, “I have been commanded to fight all people
    until they testify that there is nothing worthy of
    worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of
    Allah, establish the prayer, and pay the zakah. If they
    do that, then they have guarded their blood and their
    wealth from me except by the right of Islam; and their
    account is upon Allah” (Reported by al-Bukhari and
    Muslim from Ibn ‘Umar).

    His words, that “they have guarded their blood
    and their wealth from me” indicates the clear permissibility
    of spilling their blood and taking their wealth until they accept Islam.
    This hadith also shows the relationship between fighting and taking wealth, as
    all kuffar who are not under the contract of dhimmah are enemies from whom ghanimah
    is taken. Allah said, “Indeed the disbelievers are a clear enemy to you” (An-Nisa 101). He also said, “So consume from what you have taken of ghanimah, as it is halal and
    good” (Al-Anfal 69).

    (Rumiyah Issue 8, P. 13.)

    Be this terror as the actions of yet another soldier of the Khilafah, or otherwise, the most probable is undoubtedly indeed the former.

    It falls perfectly in line with the double-pronged attack IS is and has been instructing their soldiers to execute: knife and vehicle, firearm and vehicle, robbery and firearm, arson and name your “game,” so too robbery, etc.

    Only fools believe the above-cited instructions go unheeded.

  8. tgusa says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 3:10 am

    “carried out by one of its jihadists.
    One,
    Vs., “dozens dead”.
    How long can we allow this kill ratio to continue?

    The authorities,
    There appears to be no such thing anymore, at least of what we believed they used to be.

    They are murdering any of us while complaining about so called persecution.

  9. R Russell says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 4:13 am

    The emperor has no clothes on!!

  10. JawsV says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 7:51 am

    Was the perp a Muslim or not? That’s the difference between robbery and Jihad.

  11. John A. Marre says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 7:54 am

    So the police in the Phillipines, under strict orders of their corrupt government, are aiding and abetting terrorist attacks by Muslims, just like in Sweden, Germany and France.

    • WPM says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 8:27 am

      yes because they do not want a drop off in tourism

  12. FYI says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 8:14 am

    The police appear to have very poor detective skills these days.
    The Phillipino police seem to be as blind as the politically correct Londonistani police constabulary.
    (The PC PC’s)

    Let’s see..Motive..Opportunity..Method.
    We can figure out Opportunity/Method but {sarc on/}..what on earth could be the motive?
    That islamic tendency to go on the rampage slaying unbelievers wherever they are to be found…could it have something to do with allah’s koranic command to “Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them”k 2:191 ?Surely there cannot possibly be a connection between the behavior of muslms and what allah tells them to do?

    Surely not.Beside if you point this out isn’t it being “racist”?

    So the PC police have to come up with something else to explain the motive since it clearly cannot have anything to do with islam{Yes,Sarc mode is still on..}

    Let’s see..
    This has nothing to do with islam(which is not to be confused with ISlam or isLAM)
    This is a “lone wolf” operation.
    The attackers were mentally ill.
    The attackers….were….involved in a robbery…
    Yes that’ll do.

  13. SAM says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 9:09 am

    The level of willingness to protect evil Islam is off the charts. I believe this closing eyes to Islam to this magnitude has never happened in the history

  14. Kiki says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 10:18 am

    I can’t figure out what the heck happened here. On one hand, why would a robber set fires and steal poker chips—unless he was totally mental.

    On the other hand, if it was a jihadist, why didn’t he just shoot the people at the casino instead of aiming at computers and poker tables?

    The victims all died from smoke inhalation, not gunshot wounds. Would a jihadist really resist the chance to shoot up a lot of people?
    But if it isn’t jihadists, why did ISIS continue to claim credit even after the robbery thing was said?

    This incident is really confusing and no matter which way I look at it–robbery or terrorism–parts of it don’t seem to add up.

    • utis says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      It’s also odd that the police don’t reveal his name. ISIS has volunteered a name, but that may be just an embellishment, to take credit for something they didn’t engineer. Still, media are usually all over the place, finding the perp’s name, giving a biograpy. spinning sob stories so he looks sympathetic. What is going on?

  15. Yohanan says

    Jun 3, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Why do jihadis target a casino? Gambling is kharam, the “fourteenth Greater Sin”. Of the some 50+ Moslem majority countries only Algeria, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco and Turkey currently allow lotteries according to wiki.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 3, 2017 at 6:20 pm

      And at casinos you also often find drinking and the mixing of men and women, as well.

      • James says

        Jun 3, 2017 at 9:00 pm

        Seven good reasons to terrorise a casino;

        Casinos are haram.
        They allow the haram practice of mixing the sexes.
        They feature alcohol, which is haram.
        The incident was during the megadeath month of Ramadan.
        allah hates the unbelievers and the apostates.
        The casino was in the land of the unbelievers
        Music, which is haram, is found at casinos.

        That is seven good reasons for a jihadi to attack a casino in the Philippines during Ramadan.

        A bad Muzz could win a lot of merit and get rid of a lot of sin by attacking a casino in a non-Muzz country during Ramadan. The argument that a lot of bombers had a record of not being pious Muzz is not at all a reason to believe they did not kill for their religion – the opposite is the truth.

  16. Rich says

    Jun 4, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    PLEASE
    Muslim Robbers dont rob and then murder many Christians, Jew, etc without it being JIHAD!
    and AGAIN – THERE ARE NO LONE WOLVES IN JIHAD!!

  17. Clair Reading says

    Jun 5, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    Notice how these gunmen, knife men van men, usually commit suicide? Again today that shooting in Florida was a disgruntle ex employee who died from “self-inflicted wounds”. I think they don’t want the the perms to open their mouths about the real reasons!!case

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