“…he became a martyr As [sic] Allah and His Messenger and the believers believe, but most people do not know.”
Indeed. Most people believe the Islamic State is lying in claiming any connection to this, and that Paddock was not a convert to Islam. But ISIS continues to claim the attack anyway, and does not have a history of claiming credit for attacks for which they were not responsible. Maybe they’ve started doing so now. Maybe not.
Pet Charles says
The irony of all this is if the refuse to believe ISIS, then ISIS will plan something more spectacular to gt them to believe!!
Tom says
Agree. And Mc Master is busy convincing Trump “Islam is religion of peace” and that he must not name radical islamic terrorism because it hurts feeling of “poor” jihadis and their supporters like saudi
Roy Fisher says
Trump needs to fire McMaster. Surely Trump is not that ignorant? Surely Trump is not complicit?
mike o'begley says
I have been on the trump train for a while but honestly I don’t know anymore. I sure hope not. They could be drugging Trump, or they could also have straight up told him they will hurt one of his kids. They could have showed him a previously unseen angle of the JFK shooting. I still want to think trump is our guy. And I know how manipulative and evil the people he is up against are!
gravenimage says
Trump just isn’t very knowledgeable about Islam–he proved this before he ever ran for president. The idea that the American military is drugging him or threatening to murder his children is ridiculous.
Besides, Trump–whatever else you want to say about him–is very his own man. If he was threatened I think it would be all over Twitter within minutes, and whoever threatened him would be out the door–or under arrest.
D Austin says
And JFK and Ronald Regan could never be shot in America with the Secret Service on the job!
J D S says
Am I wrong….. I don’t seem to be hearing the words”RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST” coming from the Trump administration anymore?????
J D S says
Am I wrong….. I don’t seem to be hearing the words”RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST” coming from the Trump administration anymore?????
Sons of Liberty says
Pet Charles ,…Exactly ! Something more deadly is coming because our CLUELESS POLITICIANS AND MEDIA WON’T ACCEPT THE FACT WE ARE AT WAR WITH ISLAM. It has been reported that the Mandalay Bay had a memo to employees that said they would MATCH ALL DONATIONS to ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CAIR . Yes , CAIR. You want a CONNECTION TO ISLAM in this TERRIBLE TRAGEDY this just might be it . There are all kinds of QUESTIONS ? HOW THIS GUY DID ALL THIS STUFF in the Mandalay Bay Hotel without any one NOTICING , …not even the MAIDS . This guy was in there for days and the maids didn’t see all the bags of AMMO , weapons and other gear. This seems to be connected to the Hispanic woman who told all the Country Music fans ,…YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE ! Let’s see , we have ISLAM, CAIR , ANTIFA , HISPANIC /OPEN BORDER / LA RAZA …PEOPLE all connected together TO BRING DOWN TRUMP and the people who elected him ,…like Country Music fans. Money being sent overseas to the Philippines ,…this all stinks but I’m sure the FBI WILL FIND A WAY TO COVER IT ALL UP.
J_not_a says
I know what people here think of Daily Mail, but they are reporting that Marilou Danley has been living quite the double life, two different SS numbers, she’s a bigamist, many addresses all over the US, multiple aliases and ID’s, a lot of travel all over the world. Some thing is definately very rotten going on with this woman.
underbed cat says
Could she be a muslim sister…part of the resistance movement hiding her identity not wearing her headscarf spreading money around wearing western clothes to hide her jihad supporting goal. Just wondering. Multiple ss numbers collecting funds, where have we heard that before..
If she is connected they forge everything when it comes to documents to pass like a cloud thru the air.
J_not_a says
Well scratch some of that, there is another woman in the US with a similar name. Details are still rather murky. But I am thinking she knows more than she has said so far, especially in regard to a strange conversation she had with her brother after this incident. Not sounding upset, like you would expect but she told him to relax, she had things covered and her conscience was clear. She had things covered? That is strange.
D Austin says
There is more at stake here with the new paradigm of “typical” Democrats and their desire to side with Jihadists and Antifa and disarm conservatives while at the same time building the narrative that it is at least nominally acceptable to kill conservatives.
The death cult of the left, from Stalin on down to AntiFa, is alive and well and aimed directly at the right wrapped tightly in their justification for their murderous inclinations. If Stephen Paddock turns out to be a typical Democrat, we are very close to the promised genocide and every gun restriction they propose is meant only to disarm their enemy. If Stephen Paddock has been radicalized by Antifa or Jihadists, it is only because the left has gone so far with its message of hatred that it seemed a reasonable response to an election. Consider that for a second. This is a case for expanded open carry rights rather than a reason to comply with those who want to disarm Americans.
JawsV says
Deception is key in Islam so yes ISIS could be lying. It’s entirely plausible. “War is deception.” — Muhammed
“Crusaders.” What a joke. Like we can’t fight back against the Muslims. Love Crusaders! Bring Back The Crusades!
mortimer says
It has a coherence with a “lifestyle jihad” attack. It’s possible that after his conversion to Islam, Paddock felt a revulsion for his former gambling lifestyle and wanted to show his repentance by killing other gamblers ‘for the sake of Allah’, thus guaranteeing his entry into Islamic paradise.
Tortoise says
Makes sense.
Guy Forester says
Funny thing, the sons of Abdul-Aziz who became kings (except for 1-2 that I know of) were womanizers and gamblers. They did not go out and massacre a bunch of concert goers or commit suicide. The 911 terrorists had also been seen in strip clubs and bars. The martyrdom overweighs any sins, so there is no concept of repentance and grace as in Christianity. That is also why the suicide makes no sense in this case. The martyr dies when the bomb goes off or the cops kill him. That is martyrdom. However, ISIS seems to hold him up as one of theirs. Maybe an Islamic expert can sort this one out.
Vic says
This case is clear as mud… With lots of unanswered questions and lots of conjectures about motive…mmmm…. I wonder what his phone records show? Social media comments? Why did he have an arsenal so readily available? Will they interview his GF? Was he a white supremacist? a religious convert? Questions, questions….
My money is on Robert Spencer and his investigative skills in connecting factual information. Robert Spencer’s instinct, knowledge and experience on this subject is deep and very finely attuned. He has a nose for detecting the underlying causes and he cast his doubts from the beginning. I’m waiting to see the truth (hopefully) unfold.
Erica says
I love reading Robert Spencer’s work. It’s hard to find credible journalism these days. I know this, and a few others do too, but trying to convince other people of the lies and hypocracy behind mainstream media is a different story. Currently in a debate with someone and wondering where can we find this Islamic state quote? Search engines like to hide behind leftist lies.
Cosmas says
Dude was either motivated by psychopathy imbibed from Islam or psychopathy inherited from his father — or some combination of the two. He was not driven to this by gambling debts. That theory seems preposterous to me.
Logically speaking says
No plausible explanations other than to say the shooter was attached by an avenging spirit to cleanse America’s many sins in bombing other countries.There were many such cases of mass killings in the US and this will not the last one.
And now Trump wants to bomb North Korea to show America’s military might.
US sow so shall US reap later.
Buddha had been teaching this since 2000 years ago. No US presidents would bother to learn.
gravenimage says
“Logically speaking” has said this elsewhere–that the spirits of Jihadists are able to take possession of people and force them to slaughter innocent victims.
I think he has just proven that his username should be considered highly ironic.
That he believes the above is a teaching of Buddhism is completely ludicrous, as well.
Dacritic says
“Reap what you sow.” Buddha? I thought that was in the Bible (Galatians 6:7).
Chand says
Logically Speaking says:”………….avenging spirit…….”
What on earth are those? I’m only aware of bottled spirits.
Time to see a shrink, my friend.
Just because America has ‘committed sins’ in other countries one doesn’t have the right to blame innocent civilians and murder them en masse at a music concert.
JW says
I feel it’s quite possible its both column A & column B. He was a pathetic loser whose life was collapsing and he thought the jihad lifestyle was the way to go. No, he wasn’t officially a jihadist nor muslim but he liked the idea of going out that way & instead of just jumping out the 32nd floor window and then would send some flowers to the mom, he shot into the crowd. No, simply because of his explosives he wasn’t backed by any group, he would have used TATP & he couldn’t hold his load. If he was jihadi, he would have shot and then got away, using the car to kill a lot more people.
It’s hard to comprehend but he was just a b*stard.
Jf says
Taqiyya! Isn’t it possible Robert, that ISIS is ‘crying wolf’ claiming all shootings as inspired by them? When it turns out not true, many Liberals and sympathisizers get angry and accuse us of beinging bigoted and Islamophobic haters. This furthers their agenda as a tool to further silence us.
Isn’t it better to wait until the evidence is so clear that there is no denying the inspiration of the attack? I had immediate accusations from my Liberal friends of being a bigot and hater after posting some of your info on the Las Vegas massacre. Have been a follower of yours since 911.
Coments? Sincerely JF Gainesville Fl
Crystal says
JF, reread his article. He has not said he believes it is true. He is only saying that historically ISIS has seldom lied about these things. The issue is still open.
Joe says
Robert said that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. In every previous case, they were behind the attacks that they claimed. The investigation in the Javier case in Malaysia ultimately showed that ISIS was involved, and this was the only case where ISIS has made a claim that wasn’t substantiated.
ISIS exaggerates and gets their facts wrong, but they have not claimed responsibility when they were not responsible.
For example, ISIS did not claim the attack in Edmonton, even though the guy had an ISIS flag in his car.
Of course ISIS could start lying, but after more than a hundred attacks, why would they?
Your friends are being narrow minded. You should politely tell them that their unsubstantiated bias was imposed upon them by a preordained narrative. Encourage them to question more and assume less.
gravenimage says
Jf, Robert Spencer is reporting this story as it emerges. He has already advised caution on statements by ISIS. But ISIS claiming responsibility is *definitely* part of the story.
Joeb says
I don’t yet buy this is Jihad. Maybe it is. My initial reaction upon hearing the circumstances of the attack was “lefty nutcase killing Trumpers at country gig”. Usually, it’s “yep, Jihad”, and I’m right 99% of the time. For example, the Edmonton attack is Jihad nailed on with scant information from the off. But not here.
The target certainly makes sense, but It’s the method that puts me off. Shooting from quarter of a mile away 32 floors up doesn’t strike me as up close and personal like Jihad is. Jihadists want to get in among people, but he didn’t. And then he killed himself, which is also uncharacteristic. Yes, I know they kill themselves in a suicide bomb, but that’s a unique situation where the act of killing kuffar and the suicide are wrapped up in one and inseperable.
ISIS claiming responsibility and that he converted to Islam “months ago” is neither here nor there. If he converted, where is the usual “someone from his mosque” saying he was a lovely guy and they’re shocked, or someone from his mosque saying, “yeah, we kicked him out, he never stopped talking about Jihad.”. That usually follows very quickly indeed for damage limitation purposes. New converts always want to show how keen they are so are always going to mosque, not keeping it under wraps.
There’s a bunch of stuff that doesn’t quite add up yet, so the jury’s out for me for the time being…
Jack Diamond says
Jihad is up close and personal largely because they lack the means to do anything else. How up close and personal would an Islamic dirty bomb be? How up close and personal are the IED’s they are so fond of ambushing people with in war zones?
Spraying bullets from on high is far more effective than going on a stabbing spree, and that is more the point than just getting some sadistic glee from cutting a single throat. Like bringing down a high building is more effective. He didn’t need to go to a mosque to become a Muslim, nor was he some stupid man who needed to go around proclaiming jihad and gaining attention; and if he was a convert-stealth jihadi he was among the most effective. And that is the point. Even the sin of suicide would be erased by his most virtuous deed.
There is no proof at all at this point he was acting as a Soldier of Allah, only the claim of ISIS, which they seem adamant about. I would expect some proof to be forthcoming, if it exists. There are elements of the slaughter suggesting conspirators; there are travels to the Middle East by the girlfriend, if not the shooter. There is the sophistication of the ambush from someone with no police or military background,
not impossible for him to have done alone, but also suggesting others could be involved.
So far it appears to be someone wanting to kill himself and take as many people as he could with him,
but, like they say, it’s an unfolding story.
gravenimage says
Yes–this story is still unfolding. Jihad Watch is not claiming that this is Jihad for certain–just that ISIS is making that claim that it is.
Joeb says
I didn’t say he needed to go to a mosque to become a Muslim. But new converts are always pretty keen on going to show what good Muslims they are. CAIR have said absolutely nothing. If they thought he was a Muslim, they’d be all over it like a cheap suit proclaiming “islamophobia”.
You said it: “there’s no proof”. I can’t think of a single case in years where it wasn’t evident pretty quickly it was jihad, even if the authorities are trying their best to not say anything about it. Or cases where they say, “it’s not terrorism” and it obviously is jihad. There are always clues. But with this guy, not a single shred of evidence. I’ve been all over the Middle East and North Africa multiple times myself, so going there is no evidence of being a jihadist.
Yes IEDs are not up close and personal. But the overwhelming majority of jihad attacks are, especially in western countries rather than in a war type situation in the ME fighting soldiers where there is no opportunity to do that unless you ‘turn on your trainer’ and kill him as we have seen many times.
And with that we’re back to, “we’ll see”, again!
Jack Diamond says
CAIR would not go near this with a ten foot pole. The only “clue” is the claim ISIS is making, over and over, that he is one of theirs. Then you work backward, was he in a Muslim country, what about his girlfriend?… because he is ghost. He lives like someone in hiding. Maybe he got it from his daddy. Maybe from Muhammad. We are not being given the information they do have at this point, (ex. apparently there was a note near his dead body), so we’re looking through a glass darkly.
common sense says
Judging the hateful comments objectively of a teacher, journalist and the CBS lawyer VP there are people of the demoratic party that are actively inciting continued hate in schools, streets, internet and on TV. They quickly retracted their dastardly posts that Trump voters (only potential conservatives) deserved to be murdered proving they are not psychology ill but actually understand full it will cost them, which it did and should.
It appears to me that the generals have blown their dog whistle and the trained robots are on the war path. Trump is as good as an excuse as any they’ll ever have.
common sense says
I’ll reiterate: Trump is an excuse for ‘hateful’ people to carry out sickening behavior such as that of Kathy Griffin and is re enforced daily by Gestapo TV.
I support our President.
common sense says
Obama told us we are a racist nation, that police as a whole are unjust towards blacks, that our country never did a thing but pick on other countries, that we are a divided country and somehow unfair. 8 years of filthy lies lead to things like this. This is Obama’s legacy and I’m hardly a neocon or alt right person not that anything is wrong with anyone that is. That is belief system in policies not murder or incting hatered. Zoom out and look at the democrats weave their big lie, they own this and so much else. Our country was never broken and didn’t need fixing.
One example to be cited since Obama is black is the black family: employed black men and marriage in the black home was at a standard of decency before the 1960s. If there was racism at least the black community was more whole and cohesive. Obama and the rest if the dems screwed up MLKs vision and re enslaved blacks to welfare and over crowded, over paid school districts run by democrats. Simple statistics and one hour on the internet with objective thinkers will show it’s a physical fact.
The left is a terror group that has beat down its own people, tears down our constitution and falsly acuses capitalism of being the problem all while being the benefactors of it and using it against people. Just look at the white demographic if antifa dipshots. It couldn’t be more clear to me.
The Rationalvoice says
It doesn’t make a lot of difference whether Paddock converted to Islam recently or not the issue should be apparent to the vast majority of Americans as it is to other countries which wish her well, that the availability of weapons in the USA is way out of control and is a far bigger a threat to innocent people in the street than the Islamic threat.
Many on this site won’t want to hear those words but the truth of them is illustrated by the utterly crazy conspiracy theories dreamed up by those who cannot kick this addiction to guns so obvious to the rest of the World.Many in the crowd would have been armed but what good did it do them when you have effectively no laws to prevent psychopaths planning and executing mass murder like this.
Only someone saw the muzzle flash in the hotel room and was able to direct the police to the location of the shooter the death toll would have been even higher.
The NRA are in a higher league than ISIS in responsibility for shedding American blood.
Wake up and smell the coffee guys.Its not about left, right,liberal Democrat or Republican.Its about
COMMON SENSE.NOT SO COMMON IN THE USA IT WOULD APPEAR !!!!!!!!!!
gravenimage says
Ignore the threat of Jihad, you “filthy” dhimmis…
Chand says
Ya, The Rationalvoice, the easy availability of military weapons is a huge clear and present danger to civilians. How can one stop psychopaths and jihadis from acquiring them if one makes it difficult for EVERYONE to acquire them. How could one know who’s planning a massacre of innocents?
Chand says
Sorry, typo. I meant to write………………How can one stop psychopaths and jihadis from acquiring them if one doesn’t make it difficult for EVERYONE to acquire them?
gravenimage says
Islamic State claims Paddock made “careful monitoring of the Crusader gatherings in the city of Las Vegas”
………………….
“Crusaders”–yeah, innocent people attending a music concert.
HAL9000 says
interesting that the Vegas police units that night relay how one of the responders said there is “CONFIRMATION there are at least two shooters” with fully automatic weapons at the 4:20 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSri0ajQfcM
and then this video showing a cab ride where you can distinctly tell the sound of the gun fire is more than one weapon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNiRr763gJA&feature=youtu.be
I won’t hold my breath that the MSM will report this. And it seems way too convenient for gov officials to be quick to sound off that the shooter acted alone or had no religious or extremist ties when ISIS was bold to take credit.
cynic says
Mr. Spencer, as an expert on Islam, could you please explain the correct Islamic etiquette or theology on claiming credit for jihad? Presumably Allah would disapprove of attempts to deny another Muslim’s jihad, or claim it for oneself. Is it however, permissible to lie for the advancement of Islam, by claiming the murders of an infidel, or the non-jihadi murders of a Muslim as jihad?
Pickwick says
The ISIS claim is the only claim that makes sense at this juncture. It has the earmarks of a terrorist, jihadist type of attack. The man was a loner. He found a way to belong. He had been part of what he saw as the decadent lifestyle of the West. In the lone, existential void in his soul, why not Islam? Why not go out as a martyr? It seems pretty obvious that the ISIS claim is being downplayed by the media when it is perhaps the best explanation.
Chand says
But Pickwick, it just could be that Islamic State is desperately trying to put up a mask of defiance and pretend that it is capable of revenge attacks when the fact is that it is sinking fast and the Caliphate that was supposed to usher in the Cosmic battle of Armageddon or whatever is actually going kaput. Fizzling out fast. I’m not even sure if the Islamic State guys on their net magazines are even bothering about anything anymore, let alone the truth but are just screaming ‘Allah o Akbar’ and such before entering the void of oblivion. There might not be much of a command center left in the rapidly shrinking Caliphate.
Not that the Jihadi danger has passed. Not by a long shot. These jihadis are still very active in Yemen, Libya, Afghanisthan, Pakistan, Lebanon, etc. The fight goes on. And their greatest enemies are the Muslims fighting them on the ground, with help from others.
Chand says
turkeynuts says: “Every Moslem is responsible for this evil attack.”
Are you just plain nuts or turkeynuts?
This is not a jihadi attack. Where’s the evidence? Islamic State can claim whatever they want but rational, clear thinking, humane humans have to see the evidence before they accuse and punish someone.
Not only that, no human on earth is responsible for the crime of another, even if the criminal is from one’s own religion, ethnic group, tribe, nation or whatever. Even if she/he is from one’s own family.
The Nazis too blamed all Jews for some imaginary crimes committed and almost annihilated them.
Paddock isn’t even Muslim. The problem lies elsewhere. It ain’t that easy. Just can’t blame anyone just because you are upset. It takes patience and hard work to root out problems of mass murders. Jihad is a huge problem too but Jihadism is not an issue here, as far as the evidence goes, as yet. Immediately blaming Muslims for all mass murders without evidence is not going to solve any problems, including Jihadi terrorism.
JawsV says
I agree it’s not Jihad. Paddock was a psychopath Democrat who took out 59 white Republican Trump supporters and their descendants. He probably thought that worth dying for.
D Austin says
And the Marxist-loving Democrats are spewing the same old crap Nazi Germany did, because there is nothing new under the sun…
* “The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the underdog is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let’s not have any native militia or police.” — Adolph Hitler, Edict of March 18, 1938
* “Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA. Ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the State” — Heinrich Himmler
* “All military type firearms are to be handed in immediately…The SS, SA and Stahlhelm give every respectable German man the opportunity of campaigning with them. Therefore any one who does not belong to one of the above named organizations and who unjustifiably nevertheless keeps his weapon…must be regarded as an enemy of the national government.” — Director, SA Oberfuhrer Bad Tolz, March 1933
We all know the rest of that story!