As we told you earlier, ISIS — without a shred of evidence (cc Brian Stelter) — claimed that Las Vegas killer Stephen Paddock was a Muslim convert and claimed responsibility for the attack.
Now there’s still no evidence that Paddock was a member of ISIS, but the terror group is doubling down on its earlier claim. From ISIS expert and New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi:
1. After ISIS claimed Vegas, I was waiting for them to release Naba, their weekly newsletter, to see if anything new emerged. Naba is out: pic.twitter.com/yX8AN3OdSX
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
According to the newsletter, Paddock converted 6 months ago:
2. Under a picture of the Mandalay Bay drenched in blood they rehash the attack. New info: They are now claiming shooter converted 6 mos ago pic.twitter.com/2t53MSBNHq
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
English translation here:
3. Below is the @siteintelgroup translation. ISIS earlier said shooter converted "months ago." Now they're saying it was 6 mos specifically pic.twitter.com/Lo6hF1S65M
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
Again, there’s no evidence here but as Callimachi points out, ISIS is pretty honest about this stuff:
4. No proof is provided, but ISIS has rarely claimed attacks that were not by either their members or sympathizers.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
For example:
5. ISIS members meanwhile are pointing out that after ISIS downed Metrojet over Sinai, no one believed them: pic.twitter.com/8oF4skW8VK
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
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And get ready for the conspiracy theories, on all sides:
6. In their chatrooms, they are claiming that the West and the media is leading a cover-up in order to hide the "martyrdom" of their brother
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
Now Callimachi doesn’t take this claim at “face value,” but she’s also not discounting it:
7. I don't take ISIS' claim at face value. And so far, 0 evidence tying this attack to ISIS has emerged.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
8. But here's why I disagree with those rejecting it out of hand. I've been covering ISIS since 2014 and since then I have kept a timeline
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
9. Everytime ISIS claimed an attack in West, I jotted it down. Month later, I've gone back over list & annotated what investigation found
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
She’s found only 3 false claims out of the 50 she’s tracked:
10. My list is not complete but of the more than 50 cases I have annotated, I could only find 3 false claims.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
11. Yes, the group frequently exaggerates death tolls & yes, they inflate & distort details, but the crux of the claim is typically correct
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
Note that ISIS does not have to actually order someone to carry out an attack for ISIS to claim credit:
12. The thing to understand is ISIS considers an attack to be their handiwork if the attacker is sent by them or if he is inspired by them.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
And Callimachi doesn’t buy that ISIS is claiming credit for Las Vegas because they’re getting knocked around in Iraq;
13. The reason I don't buy argument that they are now opportunistically claiming attacks to deflect from battlefield losses is as follows pic.twitter.com/mJNj4LXVnj
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
14. Beyond the attacks they've claimed, there are many more they could have claimed but didn't. These are attacks where we know it was them
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
15. Remember the Thalys train shouting? They never claimed it. Attacker shared a hotel room with Abdlehamid Abaaoud, leader of Paris attack pic.twitter.com/1E536rRI2X
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
16. Remember the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels? Attacker was 1 of ISIS' jailers who held European hostages. Yet they never claimed pic.twitter.com/i8l5fiQlgA
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
17. Do you remember the devastating attack on the Istanbul airport last year? Investigation determined it was ISIS. Again they did not claim pic.twitter.com/UuRWpN9NlI
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
18. And 1 day before Vegas on Saturday, a guy who'd placed ISIS flag on his car's dashboard used it to ram police. Did ISIS claim it? Nope pic.twitter.com/HXGVkRovxK
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
19 Does this mean ISIS had a role in Vegas? There is as yet 0 evidence of that. My point: This group has been more right than its been wrong
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
20. Given ISIS' insistence, I'm with @AmarAmarasingam: Have any reporters asked Paddock's brother and other family members if he converted?
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 5, 2017
Good question.
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Related:
CNN, REALLY?! Brian Stelter shames 'news outlets' reporting without on ISIS without a 'shred of evidence' https://t.co/mOUDZC46ix
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 2, 2017
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