Thread from me upcoming on ISIS Amaq claim of responsibility for Las Vegas attack, a claim made without a shred of evidence.
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1. ISIS in recent months has made a number of demonstrably false claims for attacks and incidents that had no jihadi terror nexus.
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2. Exhibit A of a false ISIS claim was their claim for attack on Manila, Philippines casino resort in June. Perpetrator was indebted gambler
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3. Exhibit B of a false ISIS claim was their claim to have smuggled explosives into CDG airport in Paris last month.
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4. In actual fact the CDG security alert was caused by verbal threats by an angry female passenger in her 50s not allowed onto flight.
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5. Conclusion: ISIS, desperate for attention, will claim just about anything these days knowing their supporters won't believe govt/media.
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6. Investigators belief "likely" Las Vegas gunman took his own life also points against this having any jihadi nexus.
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7. I can't think of a single case in which a jihadi terrorist shot themselves dead after an attack. A big theological no no for jihadis
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8. Jihadis make distinction between suicide, which they believe forbidden by Islam, & death as byproduct of "martyrdom" bombing/attack.
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9. There have been some arguments put forward by some jihadis that operatives with extremely vital info can kill selves to avoid capture.
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10. As pointed out by some of these arguments appear to have interested Osama bin Laden: dni.gov/files/document
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11. But I'm told by former jihadi that this argument has not received wide buy-in from jihadis.
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12. And in any case a 64 year old Nevada man not exactly likely to have such vital info. So why would he risk "paradise" by killing self?
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13. ISIS just doubled down on claim by putting it out "officially." They did same in false claim for Manila Casino attack in June.
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14. And like after Manila attack, the ISIS official communique put out a fighting name for the Vegas attacker. Manila name was invention
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15. This is all from same group that claimed multiple devices on London Underground last month when only one at Parson's Green.
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16. ISIS just put out info-graphic claiming, with zero evidence, Vegas shooter converted to Islam 6 months ago - i.e. March/April 2017.
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17. The implication, if they were to be believed, would be that he radicalized towards their worldview at some point after that period.
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18. But investigators are probing intense weapons buying starting in October 2016. This doesn't fit ISIS timeline:
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19. One of biggest ISIS lies: their June claim that US airstrike destroyed Great al-Nuri mosque in Mosul (after ISIS themselves blew it up)
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