American Renaissance-Jared Loughner Possible Connection Being Probed By Authorities

WASHINGTON — An official familiar with the Arizona shooting investigation said Sunday that local authorities are looking at a possible connection between accused gunman Jared Loughner and an online group known for white supremacist, anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, said local authorities were examining the American Renaissance website for possible motives for Saturday's shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

American Renaissance is connected to the white supremacist New Century Foundation, according to an analysis by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based group that tracks hate crimes. New Century Foundation founder Jared Taylor has called racial, ethnic and religious diversity "one of the most divisive forces on the planet," according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Taylor on Sunday denied any connection to the accused gunman. "No one by the name of Loughner has ever been a subscriber to American Renaissance or has ever registered for an American Renaissance conference," Taylor wrote on the website.

"American Renaissance condemns violence in the strongest possible terms," Taylor wrote.

Comments

[Blufftonian]

01:37 PM on 01/10/2011

Another storyline collapses:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/dhs_has_not_determined_possibl.html

[Frank Bourne]

09:38 AM on 01/10/2011

Aren't these the same government agencies and media types who repeatedly admonished the country not to "jump to conclusions" after Malik Nadal Hasans bloody rampage at Ft. Hood.

[European1919]

05:08 AM on 01/10/2011

Possibly he watched Oprah, too. Will that make the headlines and bring Ms. Winfrey into the line of fire?
What an idiotic connection to make. Anything to deflect the public interest away from those really responsible.

[bluto392]

11:31 AM on 01/10/2011

1. Why do you say this is an 'idiotic' connection to make? Do you have more info than the investigators?

2. Who is 'really' responsible?

[Kit Ingoldby]

01:45 PM on 01/10/2011

Jared Loughner is the person who is 'really responsible'.

OBVIOUSLY.

[prometheus liver]

01:59 PM on 01/10/2011

Stormfront misses you European 1919 (as if anyone cares about the fact you're "European")

[Jeannie Lin]

03:08 AM on 01/10/2011

I've done extensive searching on this topic and it seems the first story of this came out TO FOX NEWS.. why fox? how did they get the story? so called (originally) from homeland security,, then the story changes that some secret informant "says" it came from the homeland security.. and again, how the hell did fox get this story, this topic, this connection and no one else?

so far, i call bullshit on it all.. if the kid was a regular visitor to those websites, we'll know soon enough with investigations.. but i find it highly suspicious this originated at fox news.. If they made it up.. they'd have a sneaky motive for doing so.. for instance wanting to get the media in a frenzy then only to find out it's all false.. so they can blame libs for trying to connect him to tea parties and such..

whole thing smells to me...

[The Albany Kid]

12:55 AM on 01/10/2011

Some of you may recall that Mr. Taylor actually wrote a comment on HuffPost last year (in response to Fred Redmond's piece on efforts to boycott AR's annual conference). For those who don't recall, please see the link below.

It will be interesting to see if Mr. Taylor comments on Huff Post in response to the Jared Loughner story. It will be even more interesting to see if Loughner's apparent link to AR will make it even more difficult for AR to obtain conference space than it was last year.

Personally, I find AR a lot more chilling than most other White Nationalist / White Supremacist media organs...although some of its posters appear to be a bit off the "deep end," quite a few of them appear to be rather smart....smart enough to make one wonder if one's accountant or the IT geek at one's place of employment is a subscriber.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-redmond/taking-a-stand-against-ha_b_444955.html

[FogBelter]

09:52 PM on 01/09/2011

A Federal Judge was assassinated, so if there was a connection between the shooter and the group it will be found. The Justice Department will be an absolute pit bull on this case. No doubt.

[European1919]

05:37 AM on 01/10/2011

Just like desperately trying to establish links between Julian Assange and Bradley Manning. No matter whether there are any or not, as long as it fits the agenda set by the interested parties. Such as Ms. Palin, btw.

[maslin]

09:40 PM on 01/09/2011

SPLC on these folks.

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/american-renaissance

[sobaytransplant]

09:36 PM on 01/09/2011

Wait a minute... American Renaissance is described as a White Supremacist group... they they CONDEMN violence? Is anyone else finding that incongrous considering what we already know about the agendas of these types of groups?

[shishkabob]

10:45 PM on 01/09/2011

Go look at their web site. They only condemn violence against white people.

[prometheus liver]

07:07 PM on 01/09/2011

Sorry folks, there is no defending American Rennaissance. Pure hate. Jared even gloated over the death of the 10 year old star of Lion King from Lukemia because her "mixed race background made it harder to find a bone marrow donor." They are the deep end of lowest rungs of humanity.

[jeneemaree]

06:43 PM on 01/09/2011

Some of these comments are unnerving. I do not know if the suspect was connected to this group and we will see. I do know that, regardless, this group participates in hate speech and adheres to racist, white supremacist ideas. Instead of taking the side of the founder or the publications of this ridiculous magazine, perhaps we should take the side of the victims of the shooting yesterday. Those that wish that only whites inhabited this country and think that all people of color are bad are do not have to pull a trigger, their guns are metaphoric and just as dangerous. To deny this is ignorance at its very, very finest.

[prometheus liver]

07:08 PM on 01/09/2011

Thank you beautiful.

[jeneemaree]

08:32 PM on 01/09/2011

Anytime :)

[RafaleMirage]

08:46 PM on 01/09/2011

So your point is that we should just go ahead and blame American Renaissance for murder because they hold unpopular ideas?

[ranchero42]

10:47 PM on 01/09/2011

What are you worried about? No-one on the Right is ever held accountable for their words and deeds anymore.

Complaining about it only compounds the tendency to affirm the ever-growing list of 'who's delusional now'.

[Taurean]

06:14 PM on 01/09/2011

WTF?

American Renaissance espouses "anti-government" and "anti-semitic" views? Since when? Does Huffington Post know that many of American Renaissance members and speakers are Jewish?

I had heard Huffington Post was a credible news outlet. Guess I heard wrong!

[jeneemaree]

06:38 PM on 01/09/2011

It takes about 5 minutes of research and 30 seconds on their website to see what this horrible organization is about and defending it is deplorable.

[Almondo]

06:56 PM on 01/09/2011

Anybody who has an IQ over 75 can look at the site and see you are just another spinner.

[dhampton100]

06:04 PM on 01/09/2011

American Renaissance is well known to most organizations who track hate groups. This one specializes in trying to convince the world that Blacks and Mexicans are inferior from birth and that only White people have a right to fair play and a decent life. Just another group who continue to wish for the good old days of slavery and want to justify it by claiming they “deserve” to be slaves…….Look at them, they’re inferior!

[morphyous]

10:31 PM on 01/09/2011

The American Renaissance web site has adds from the Tea Party on it. Connection??

[MountainPenelope]

08:45 AM on 01/10/2011

Not surprising, is it? Their entire purpose is to create devisivness and promote h8. Same agenda, different names.

[Syd Walker]

05:57 PM on 01/09/2011

This is a disgusting report. Even Fox News dropped this particular bone after an hour or two's checking, which included a phone call to the head of 'American Renaissaince'. His comment was that if this level of reseach characteristic of the DHS (the report came from the Dept Homeland Security), then God help us all!

A quick check of the 'American Renaissaince' homepage suggests more antipathy to Muslims than Jews. Personally, I find that - and some of its other views loathsome . But I'd say the same about Daniel Pipes' website too. Your story doesn't bother to mention this, but the alleged AR link comes from a Department of Homeland Security report. It is drawing a very long bow to describe AR as 'anti-ZOG'. Its founder says that's a term it never uses. I couldn't find it myself in their website.

As for the so-called Southern Poverty Law Center, it really is a Zionist drum-banger, constantly banging on about 'anti-Semitism' (real and imagined) in a long-term attempt to restrict free speech about anything upsetting to Zionists. LIke the DHS, the SPLC misses no opportunity to draw very a long bow in support of a pro-Israel, anti-free speech agenda. Perhaps the SPLC is upset because one of AR's recent articles exposes a Cayman Island's bank account in the name of the SPLC?

Sad to see this tragedy exploited for sectarian reasons. The DHS shames itself by trying this on. Nor does the Huff Post.

[Lisa Clayton]

06:25 PM on 01/09/2011

They love Jews, as long as those Jews are also racist against blacks.

[prometheus liver]

07:09 PM on 01/09/2011

Oh no. They are not like John Birchers which are ok with Jews who hate blacks. American Renn HATES isreal and hates all Jews. They are borderline psychopaths dressed up in tweed.

[Almondo]

06:56 PM on 01/09/2011

Anybody who has an IQ over 75 can look at the site and see you are just another spinner.

[RafaleMirage]

05:45 PM on 01/09/2011

There is, of course, no link between the shooter and American Renaissance.

Jared Taylor of AmRen is perhaps the last person who would espouse violence and, for those who care actually to inform themselves (as opposed to dealing in silly innuendo), he has posted a typically eloquent refutation. I excerpt it below, although I should perhaps state there is NO tie between me and AmRen:

"This is so hopelessly wrong that it is hard to believe it is a genuine government document.

No one by the name of Loughner has ever been a subscriber to American Renaissance or has ever registered for an American Renaissance conference. We have no evidence that he has even visited the AR website.

American Renaissance condemns violence in the strongest possible terms, and nothing that has ever appeared in its pages could be interpreted as countenancing it."

[jeneemaree]

06:45 PM on 01/09/2011

No evidence? I'm sorry, are you with the FBI? I'm pretty sure that's why the article said "possible connection".

There may or may not be a connection and I'm sure we'll find out soon. However, defending this ridiculous magazine may perhaps be worse then needlessly connecting the shooter to an organization he knows nothing about.

[Blood and Soil]

05:19 PM on 01/10/2011

Wow, I've never come to this site but comparing the opinions and intelligence level between the posters on the two sights is enlightening.

Over at Amren there is logic, insight and reasoned discussions about racial differences.

Here, you have people like Jeenamaree who make incredibly intelligent statements like, "It takes about 5 minutes of research and 30 seconds on their website to see what this horrible organization is about and defending it is deplorable." or "There may or may not be a connection and I'm sure we'll find out soon. However, defending this ridiculous magazine may perhaps be worse then needlessly connecting the shooter to an organization he knows nothing about."

As usual, the brainwashed liberal like Jeneemaree can't state what she finds ridiculous or deplorable but her tolerant soul chooses to hate AMREN simply because it disagrees with her views. How liberal of her!

It's amazing that people on this site can spew their venom toward a people and a website they know NOTHING about.

I've been reading AMREN for years and they have never condoned violence or hate any any way. They simply write about the difference in the races and bring a educated and scholarly approach to the subject. In other words their views are backed up by evidence.

Why are people so scared of people with an differing view, one of which mirrors our constitution and my ancestors who gave their lives for this great country?

[MountainPenelope]

08:51 AM on 01/10/2011

Unless Taylor's organization knows Loughner's IP address and has captured the addresses of all who have visited the site, I must say he has no way of knowing whether Loughner has visited the site.

I visited the site and was appalled by the vitriol spewed there.

I also wonder just what has been done to the members of such organization (one that will not even publish the location of their proposed convention in Charlotte, N.C.) to make them h8 America so much.

[pdxuser]

05:22 PM on 01/09/2011

I hadn't heard about any anti-Semitic language from Loughner. Has anyone else? I do know that Giffords is Jewish, though.

[Lisa Clayton]

06:26 PM on 01/09/2011

No his problem is not that HE is an anti-semite, it is his inclusion of anti-semites that has caused a problem. He has publicly stated that he likes Jews (as long as they are of European descent). American Renaissance is all about hating on the non-white man.