Thread: Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Recruiting Violent Jihadist

Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Recruiting Violent Jihadist Fighters

A Pennsylvania woman known to authorities as "JihadJane" has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official and attempted identity theft.

The indictment, unsealed Monday, charges that Colleen R. LaRose and five unindicted co-conspirators recruited men on the Internet to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe, and recruited women on the Internet who had passports and the ability to travel to and around Europe in support of violent jihad.

The accused co-conspirators are located in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the United States.

In June of 2008, LaRose posted a comment on YouTube under the username "JihadJane," stating that she is "desperate to do something somehow to help" the suffering Muslim people, according to the indictment.

She was also know to authorities as "Fatima LaRose." The indictment describes LaRose as in her 40s.

Court documents show LaRose was first arrested by federal authorities on Oct. 16, 2009, for allegedly trying to "transfer" a stolen passport.

The indictment charges that the American-born LaRose and her unindicted co-conspirators used the Internet to establish relationships with one another and to communicate regarding their plans, which included martyring themselves, soliciting funds for terrorists, soliciting passports and avoiding travel restrictions (through the collection of passports and through marriage) in order to wage violent jihad, according to a government release.

LaRose is also accused of stealing another individual's U.S. passport and transferring or attempting to transfer it in an effort to facilitate an act of international terrorism.

"Today's indictment, which alleges that a woman from suburban America agreed to carry out murder overseas and to provide material support to terrorists, underscores the evolving nature of the threat we face," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division.

LaRose, who lives in Montgomery County, Pa., received a direct order to kill a citizen and resident of Sweden, and to do so in a way that would frighten "the whole Kufar [non-believer] world," according to the indictment.

It states that LaRose agreed to carry out her murder assignment, and that she and her co-conspirators discussed that her appearance and American citizenship would help her blend in while carrying out her plans.

According to the indictment, LaRose traveled to Europe and tracked her intended target online in an effort to complete her task.

"This case shows the use terrorists can and do make of the Internet," said U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy. "Colleen LaRose and five other individuals scattered across the globe are alleged to have used the Internet to form a conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism, culminating in a direct order to LaRose to commit murder overseas."

LaRose is one of the first American females ever to be charged with a terrorism offense in the U.S.

The only other one a Department of Justice official could recall was Lynne Stewart, a New York attorney and American citizen, who was convicted of terrorism violations in 2005 in the Southern District of New York for passing prison messages from the "Blind Sheikh" to his followers on the outside urging violent attacks.

And last month, Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who lived in Boston for some time but was not a U.S. citizen, was convicted in the Southern District of New York in connection with her attempt to kill U.S. military and law enforcement personnel in Afghanistan.

Fox News Channel's Mike Levine contributed to this report.

Click here to read more on this story from MyFoxPhilly.com.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588627,00.html

And the DHS was so concerned about us and labeled people like us "right wing extremists", and spent so much time and focus on us.