'Jihad Jane' indictment shows terror's evolution
Maryclaire Dale (AP, March 10, 2010)
Philadelphia, USA - The self-described "Jihad Jane" who thought
her blond hair and blue eyes would let her blend in as she sought to
kill an artist in Sweden is a rare case of an American woman aiding in
foreign terrorism and shows the evolution of the global threat,
authorities say.
The suburban Philadelphia woman, Colleen R. LaRose, is accused in
the indictment filed Tuesday of trying to recruit fighters, as well as
agreeing to murder the artist, marry a terrorism suspect so he could
move to Europe and martyr herself if necessary.
LaRose is "one of only a few such cases nationwide in which
females have been charged with terrorism violations," said U.S.
Department of Justice spokesman Dean Boyd.
LaRose, 46, of Pennsburg but with close ties to south Texas, has
been held without bail since her Oct. 15 arrest in Philadelphia.
Authorities said the case shows how terrorist groups are looking
to recruit Americans to carry out their goals.
"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 national
security.
LaRose had targeted Swedish artist Lars Vilks and had online
discussions about her plans with at least one of several suspects
apprehended over that plot Tuesday in Ireland, according to a U.S.
official speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't
authorized to discuss details of the investigation.
Irish police said Wednesday those arrested were two Algerians, two
Libyans, a Palestinian, a Croatian and an American woman married to one
of the Algerian suspects. They were not identified by name.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman wouldn't confirm the case
is related to Vilks, who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet
Muhammad with the body of a dog. At least three Swedish newspapers
published the cartoon Wednesday, arguing that it had news value or was
a free-speech symbol.
The indictment charges that LaRose, who also used the name Fatima
LaRose online, agreed to try killing the target on orders from the
unnamed terrorists she met online, and traveled to Europe in August to
do so.
LaRose indicated in her online conversations that she thought her
blond hair and blue eyes would help her move freely in Sweden to carry
out the attack, the indictment said.
LaRose is a convert to Islam who actively recruited others,
including at least one unidentified American, and her online messages
expressed her willingness to become a martyr [ murderer ] and her
impatience to take action, according to the indictment and the U.S.
official.
Killing the target would be her goal "till I achieve it or die
trying," she wrote a south Asian suspect in March 2009, according to
the indictment. Her federal public defender, Mark T. Wilson, declined
to comment Tuesday.
"I'm glad she didn't kill me," Vilks told The Associated Press on
Wednesday, saying the suspects appeared to be "low-tech." He said he
has built defense systems in his home to thwart would-be terrorists,
including a safe room and electrified barbed wire.
U.S. Attorney Michael Levy said the indictment doesn't link LaRose
to any organized terror groups.
In recent years, the only other women charged in the U.S. with
terror violations were lawyer Lynne Stewart, convicted of helping
imprisoned blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman communicate with his
followers, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist found guilty of
shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan while yelling, "Death to
Americans!"
But neither case involved the kind of plotting attributed to
LaRose - a woman charged with trying to foment a terror conspiracy to
kill someone overseas.
Stewart has insisted she is "not a traitor," while Siddiqui has
accused U.S. authorities of lying about her.
LaRose called herself JihadJane in a YouTube video in which she
said she was "desperate to do something somehow to help" ease the
suffering of Muslims, the indictment said. According to the 11-page
document, she agreed to obtain residency in a European country and
marry one of the terrorists to enable him to live there.
She moved to Europe in August with her boyfriend's stolen passport
and intended to give it to one of her "brothers," the indictment said.
She hoped to "live and train with jihadists and to find and kill" the
targeted artist, it said.
LaRose also agreed to provide financial help to her coconspirators
in Asia and Europe, the indictment charged.
LaRose had an initial court appearance on Oct. 16 but didn't enter
a plea. No further court dates have been set.
Her boyfriend, Kurt Gorman, told the Philadelphia Daily News that
the two met in Ennis, Texas, several years ago and that nothing seemed
amiss until she packed up her clothes and moved out of their apartment
in Pennsburg without warning in August, the day after his father's
funeral.
"I was upset, worried. Maybe something happened to her," he said.
A few weeks later, two FBI agents visited him, and in November or
December he was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury to testify, Gorman
said.
"She never talked about international events, about Muslims,
anything," he told the newspaper. "It's very strange. I still can't
believe it."
