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| US woman turns 'Jihad Jane'; charged with terror plots |
| Yoshita Singh & Lalit K Jha/PTI / New York/Washington Mar 10, 2010, 14:32 IST |
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An American woman, operating online under the name "Jihad Jane" was indicted today for plotting to recruit Jihadist fighters for executing terror attacks in South Asia and Europe.
The middle-aged Pennsylvania resident Colleen R LaRose alias Fatima LaRose was arrested in October last year and charged with spending more than a year networking with would-be Jihadist around the world.
She was charged on four counts -- conspiracy to provide support to terrorists, a count to kill in a foreign country, indulging in identity thefts and making false statements.
"The case demonstrates that terrorists are looking for Americans to join them in their cause and it shatters any lingering thoughts that one can spot a terrorist on a appearance," US Attorney Michael Levy said in the 11-page indictment unsealed in Philadelphia.
The charging of Jihadi Jane comes months after another Pakistani-American national David Coleman Headley was charged with plotting terrorists attacks in India and Denmark.
Jihadi Jane's associate, said to be based in South Asia, was not named but identified in the court by his online identity CC #3. It was this individual, the court was told, who directed her to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilk.
An al-Qaeda affiliated group has put a bounty of USD 100,000 on Vilk's head for a blasphemous cartoon of Prophet.
Forty-seven-year-old Jihadi Jane and David Headley were both arrested from same place. The arrest of the blond all American woman comes in the backdrop of US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson comments that the Obama administration does not know how many Americans might have disappeared overseas to train with al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups.
The number is not thought to be large, but Patterson said a "nightmare scenario" would be if people holding US passports receive terrorist training then return legally to the US to commit acts of violence. The Justice Department said the five unindicted co-conspirators are from South Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and United States.
According to the indictment, LaRose traveled to Europe and tracked the intended target online in an effort to complete her task. She even asked for resident status in Sweden.
If convicted of the charges, LaRose faces a potential sentence of life in prison and a $1 million fine.
Colleen was "desperate to do something" to help suffering Muslims, authorities said, adding that her case shows how terror groups are looking to recruit Americans to carry out their goals.
A US Department of Justice spokesman wouldn't confirm the case is related to a group of people arrested in Ireland earlier yesterday on suspicion of plotting against Vilks.
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