"Jihadjane" -- Female American Convert To Islam Led Death Plot

As authorities tell it, Colleen R. LaRose wasn’t joking on  June 20, 2008, when she posted a comment on YouTube using the screen  name “JihadJane” and saying that she was “desperate to do something  somehow to help” suffering Muslims. 

Instead, LaRose, 46, formerly of Pennsburg, Montgomery County, and a  U.S. citizen, was about to embark on a plot to recruit terrorists and  commit murder in Sweden, according to federal prosecutors.

Authorities unsealed an indictment yesterday alleging that LaRose and  five unindicted co-conspirators recruited men and women over the  Internet to be terrorists in South Asia and Europe and to finance  terrorism.

A Department of Justice spokesman wouldn’t confirm that the case was  related to a group of people  arrested in Ireland earlier yesterday on suspicion of plotting  against a Swedish cartoonist who depicted the prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog.

But a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said LaRose  had targeted the Swedish cartoonist and had online discussions about her  plans with at least one of the suspects in Ireland.

LaRose, also known as “Fatima LaRose,” was arrested in Philadelphia  by the FBI on Oct. 15, and appeared before a federal magistrate the next  day and agreed to pretrial detention.

She did not enter a plea, but U.S. Attorney Michael Levy said he  expects LaRose to be arraigned soon.

LaRose has been charged with conspiracy to provide material support  to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false  statements to the FBI and attempted identity theft.

If convicted of all charges, LaRose could potentially face life  behind bars, authorities said....

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