Indictment of ‘Jihad Jane’ shows terrorism evolved

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PHILADELPHIA — 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 foreign terrorists 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 actively recruiting fighters, as well as agreeing to murder the artist, marry a terrorism suspect so he could move to Europe and martyr herself if necessary.

Ms. LaRose, 46, is “one of only a few such cases nationwide in which females have been charged with terrorism violations,” said Dean Boyd, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ms. LaRose, of Pennsburg, Pa., but with close ties to south Texas, has been held without bail since her Oct. 15 arrest in Philadelphia.

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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.

Ms. LaRose targeted Swedish cartoonist 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.

A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman wouldn’t confirm the case is related to Mr. Vilks, who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog.

The indictment charges that Ms. LaRose, who also used the name Fatima LaRose online, agreed to kill the target on orders from the unnamed terrorists she met online, and traveled to Europe in August to do so. Court documents don’t say whether the person was killed, but Ms. LaRose was not charged with murder.

Ms. 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.

She 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 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.

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