It's a sign terror-fighters have been fearing for some time now, a middle aged woman from the Philadelphia suburbs now charged as being a "Jihad Jane."
Colleen LaRose has been in custody since the fall, but now her case is being made public. According to authorities, the new face of international terrorism is Colleen LaRose of Pennsylvania.
Brad Garrett, a former FBI special agent, says "I think we now are seeing the successful recruitment in the United States of non-Muslim people initially to get involved in Jihad."
U.S. Officials say 46 year-old LaRose was born in San Angelo, Texas. Using the aliases "Fatima La Rose and "Jihad Jane," she moved to Pennsylvania. Officials say she "and five other individuals scattered across the globe are alleged to have been using the Internet" to recruit jihaddists to commit acts of terrorism in Europe and south Asia.
Neighbors in suburban Pennsylvania suspected nothing.
The indictment says Muslim militants ordered LaRose to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks after he drew Muhammad with the body of a dog. LaRose said she would make killing Vilks "my goal till I achieve it or die trying".
Authorities believe she was valued for her ability to blend in among Europeans. Garrett says, "The terrorists figured out that they can't all look like middle eastern people, whether they be male or female. And so they've put a lot of time and energy, particularly into the Internet, of recruiting people."
As part of the same investigation seven Muslim immigrants were arrested in Ireland this week, also charged with trying to kill the Swedish cartoonist.
Online Reporter: Jill Courtney
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