PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania woman “desperate to do something” to help suffering Muslims has been accused of using the Internet to recruit jihadist fighters and help terrorists overseas, even agreeing to move to Europe to try to kill a Swedish artist, prosecutors said Tuesday.
She has been in custody in Philadelphia since October.
A federal indictment charges that Colleen R. LaRose, who called herself JihadJane and Fatima LaRose online, agreed to kill the Swede on orders from the unnamed terrorists and traveled to Europe to carry out the killing. It doesn’t say whether the Swede was killed, but LaRose was not charged with murder.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman wouldn’t confirm the case is related to a group of people arrested in Ireland earlier Tuesday on suspicion of plotting against Swedish artist Lars Vilks, 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 apprehended in Ireland. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation.
LaRose, who has blond hair and blue eyes, indicated in her online conversations that she thought her appearance would help her move freely in Sweden to carry out the attack, the indictment said.
LaRose, 46, lived in Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pa., before moving to Europe in August 2009, authorities said.
New York: Not jumpers, just art
The New York Police Department wants the public to know that the figures soon to be gazing down from buildings near a midtown park are an artist’s body casts, not residents in distress. Police spokesman Paul Browne said Tuesday that the department was worried the upcoming outdoor exhibit might spark 911 calls reporting possible jumpers, so it wanted to alert the public. The work by Antony Gormley consists of 31 life-size figures of the artist cast in iron and glass fiber. They’re being installed on pathways, sidewalks and rooftops for an exhibit beginning March 26.
California: Jury recommends death for ’70s serial killer
A Santa Ana jury on Tuesday recommended a death sentence for convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala, hours after the 66-year-old pleaded for his life to be spared. Alcala was convicted last month of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe and four Los Angeles County women in the late 1970s. It was the third time he was sentenced to death in the Samsoe case; the previous sentences were overturned. Alcala gave his own closing arguments earlier Tuesday afternoon, telling jurors that if they recommend death instead of life in prison without parole, his case would be on appeal for another 15 to 20 years and wouldn’t give the families closure. Alcala played a piece of Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” in which the narrator tries to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War by trying to convince a psychiatrist that he’s unfit for the military because of his supposed extreme desire to kill.
Haiti: USNS Comfort leaves
The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort has completed its relief mission in Haiti and will head home today. The Comfort has been stationed off the country’s coast for seven weeks treating victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake. While in Haiti, the ship’s personnel treated more than 800 patients. The total number of U.S. forces in Haiti is expected to drop to about 8,000 in coming days, down from a peak of around 20,000 on Feb. 1.
Cyprus: Ex-leader’s body found in another grave
Three months after it was stolen, the corpse of Cyprus’ former president was found reburied in another grave at the same cemetery outside Nicosia, and three men were arrested Tuesday in what officials called a case of bodysnatching for ransom. Two spokesmen for former President Tassos Papadopoulos’ family insisted, however, that his relatives had never received a demand for money. Papadopoulos died of lung cancer in 2008 at 74.
Israel: Biden condemns Israeli settlement plan
Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned an Israeli plan to build hundreds of homes in Palestinian-claimed east Jerusalem, a disagreement that tarnished a high-profile visit that had been aimed at repairing ties with the Jewish state and kickstarting Mideast peace talks. Israel’s Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that it had approved construction of 1,600 new apartments.
From Herald news services
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