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Second U.S. woman probed in plot to kill Swede: report
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities in Ireland are investigating whether a second American woman was involved in a suspected international plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist for mocking the Prophet Mohammad, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
According to the Journal's online report, a 31-year-old mother from Colorado named Jamie Paulin-Ramirez was one of seven people detained in Ireland on Tuesday.
Irish police said they were arrested in connection with a plot to kill cartoonist Lars Vilk because of his 2007 drawing depicting the Prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog.
The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it had charged a Pennsylvania woman, Colleen LaRose, who went by the pseudonyms "Fatima LaRose" and "JihadJane," with plotting to kill a Swedish man.
Officials at the Justice Department were not immediately available for comment on The Wall Street Journal report.
The Journal said one of the people detained in Ireland was an Algerian man who was the main contact for LaRose. That man "has a relationship with Ms. Paulin-Ramirez according to a person close to the matter," the newspaper reported.
The arrests in Ireland included two more Algerians, a Croatian, a Palestinian and a Libyan, according to the story.
Paulin-Ramirez announced nearly a year ago she had embraced Islam and last September 11 left her home in a small Rocky Mountain town to marry a Muslim man in New York she had made contact with via an Internet website, the newspaper said.
The Journal interviewed Paulin-Ramirez's mother, Christine Holcomb, in Colorado. "I'm angry with her right now," she was quoted saying. "I'd like to just choke her. But I'm worried about her, too. I love my daughter."
The newspaper said Paulin-Ramirez gave her mother an address in Waterford, Ireland.
The Justice Department also has accused LaRose of trying to recruit fighters to commit violent attacks overseas.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
At some point our Govt. courts and law enforcement will have to clarify what is free speech and expression in regards to thoughts and intentions. One might argue that plotting, planning, intending, can be only thoughts in ones mind. So how can one be convicted for thoughts in the mind? Our Govt. does it with a life sentence even though nothing is ever accomplished. This means that there is no freedom of thinking and thoughts. No freedom of expression of thoughts. Why then say in other crimes, we couldn’t convict because of lack of evidence and in this case, we can read his mind, his thoughts and what he “intended” to do. Why not use this in every case then, and never lose a case? This I strongly believe should be corrected for justice and rights.
To daniwitz:
The courts, not government thought police, must prove intent. Yes, determination of guilt is subjective, and the process can always be refined. Overhaul of the judicial system sounds like a good project for you. Voting might also be something for you to think about.
Brush up on the facts of this case. It involves conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, false statement to a government official, and attempted identity theft. These laws, however subjective, are about crime prevention, and the security of a free nation.
seems like US govt hired pre-cogs (like in Minority Report) specifically for muslims converts.
Well put trailrunner.
Far too many people ready to jump without thinking and ready to critize what they know nothing about.
If these people are found guilty, there needs to be consequences to their actions
And yes, in order to make it work we must inform ourselves (not just watch Fox News) and we must vote intellegently.
Security of a free nation is a misnomer if the freedom of thought is punished. It for one is freedom to lie if not questioned under oath. Even the police are allowed to lie (not that they should) they can lie and deceive. To provide material support can be just saying you like them and conspiring to kill someone in a foreign country is a way for the Govt. to read one’s mind. Hell our Govt hires people to kill in other countries in covert operations. Our Govt. is killing people in other countries as I type. If only we could read our Govt. mind and punish them too.
The judicial details of this case aside, it once again demonstrates that some (not all) Muslims are precisely the sort of overzealous, violent types that spurned the drawing of the cartoons in the first place. I think of the Muslim demonstrator, filmed in recent months holding a placard that says “Those who think Islam is violent ought to be killed!” Apparently the noxious fundamentalist fog that has clouded these people’s minds has blinded them to irony.
