During the Vietnam War, we had “Hanoi Jane” a/k/a Jane Fonda, an American actress who espoused Marxist ideology and actually provided enemy troops with a Hollywood-style photo-op. One of the most famous photographs of the Vietnam era is that of the Oscar-winning actress sitting atop a North Vietnam anti-aircraft gun while adorned in a North Vietnam soldier’s helmet.

About 25 years before Fonda’s arguably treasonous spectacle, a Japanese-American woman served the Imperial Army of Japan as its “voice of Japan” during World War II. While Tokyo Rose was a generic name given by the American military and its allies in the Pacific to English-speaking female broadcasters who bombarded the airwaves with Japanese propaganda, the best known was Iva Toguri D-Aguino, also an American citizen.

Now, according to federal counterterrorism officials, a middle-aged American woman who served the radical Islamic terrorist network, helped to recruit ‘jihadists” for terrorist training and suicide attacks in Asia and Europe.

Colleen R. LaRose, aka “Fatima LaRose,” aka “Jihad Jane,” is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official and attempted identity theft.

The indictment charges that LaRose (an American citizen born in 1963 who resides in Montgomery County, Pa.) and five unindicted co-conspirators (located in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the United States) recruited men on the Internet to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe, and recruited women on the Internet who had passports and the ability to travel to and around Europe in support of violent jihad.

The indictment further charges that LaRose and her unindicted co-conspirators used the Internet to establish relationships with one another and to communicate regarding their plans, which included martyring themselves, soliciting funds for terrorists, soliciting passports and avoiding travel restrictions (through the collection of passports and through marriage) in order to wage violent jihad. The indictment further charges that LaRose stole another individual’s U.S. passport and transferred or attempted to transfer it in an effort to facilitate an act of international terrorism.

In addition, according to the indictment, LaRose received a direct order to kill a citizen and resident of Sweden, and to do so in a way that would frighten “the whole Kufar [non-believer] world.” The indictment further charges that LaRose agreed to carry out her murder assignment, and that she and her co-conspirators discussed that her appearance and American citizenship would help her blend in while carrying out her plans. According to the indictment, LaRose traveled to Europe and tracked the intended target online in an effort to complete her task.

Colleen R. LaRose, who refers to herself as “Jihad Jane” on the Internet, went as far as proclaiming her intention to travel to Sweden to kill the cartoonist who created an uproar with a less than flattering drawing of Mohammed.

La Rose is 46 years of age with blonde hair and green eyes who boasted that no one would catch her in the United States. According to her blogging and email messages, she bragged that U.S. authorities will never detect her whereabouts or her destinations.

During her Indictment unsealing on Tuesday, it was reported that she is suspected of obtaining financial assistance from several terrorist organizations so that she could recruit terrorist trainees and travel on terror mission. 

While she was arrested October 15, 2009 in Philadelphia, and the federal indictment remained sealed until Tuesday. The original arrest was for immigration law violations including the alleged distribution of counterfeit passports.

One official close to the investigation said that the investigation is ongoing and it’s hoped that some of the men and women she recruited will be indentified.

If convicted of the charges against her, LaRose faces a potential sentence of life in prison and a $1 million fine.

It’s looking like John Edwards’ past is close to catching up to him.

The National Enquirer (hey, don’t laugh!) is reporting that the former North Carolina senator will face an imminent indictment in relation to his usage of campaign funds to cover up his extramarital affair during his 2008 extramarital affair.

A grand jury has been investigating Edwards’ use of the funds since April, and the periodical says that a friend of Edwards is saying that the former candidate thinks he has done nothing wrong (codespeak for “delusional”), but is afraid that he will be made an example of in this case.

It gets better.

Elizabeth Edwards just might testify agiasnt her estranged husband, according to The Hill. That in and of itself should definitely set off fireworks. And the Enquirer’s report is actually being taken seriously, due to the fact that the periodical received a Pulitzer nomination for its reporting of the story.

Then there’s the sex tape that involves Rielle Hunter (Edwards’ mistress) and Edwards. That will certainly come into play when the trial finally starts; as it is, it is already under seal and in the possession of the court.

Despite all of this, Edwards thinks he is going to “rise from the ashes” and be able to carve out a political future – again. See, here’s the thing. How can you try and re-invent yourself from behind jail bars? The only way that could happen is if President Obama decides to pardon Edwards.

Other than that, I see a future for Edwards – in prison.

Jim sent this in:

A federal grand jury in Chicago returned a superseding indictment adding three defendants, including Tahawwur Rana, to charges filed last month against David Coleman Headley, alleging that they and others participated in conspiracies involving a planned terrorist attack against a Danish newspaper and the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, that killed 164 people, including six Americans.

The 12-count superseding indictment contains the identical charges that were filed against Headley on December 7, 2009, while adding Rana as a defendant in three of the counts charging material support of the terrorism plots in Denmark and India, as well as in support of the designated foreign terrorist organization Lashkar e Tayyiba, according to a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s Terrorism Committee. 

The case is being prosecuted by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Fitzgerald garnered national attention when he was appointed special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame-CIA leak case during the Bush Administration.

Also indicted were Ilyas Kashmiri, an allegedly influential terrorist organization leader in Pakistan who is alleged to be in regular contact with leaders of al Qaeda, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, both of whom were charged in two conspiracy counts relating to the Denmark terrorism plot.

Both Rana and Abdur Rehman were charged separately in previous court filings, but Friday’s indictment charges Kashmiri for the first time, although he was identified by name in the charges filed previously against Rana, Abdur Rehman, and Headley.

Rana, 49, a Canadian citizen, Chicago resident, and native of Pakistan, has remained in federal custody in Chicago since he was arrested on October 18, 2009, in connection with the planned attack in Denmark. He was indicted on Friday on three counts of providing material support to terrorism or a terrorist organization—one count of providing material support in preparation for and in carrying out the Mumbai attacks; one count of providing material support to the Denmark terrorism plot; and one count of providing material support to Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar).

Translated as the “Army of the Good,” Lashkar operated in Pakistan for the principal purpose of fighting to separate from India portions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Lashkar was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in December 2001.

No date has been set yet for Rana to be arraigned in federal court in Chicago. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber.

Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, also known as “Major Abdur Rehman” and “Pasha,” were each charged with one count of conspiracy to murder and maim persons in Denmark, and one count of providing material support to the Danish terrorism plot. Neither man is in U.S. custody.

Headley, 49, a U.S. citizen and Chicago resident, faces the same 12 counts that were filed against him last month — six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and Denmark, providing material support to foreign terrorist plots, and providing material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India.

Headley has remained in federal custody in Chicago since he was arrested in Chicago on October 3, 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges but previously authorized the Justice Department to disclose that he is cooperating with investigators.

In 2002 and 2003, Headley allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar, and conspired with its members and others, including Rana, Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, in planning and executing the attacks in Denmark and India. He allegedly conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 attacks that killed approximately 164 people and left hundreds more injured.

According to the indictment, in June 2008, al Qaeda, through its media wing known as “As Sahab Media,” took credit for an attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and called for further attacks against Danish interests to avenge the publication of the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed first published in the Jyllands-Posten in 2005.

In August 2008, al Qaeda released a video through As Sahab Media calling for further attacks in retaliation for the publication of the cartoons, and Mustafa Abu al Yazid, among others, appeared in the video. The indictment alleges that in July 2009, Headley provided the al Qaeda video to Rana in Chicago.

The counts against Headley charging conspiracy to bomb public places in India that resulted in deaths and aiding and abetting the murders of U.S. nationals each carry a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death. All of the other counts against Headley carry a maximum of life imprisonment, except providing material support to the Denmark terror plot—against all four defendants—carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

The other two material support counts against Rana, and the conspiracy to murder and maim people in Denmark against Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, also carry a maximum of life in prison.

Jim sent this in:

US federal officials successfully obtained indictments against twelve members and associates of FARC, the notorious Colombian terrorist and drug-trafficking group, according to documents obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s Terrorism Committee.

Specifically, the 57th Front of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and taking a U.S. citizen hostage.

The first indictment — for material support of a terrorist organization – unsealed on Monday, charges Luis Fernando Mora-Pestana, aka “Virgilio Antonio Vidal Mora,” aka “Silver” and Julio Enrique Lemos-Moreno, aka “Andres,” who are leaders of the FARC’s 57th Front, along with Front associates Harold Ruben Segura Alvarez, aka “John Jairo,” aka “Cientifico;” Juanito Cordoba-Bermudez, aka “Juanito,” aka “Chechere;” and Cecilio Costa, aka “Cesar Perea,” aka “Costa;” with conspiracy to provide material support to the FARC.

Juanito Cordoba-Bermudez is in custody in the Southern District of New York. The material support indictment has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Denny Chin.

The second indictment – for hostage-taking – charges Mora-Pestana, Lemos-Moreno; Carlitos Lnu; Alexis Lnu, aka “Alexi;” Fnu Lnu, aka “El Indio;” Roque Orobio Lobon, aka “Roque Orobio Tobon;” aka “Mello,” aka “Tachuela;” Edilberto Berrio Ortiz, aka “El Gavilan;” Alejandro Palacios Rengifo, aka “El Gato,” aka “Yimi;” and Anderson Chamapuro Dogirama, aka “El Tigre,” aka “Dairon;” for their roles in the kidnapping of an American citizen for ransom in April 2008.

Roque Orobio Lobon is currently being held by Colombian authorities. The hostage-taking indictment has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. Mora-Pestana and Lemos-Moreno are the only defendants charged in both indictments.The remaining defendants in the material support and hostage-taking indictments are at large.

Created in 1964, the FARC is structured as a paramilitary organization, with approximately 10,000 armed guerillas organized into seven “blocs;” 68 numbered “Fronts” (including the 57th Front); nine named “Fronts” and four urban “militias.”

The FARC is dedicated to the violent overthrow of Colombia’s democratically elected government and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State. The 57th Front operates in the territory within Colombia’s Choco Department, which borders Panama. The 57th Front supports the FARC’s terrorist activities through narcotics trafficking and kidnapping for ransom, including the kidnapping of Americans and other foreign nationals.

The hostage-taking indictment relates specifically to the 57th Front’s April 4, 2008, kidnapping of an American citizen. Mora-Pestana authorized financing for the kidnapping, and Orobio-Lobon and others carried out the kidnapping in the Costa del Este neighborhood of Panama City. The defendants held the victim for ransom, which they demanded from the victim’s relatives, informing the relatives that they would never see the victim alive again if the ransom was not paid. The victim was released in February 2009, after a member of the victim’s family paid the ransom.

The material support indictment recounts multiple discussions among the defendants regarding FARC logistics, supplies and weapons, as well as the seizures by authorities of a variety of weapons and material during February through September 2008. The material support indictment also covers the aftermath of a Feb. 22, 2008, attack by five FARC guerillas on a Panamanian police patrol boat and their subsequent capture in possession of substantial FARC weaponry and material.

Mora-Pestana and Cordoba-Bermudez in particular discussed the FARC’s response to the event, and on Feb. 27, 2008, a communiqué, purporting to be issued by a FARC element warned the government of Panama of consequences from its capture of the five attackers and that the 57th Front had been ordered to kidnap Panamanian officials to force an exchange of captives with the prisoners, if the prisoners were not released.

Other defendants discussed plans to engineer the five guerillas’ escape from a Panamanian prison. (Three of the guerrillas involved in the attack on the Panamanian police boat are now in custody in the Southern District of New York on charges relating to that event. Their case is pending before U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley, III). The material support indictment also recounts discussions concerning the April 4, 2008, kidnapping in Panama and efforts to impede that investigation.

Each of the defendants in the material support indictment is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Each of the defendants in the hostage-taking indictment is charged with two counts of hostage taking, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

“As alleged in the indictments, the 57th Front is one of the most violent elements of the FARC. This group of guerrillas kidnapped a United States citizen, procured weapons and explosives, and trafficked cocaine to fuel the FARC’s terrorist activities,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “The charges unsealed today mark another important step in our efforts to combat international narco-terrorism.”