AN AMERICAN woman dubbed “Jihad Jane” at the centre of an alleged plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist “sponsored” a number of Muslims in Ireland on extremist websites before travelling here to meet them.
Gardaí believe Colleen Renee LaRose, who has been under arrest in connection with the alleged murder plot in the US since last October, first befriended a number of foreign nationals living in Ireland on websites.
It appears she “sponsored” them, or vouched for them, to those regulating the sites. This resulted in some of the individuals now under arrest in Ireland being given passwords to private internet chat rooms where the alleged plot to kill cartoonist Lars Vilks was discussed.
LaRose, a 46-year-old US citizen, visited Ireland last August on an apparently aborted trip to Sweden. While here, she met some of the seven people arrested in Waterford and Cork on Tuesday. Gardaí were tipped off by the FBI last October about the Irish link to the alleged murder plot. A Garda investigation was put in place aimed at covertly gathering as much information as possible on the Irish-based suspects.
The Irish Timesunderstands about 25 people here who knew them have been informally spoken to by gardaí.
Gardaí have been trying to assess if any of those under arrest tried to radicalise any of their Muslim associates or if they tried to put in place the resources that might aid the alleged plot to kill Mr Vilks, such as organising safe houses here.
Gardaí were last night continuing to question the seven suspects, four men and three women.
The suspects, aged between their mid-20s and late-40s, are from Algeria, Croatia, Palestine, Libya and the US. They have been living in Ireland for up to 10 years.
They are being questioned about the alleged plot to kill Vilks in Sweden. He had a bounty of up to $150,000 put on his head by al-Qaeda in Iraq because he drew cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad with a dog's body. The images were printed in the Nerikes Allehandanewspaper in Sweden in 2007.
The computers, phones and documents seized during searches at nine premises in Waterford and Cork on Tuesday are being analysed for any evidence of a credible plan to kill Mr Vilks. Garda sources have dismissed speculation that those arrested here are an al-Qaeda cell.
However, gardaí are trying to determine if any of those arrested would have gone as far as aiding the alleged Vilks murder plot. If the DPP decides there is sufficient evidence to press charges, those arrested could be charged with conspiracy to murder or to commit terrorist offences.