Second US woman arrested in Ireland pleads guilty over Islamic plot

A SECOND American woman who was arrested in Ireland last year as part of an Irish-US investigation into an Islamic plot to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

Jamie Paulin-Ramirez travelled to Ireland in September 2009 to join fellow US national Colleen LaRose and others to engage in “violent jihad”, or Islamic holy war, according to US court documents.

The 32-year-old mother, from Colerado, has pleaded guilty in Philadelphia District Court to a single offence of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

She joins LaRose, aka “Jihad Jane”, in entering a guilty plea in the case. Paulin-Ramirez faces a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a €250,000 fine.

LaRose, 47, who pleaded guilty last month, faces more serious charges, including conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, which carries a possible life sentence. No dates have been set yet for sentencing in either case.

Both women were arrested along with five others in Waterford and Cork in March 2010 by gardaí.

According to documents filed with the court, Ramirez, LaRose and others conspired to obtain military-style training in South Asia and then travelled to and around Europe to participate in, and in support of, violent jihad.

In a series of electronic communications dated July 19, 2009, one co-conspirator directed another to recruit online “some brothers that can travel freely... with eu passports... [A]nd I also need some sisters too.”

The co-conspirator further explained that “sister fatima will be in charge of other sister care... [W]e have already organized everything for her... [W]e are will[ing] to die in order to protect her no matter what the risk is.”

Ramirez exchanged emails with LaRose in the summer of 2009, in which LaRose invited Ramirez to join her in Europe to attend a training camp.

In electronic communications dated on or about August 7, 2009, the co-conspirator recruited another individual to find brothers and sisters to go to a “camp for [military-style] training... and th[e]n come back to europe to do the job... [T]he job is to [k]nock down some individual[s] that are harming Islam.”

The co-conspirator explains he is structuring “an ORGANIZATION” divided into a “plan[n]ing team... research team... action team... recruitment team... finance team.”

Releasing document details, FBI noted the assistance provided by the Gardaí in the investigation.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is considering whether or not to bring charges in relation to the same investigation here.