Two suspected accomplices of “Jihad Jane” have been arrested in Pennsylvania and Ireland over claims that they were working with others to receive military-style training in South Asia while plotting to wage a holy way across Europe.
The two men, Ali Charaf Damache, 46, an Algerian and Mohammad Hassan Khalid, 18, a Pakistani U.S. resident have been charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists
The men are said to have been working with Colleen LaRose who used the Internet pseudonym “Jihad Jane” and pled guilty in federal court earlier this year on the same charge. Jane had plotted to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks for drawing the Prophet Mohammad combined with the body of a dog.
Damache and Jihad Jane supporter Jamie Paulin Ramirez were married in September 2009 when Ramirez traveled to Europe to visit Damache.
According to the indictment:
Damache, Khalid and others “devised and coordinated a violent-jihad organization consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States divided into a planning team, a research team, an action team, a recruitment team, and a finance team, some of whom would travel to South Asia for explosives training and return to Europe to wage violent jihad.”
If convicted Damache, who used the internet name “Theblackflag” faces up to 45 years in prison, while Khalid faces a 15-year term.
Damache who was captured in Ireland will likely face extradition at the request of the United States .