March 16, 2010

Jihad Jamie: Irish Motoon Murder Plot Update

A number of critical updates to the arrest of seven in Ireland in a plot to kill Swedish Mohammad cartoon "blasphemer" Lars Vilks. You'll recall that these seven, including "Jihad Jamie" Paulin-Ramirez, were online buddies with Colleen "Jihad Jane" LaRose.

In fact, Jihad Jane had stopped over in Ireland before proceeding to Sweden where she met with her online boyfriend and would-be co-conspirator and where the plot to kill Lars Vilks was supposed to take place.

Two of the men in Ireland have been charged and remanded in custody: The French Algerian Sharif Damache and the Libyan Abd Al-Salam Mansur Al Jahani .

That's Damache pictured above. I don't want to read too much into this, but notice the #1 finger he's holding up? This is a typical gesture made by jihadis. It signifies the unity or "oneness" of God but it is the sign adopted by jihadis the world over, kind of like the two-fingered "V" for victory sign.

So, he's either flashing his alleged jihad creds to his online buddies. Or he thinks he's number one.

The five others have been released, for now. But the Irish national police say there may be more charges announced soon for some of the seven.

Damache is charged (start at 14:35) with sending a threatening text or phone message to an American Muslim named Majed Moughni who organized a protest against Islamic terror in Detroit.

We reported on both the protest (only 50 Muslims showed up) and the death threat Moughani recieved. One wonders whether or not this threat by Damache is the same one we reported on back in January? The person who threatened Moughani claimed to be from France.

Damache admitted he had previously used the false names Thierry Garnier and Alex Garnier. This article claims that Damache used the fake identities because the names sounded French and that he had a French heritage.

A detective said there was evidence on Damache’s computer that he had access to a false identity and had plans to travel to Afghanistan and Algeria.

Jihad Jamie is pregnant with Damache's child. Poor kid.

The Libyan is charged with giving the false name Salim Almestry to officials when he claimed asylum in 2001.

These may be merely holding charges. The Irish police have said there may be more charges:

Brian J. Chesser and Charleen O'Keeffe, attorneys for the seven suspects, expressed surprise at the result of Monday evening's court hearing. "We had expected more serious charges," Ms. O'Keeffe said.

Related from the NYTimes:

an Algerian man and a Libyan man, were formally charged with relatively minor offenses that lawyers involved in the case said could keep them in custody while more serious charges, including conspiracy to murder, are weighed by Irish prosecutors. The lawyers said charges against the five others were also possible.

The two men are in jail until next hearing on Friday.

Thanks to someone for helping me compile this.