Posted on 06/25/2006 6:29:22 PM PDT by blam
Montana mother who is fighting al-Qa'eda from her sitting room
By Francis Harris in Helena
(Filed: 26/06/2006)
Radical Islamists may not know it but their global jihad has more to fear from Shannen Rossmiller, an American mother-of-three, than from a squadron of F16s.
The former cheerleader doesn't phrase it quite like that. That isn't her style.
Shannen Rossmiller turned freelance spy after 9/11
Yet a summary of case histories and transcripts seen by The Daily Telegraph reveals that she has uncovered the whereabouts of al-Qa'eda fighters in the lawless highlands of Pakistan, shopped groups of would-be terrorists from Liverpool to Lebanon, tracked down an Islamist designing a nuclear device and much, much more.
For four years, she has alternated her day jobs of mother and magistrate in the mountain state of Montana with a night-time role as a hunter of terrorists. Mrs Rossmiller first turned freelance spy after September 11.
Donning a range of virtual disguises, she uses her functional, self-taught Arabic, and customised software that masks her true identity and whereabouts, to navigate into radical internet chat rooms frequented by real terrorists or any fanatic with a computer and a grudge.
In her first interview with a British newspaper, the 37-year-old said that at first she kept her nocturnal sleuthing secret: "I didn't want my family to know because they'd call me crazy and this was just too damn interesting."
Now she finds it hard to escape the world she has entered. Asked whether she seeks a way out, she said: "I've tried a couple of times to back off, but it just hasn't been the right time.
"I remember the time I screamed 'Can't these guys take a weekend off?' But humanity is such a precious thing that you don't want to see [terrorist attacks] happen to anybody, to any country, any people."
She has proved increasingly useful to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which now supplies her with handlers, Arabic translators and security, in case the terrorists seek revenge.
They have reason to be angry: in America alone, the authorities have made several arrests based on Mrs Rossmiller's work.
In her best known case, she secured a life sentence for a treacherous soldier, Pte Ryan Anderson, who was trying to transmit the weaknesses of the M1 Abrams tank to al-Qa'eda. It was when she was called to give evidence in that case that her cover was blown. "I didn't have the choice of remaining anonymous," she said, despite earlier pledges from the authorities that her name would never be made public.
On many occasions she has encountered terrorists overseas. Three times she has lured young British Islamists into unmasking themselves, including one group in Liverpool. The FBI passed the material to British intelligence, after which she heard nothing more.
She brushes off the possible threat to her and her family from terrorist reprisal. She pointed out that in Montana's little towns, strangers stick out and the locals are armed. "There have to be risks taken, otherwise you can't get anything done."
The FBI refuses to comment on her work and she has not been offered public thanks by members of the Bush administration. Behind-the-scenes however, intelligence staffers acknowledge her role.
One American newspaper reported that "federal intelligence sources confirmed that for several years she has provided the FBI and the CIA with useful information". Another was told "she's legitimate" by an unnamed FBI agent.
That has helped to make Mrs Rossmiller a star of Right-wing internet sites, but she disavowed any political motivation beyond plain patriotism. "I'm not a Republican, I'll tell you that right now. But at the same time you get tired of seeing your government looking like a bunch of walking idiots."
Mrs Rossmiller is understandably discreet about her current operations, but said that as the years have passed she has become more ambitious and made "her" fictional Islamists more senior.
But when things get sticky she can be ruthless. "I kill off certain identities, make them martyrs, so [the radicals] think 'so-and-so is dead'. When I've had an idea that's worked well for some time but things are getting fishy, I'll move him into Ramadi or Basra and have him martyred."
Superb; post her picture and her name...
Why did they skip her address, phone number and make/model of her car with plate numbers?
There was a time when the word 'treason' actually meant that you were actively working against your own country, and were giving aide and comfort to the enemy. Now 'treason' is simply another word for 'journalism'.
This whole story seems a bit farfetched....
Yeah I was wondering about that as well. Maybe since all the stuff she does is over the internet they could post her pic?
Yeah I was wondering about that as well. Maybe since all the stuff she does is over the internet they could post her pic.
Number 1. She is a smart woman to teach herself Arabic.
Number 2. Why can't our country do this. It would be sad to find out she has found more terrorist than our FBI and CIA.
Number 3. Why isn't she on the payroll for the FBI and CIA and backdate the check to when she started doing this.
Looks like a harsh sun or a tough 37 years.
We should all get to live in small town MT.
If that is not a phony name and pix, I can't help but think she is so jihaded now.
Three Words - God Bless Her!
LOL. Maybe she drinks hard-liquor while on the computer.
Hey, good job, blow here cover!! Let's just do the job of the NY Slimes.....
Kind of dumb to post her picture and explain how and what she does in her spare time. Sometimes it is better to not give out so much information.
Presumably such things are being done in Langley as well. One can only hope.
Very cool lady.
I nominate her as an honorary FReeper.
[Superb; post her picture and her name...
Why did they skip her address, phone number and make/model of her car with plate numbers?
There was a time when the word 'treason' actually meant that you were actively working against your own country, and were giving aide and comfort to the enemy. Now 'treason' is simply another word for 'journalism'.]
Exactly! You have to understand that this is "The Telegraph" in the UK. Enough said.
[Number 1. She is a smart woman to teach herself Arabic.
Number 2. Why can't our country do this. It would be sad to find out she has found more terrorist than our FBI and CIA.
Number 3. Why isn't she on the payroll for the FBI and CIA and backdate the check to when she started doing this.]
She makes our "intelligence services" look like fools. This woman is one smart, tough gal. I think I read about her a long time ago. She's a mother and a patriot and got pissed off after 911. Just an ordinary citizen with no special education or training who became proactive. Talk about the American way! The pioneer spirit of the great West in action. I see a movie deal...
At least she shaved.
This is one exceptional woman. A mighty Brave Zulu to her. May she have fair winds and following seas in her journey through life.
Folks, come on. This story is based directly on an interview, and that's a posed picture not some telephoto-lens shot of her getting her mail.
Great thread. Thank you.
jm
ON THE NET...
http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=%22SHANNEN+ROSSMILLER%22&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/000179.htm
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/248
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1169681/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1577365/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1576992/posts
It's not.
[This is one exceptional woman. A mighty Brave Zulu to her. May she have fair winds and following seas in her journey through life.]
Wow, poetic.
I think of her as the Jihadi Erin Brokovich.
Sometimes truth, is stranger than fiction.
Hee hee hee, bet she is a Conservative (not in name only too)...
All too true in the WWOT. Lets hope she bags some more of the SOBs.
Yep, absolutely. Pray for Shannen.
Who cares what gender she is - the story just seems a bit too unbelievable. Walter Mittyish..
and a GP printout to her house.......
sad thing is, if she is 'taken out' whadda bet we'll never hear about it...
Sort of like some of the stuff out of Russia.
Well, it IS believable because it is the truth.
Click on the links I posted on this thread to
view other articles regarding her work.
Perhaps that's The Telegraph's version. Compare to the photo at Daniel Pipes' page: http://www.danielpipes.org/pics/large/blog_248_1.jpg
(Working at it, paulat!)
There is a wonderful book called 'Terrorist Hunter' by Anonymous. It is written by a woman who grew up in Iraq but was Israeli.....she ends up coming to the US and translating documents for a branch of the govt and finding out about terrorists long before 9/11. Some of the information is pretty shocking....
Here is a link to the book you were mentioning:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060528192/103-1246081-7431003?v=glance&n=283155
Adding a couple of books also to this thread:
http://www.terrortracker.co.uk
Note: Neil Doyle (the terror tracker) has written several books.
Here's the latest:
"Terror Base UK: Inside A Secret War (Hardcover) "
by Neil Doyle
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1840189940/qid=1135878066/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-6640520-2529713?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
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Here are videos online:
http://www.JohnathanGaltfilms.com
http://www.glen-jenvey.com/video.html
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http://www.usip.org/pubs/catalog/terror_internet.html
"Terror on the Internet
The New Arena, the New Challenges"
Gabriel Weimann
Forward by Bruce Hoffman
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Coming out soon...
"WAR OF THE WEB Fighting the Online Jihad" by Jeremy Reynalds
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974670170/002-1304843-2936817?v=glance&n=283155
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INTERNET-HAGANAH.COM
http://www.internet-haganah.com
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Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/005643.html
19 June 2006
Talking points
• There is no "internet jihad".
There are jihadis who use the internet. The internet is just another territory, another area of operations, another front in a global war.
The Internet is the home front of the global jihad.
• The most important thing that the internet does for the global jihad is it provides community.
Maybe 20% of what jihadis say online has some interest from an analytical or investigative point of view.
The 80% that doesn't interest *us* is the mindless chit chat that builds bonds. It solidifies the individual jihadi's sense of identity with the global movement and it holds the global movement together and keeps it moving forwards.
• Jihadis act locally and interact globally.
This global interaction has the effect of cutting the jihadis off from their own local Muslim community and turning them towards the objectives of the global jihad, as opposed to any local struggle. This fuels the process of radicalization.
Posted on 19 June 2006 @ 07:51
I remember reading about her sometime in 2002...she is one dedicated woman. God Bless her.
As for those who blame the paper for publishing this story ... she agreed to an interiview and posed for a photo.
Too cool! A cyber-militia!
I appreciate the kind comments about my lovely wife. What I don't understand is the negative comments like 'harsh sun' and 'drinking hard liquor'. Shannen has spent a great deal of time and money protecting our country, and she is ridiculed like this on Free Republic? I thought the members here were more intelligent than that. The pictures don't do her justice. She is a gorgeous woman.
As far as revelaing her identity, we have the US Army to thank for that snafu over 3 years ago. And as far as cooperating with the media, if we don't cooperate, they publish the story anyways, and it is usually not accurate. Shannen has turned down MANY requests by the media, and concentrated on the outlets that we feel protray her the way she really is.
Shannen is not paid for this work. She is, however, going on the speech circuit, so watch for her coming to your area. She gives a very intersting speech. If you would like to see her media archive, go here: http://designerimages.net/pages/Shannen/shannen_rossmiller_video_archive.htm
I replied a couple of years ago to a thread regarding Ryan G Anderson. Perhaps a few of you remember that.
Hopefully they did alter the info to protect her. It would be CRAZY to put her real picture and real stats. Like painting a big old bullseye on her.
jm
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