The daughter of an American woman killed in a firefight in Syria today denied that her mother was a “terrorist” and was a “regular american woman who was misguided.”

The body of Nicole Lynn Mansfield, a Muslim convert from Flint, Mich., was recovered this week following fighting near the rebellious Syrian city of Idlib. The Syrian government labeled her a terrorist.

Goldman, Russell. “Daughter of American Woman Slain in Syria Denies Mom Was Terrorist.” ABC News, May 31, 2013.

Young American men continue to slip through a terrorist recruiting pipeline from the homeland to join the ranks of jihadists half a world away in East Africa, with two going as recently as three months ago, according to federal officials.

Ferran, Lee and Dana Hughes.  “Americans Slip From Minnesota to Somali Terror Group: FBI.”  ABC, The Blotter, October 31, 2012.

What’s a nice mom from Flint doing in a firefight in Syria?

Well, it ain’t no sucker punch: the recruitment of Americans into Islamist fighting organizations hit the news big time in 2009 when the bodies of boys from St. Paul, Minnesota showed up in Somalia and associated with the fighting there.

From Voice of America, August 2010:

“One day after Masri’s arrest, the FBI charged 14 naturalized U.S. citizens from Minnesota, California and Alabama with providing material support to al-Shabab, a group the U.S. government has designated as a terrorist organization.”

Alabama!?

Sheesh.

I see Gateway Pundit posted this story 18 hours ago.

There was even video:

Additional Reference

AP.  “Attack casts spotlight on radical preachers.”  ABC 12, May 24, 2013.

Committee on Homeland Security, U. S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.  “Al Shabaab: Recruitment and Radicalization within the Muslim American Community and the Threat to the Homeland.”  July 27, 2011.

Forliti, Amy.  “2 Minnesota women sentenced in Somali terror case.”  ABC 12, May 16 2013.

Forliti, Amy.  “3 Minnesota men setenced in Somali terror case.”  AP via Yahoo News, May 14, 2013.

Forliti, Amy.  “Details emerge about Somali terrorists’ recruiting methods.”  AP via MPR News, August 25, 2009.

VOA.  “Officials Say Terrorist Recruitment Effort in US On Rise.”  August 4, 2010.

Walker, Molly Bernhart.  “RAND: Homegrown terrorist recruitment efforts tiny, inept.”  Fierce Homeland Security, September 2, 2011.

Yuen, Laura.  “Somali-American group wins FBI award.”  October 24, 2012.

Yuen, Laura.  “Terrorist pipeline continues to flow from Minn. to Somalia.”  October 26, 2012.