(AP) — Two women who used an Internet chat room to raise several thousand dollars for the Somali militant group al-Shabab have been convicted of providing support to a terrorist organization. [...] their defense lawyers argued that the money they raised went to people who were not clearly defined members of al-Shabab. They also argued that the women intended the money to be used to support safe houses sheltering injured al-Shabab soldiers. [...] they argued that sending money to a safehouse in Kenya that cared for injured al-Shabab soldiers could not be held against the women, because providing funds for medicine in an armed conflict cannot be considered a criminal act under international treaties. The defense also raised First Amendment issues, saying their advocacy for al-Shabab should not be fodder for a criminal conviction. Al-Shabab, which has been linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks including the 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya that killed 67 people.