(NECN: Brian Burnell, Naugatuck, Connecticut) - Naugatuck, Connecticut police officers using the High Rock Shooting Association firing range for training. According to the FBI there was a different kind of training going on here 20 years ago.
In Raleigh, North Carolina seven men were in federal court this week charged with planning to launch jihad or holy war in an unspecified foreign country. The man said to be the leader is 39-year-old Daniel Boyd. He's the tall man with the bushy beard. Two of his sons are also charged. At their bond hearing and FBI agent testified that Boyd said he had terrorist training at a secret camp in Connecticut back in the late 80's before going to Pakistan for more training.
The Hartford Courant confirmed back in 2001 that two men convicted of carrying out the 1993 attack on the world trade center trained at the shooting range which is deep in a state forest. And there is more evidence there might have been terrorist training going on in the woods around the range back then.
The newspaper reports that back in July of 1989 a town constable came upon a group of "Arabic looking" men, as he described them, in this parking lot unloading AK-47 and other assault-style weapons from their vehicles. He called for backup. The police looked into it. They didn't have anything they could hold them on legally so they let them go and the incident was forgotten.
Ray Hanley is head of the High Rock Shooting Association. On
hearing the association's range connected to terrorist training...
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: Upset, disturbed. Again, we're being portrayed as a terrorist training. By whom, we don't know.
The FBI says Daniel Boyd is the one making the connection.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: I wouldn't know Daniel Boyd if he jumped out of that car right there.
And Ray has been with the association for 20 years. He says the High Rock Shooting Association takes great care to make sure they know who is using the range, which is open to the public.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: If they're using a sidearm we want to see their pistol permit. We want to see their driver's license with it and the same applies to a long gun. If they're sighting a rifle or whatever they're going to show us proper identification for that. We want to know who's there.
As for terrorist training in the forest around the range Ray says no one in the association has any idea about that. Not that there isn't training that goes on at the range.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: We've had hunter education courses up there, we've had police departments training up there, we've had DEP training up there so that's what kind of training we do.
As for Boyd the FBI says he and his co-defendants are dangerous. In court they played audio they said was recorded at Boyd's North Carolina home. The voice they said belonged to Boyd says "The blood of Muslims has become cheap because most of the Muslims have abandoned Jihad." and, "I love Jihad. I love to stand there and fight for the sake of Allah." They also produced a text message they say came from Boyd's home that called for the killing of Americans and their allies, civilians or otherwise. People in Naugatuck were shocked to hear this man may have been among them 2 decades ago.
Sylvia Alexander, Naugatuck CT: I think its terrible. You know I thinks its something that you don't know who you're living with.
Katherine Green, Naugatuck CT: First of all I was amazed at the young man because he looked like such a normal, American fellow. To think that he was really such a nut.
Boyd and the six other suspects are being held without bail until their trial.
Related Stories:
http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/08/07/FBI-ties-Connecticut-firing/1249650935.html
In Raleigh, North Carolina seven men were in federal court this week charged with planning to launch jihad or holy war in an unspecified foreign country. The man said to be the leader is 39-year-old Daniel Boyd. He's the tall man with the bushy beard. Two of his sons are also charged. At their bond hearing and FBI agent testified that Boyd said he had terrorist training at a secret camp in Connecticut back in the late 80's before going to Pakistan for more training.
The Hartford Courant confirmed back in 2001 that two men convicted of carrying out the 1993 attack on the world trade center trained at the shooting range which is deep in a state forest. And there is more evidence there might have been terrorist training going on in the woods around the range back then.
The newspaper reports that back in July of 1989 a town constable came upon a group of "Arabic looking" men, as he described them, in this parking lot unloading AK-47 and other assault-style weapons from their vehicles. He called for backup. The police looked into it. They didn't have anything they could hold them on legally so they let them go and the incident was forgotten.
Ray Hanley is head of the High Rock Shooting Association. On
hearing the association's range connected to terrorist training...
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: Upset, disturbed. Again, we're being portrayed as a terrorist training. By whom, we don't know.
The FBI says Daniel Boyd is the one making the connection.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: I wouldn't know Daniel Boyd if he jumped out of that car right there.
And Ray has been with the association for 20 years. He says the High Rock Shooting Association takes great care to make sure they know who is using the range, which is open to the public.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: If they're using a sidearm we want to see their pistol permit. We want to see their driver's license with it and the same applies to a long gun. If they're sighting a rifle or whatever they're going to show us proper identification for that. We want to know who's there.
As for terrorist training in the forest around the range Ray says no one in the association has any idea about that. Not that there isn't training that goes on at the range.
Ray Hanley, High Rock Shooting Association: We've had hunter education courses up there, we've had police departments training up there, we've had DEP training up there so that's what kind of training we do.
As for Boyd the FBI says he and his co-defendants are dangerous. In court they played audio they said was recorded at Boyd's North Carolina home. The voice they said belonged to Boyd says "The blood of Muslims has become cheap because most of the Muslims have abandoned Jihad." and, "I love Jihad. I love to stand there and fight for the sake of Allah." They also produced a text message they say came from Boyd's home that called for the killing of Americans and their allies, civilians or otherwise. People in Naugatuck were shocked to hear this man may have been among them 2 decades ago.
Sylvia Alexander, Naugatuck CT: I think its terrible. You know I thinks its something that you don't know who you're living with.
Katherine Green, Naugatuck CT: First of all I was amazed at the young man because he looked like such a normal, American fellow. To think that he was really such a nut.
Boyd and the six other suspects are being held without bail until their trial.
Related Stories:
http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/08/07/FBI-ties-Connecticut-firing/1249650935.html
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