Tiny town in terrorism spotlight

Sun., May 30, 2004

Associated Press

BLY, Ore. – It saw its lumber mill close. It shut down its high school. Yet try as it might to slip into oblivion, the itty-bitty burg of Bly has once again landed on the map – of the international war on terrorism.

Last Thursday’s arrest in London of Abu Hamza al-Masri, a radical Muslim cleric accused of trying to set up a terrorist training camp in this isolated ranching community of several hundred inhabitants, left residents puzzled by Bly’s latest blip in the headlines.

“We’ve had people come from all over the place to see the terrorist camp,” said Chester Brown, owner of the Bly Cozy Cafe, who lives near the ranch allegedly considered for a terrorist training camp.

A federal indictment made public in New York on Thursday alleges that in late 1999 and early 2000, al-Masri tried to set up a terror training camp here to create a stockpile of weapons in America for jihad exercises.

“It’s kind of spooky,” said Janet Stripe, a 30-year-old student and horse handler who was picking up her mail at the post office Thursday afternoon.

“It’s hard to believe terrorists would pick such a small town to set up shop. Bly is the last place you’d expect this, but maybe that’s what they were looking for.”

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